AmplifyEd urges faster DepEd counselor hiring, care centers

MANILA, Philippines — The Amplify Education Budget Initiative, the budget-advocacy campaign of youth-led coalition Multiply-Ed Philippines, has urged the Department of Education to accelerate the hiring of school mental health personnel and establishment of care centers as schools confront violence, bullying, and a severe shortage of guidance counselors.

The coalition said faster implementation is critical because Republic Act No. 12080 requires a school-based mental health support system intended to give learners accessible counseling, early intervention, crisis response, and referral services. Nearly two years after the law was enacted, however, the group said staffing and infrastructure remain behind schedule even as students, families, and teachers face growing concerns over safety and mental well-being.

DepEd opened hiring only in mid-2026 for its target of 10,000 school counselor associates, according to the coalition.

Multiply-Ed members monitoring implementation in several areas said some school counselor associate vacancies were advertised only in August.

“Alarming yung pagtaas ng kaso ng school violence. It should be treated din as a mental health issue. Walang urgency ang Department, even the divisions, to fast-track hiring ng mga guidance counselors. Some of our members have only seen postings for hiring ngayong August,” said Humphrey Soriano, Engagement Officer of Multiply-Ed Philippines.

DepEd said in August that fewer than 1,000 registered guidance counselors were serving more than 45,000 schools nationwide as the department moved to hire at least 10,000 school counselor associates in 2026. Philstar

The staffing level remains far from the benchmark of one counselor for every 250 learners cited by DepEd officials from the American School Counselor Association. Philstar

RA 12080, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, was signed into law in 2024.

The law requires DepEd to establish and maintain a Care Center in every public basic education school and ensure similar facilities are established and maintained in private basic education institutions. Lawphil

It also mandates a Mental Health and Well-Being Office in every Schools Division Office and creates new plantilla positions for schools division counselors, school counselors, and school counselor associates. Lawphil

The coalition said the pace of implementation has become more urgent as parents and teachers report more frequent incidents of campus violence and bullying, problems the additional counselors and care centers are intended to help schools prevent and address.

Amplify also raised concerns about whether the proposed fiscal year 2027 National Expenditure Program provides sufficiently clear and trackable targets for the mental health program.

The coalition said the proposed budget does not contain a dedicated line item specifying how many counselors or associates will be hired or how many care centers will be established and where they will be located.

Without clearly published targets, Amplify said parents, teachers, students, lawmakers, and the broader public have less visibility into the pace of implementation and fewer benchmarks for assessing whether the mandated services are reaching schools.

“Ang hirap i-track ang budgetary provisions sa mental health sa DepEd budget. Walang clear guide or specification kung ilang guidance counselor associates ang target i-hire at itatayong Care Centers. Idagdag mo pa yung kailangan nating i-review yung guidelines sa mga counselors dahil walang nag-a-apply sa baba ng sahod,” said John Elsisura, National Campaign Coordinator of Amplify Education Budget Initiative.

RA 12080 requires the DepEd unit responsible for implementation to provide yearly targets covering mental health offices, care centers, personnel, capacity-building programs, and funding requirements. Lawphil

The law also provides that funding required for its continued implementation should be included as a separate line item in the annual General Appropriations Act. Lawphil

Amplify said recruitment conditions could also determine whether the government can fill the positions it has created.

The entry-level School Counselor Associate I position pays about PHP 31,000 a month and carries specific education and eligibility requirements.

Under RA 12080, school counselor associates may be graduates of guidance and counseling or psychology, graduates of other degree programs with at least 18 units in guidance and counseling or psychology, or graduates of related programs with at least 18 units of behavioral science courses that include 200 hours of supervised practicum or internship experience. Lawphil

The coalition said the combination of qualification requirements and compensation raises the question of whether existing guidelines and remuneration need to be revised to attract enough qualified applicants.

Amplify is calling on DepEd and Congress to use the 2027 budget deliberations to speed up the hiring of school counselor associates and establishment of the care centers required by RA 12080.

The group is also seeking clear and publicly disclosed targets for both staffing and care center implementation.

Amplify said remuneration and qualification specifications should be reviewed where they are slowing recruitment, with the goal of turning the mental health protections already provided by law into services that students can actually reach in their schools.