Grade 2 students at Aurora Quezon Elementary School in Manila participate in a physical education session on August 7, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — The Department of Education said it aimed to fill some 4,000 vacant positions of guidance counselors in public education institutions in the coming months.

This, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act which aims to strengthen mental health programs in schools.

Speaking to ABS-CBN News, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that with the passage of the new law, hiring guidance counselors would become much easier.

“Kulang kami sa guidance counselors dahil mahirap mag-hire dati dahil kailangan ng Master’s degree. Pero ngayon meron nang qualification na units na lang yung guidance counseling or bachelor’s degree pwede nang mag-hire. Mapapadali yung hiring namin,” he said.

(We lack guidance counselors because it’s so hard to hire because they need to have a Master’s degree. But now some of the qualifications will just be units in guidance counseling or a bachelor’s degree. Hiring will become easier.)

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The Education chief highlighted the importance of guidance counselors in any place of learning.

“Alam natin na talagang napakahalaga ng role ng isang guidance counselor sa isang paaralan at mga kabataang may problema at nangangailangan, hindi lang sa mental health kundi sa career guidance. Importanteng tungkulin yan para sa ating mga kabataan.”

(We know the importance of the role of guidance counselors in an educational institution and its learners especially those who may be facing challenges in mental health. They can also given career guidance. They play an integral part in the lives of our students.)

With this, Angara explained that personnel adjustments could be made as the law opens up new positions. Budget will once again be an important aspect for its implementation — something the DepEd will find ways to source.

“Gagawan natin ng paraan. Especially yung mga hindi nangangailangan ng budget na posisyon. Yung tinatawag na scrap and build, isa-scrap ko yung lumang posisyon para makagawa ng bago. Yun ang isang polisiya sa loob ng ating civil service,” Angara said.

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(We’ll find ways for it. Especially for positions that do not require budgets, we can scrap-and-build that is we do away with old positions to make new ones. That is among the policies under the civil service.)

The Department of Budget and Management and the Civil Service Commission will create new plantilla positions for counselors.

Aside from the establishment of a comprehensive school-based mental health program for all public and private basic education institutions, the law also requires the creation of a mental health and well-being office in every division office.

The DepEd aims to complete the implementing rules and regulations of the recently signed law by March and hopes to implement it by the next academic year.