Marcos calls for more school counselors and teachers to tackle student bullying, depression

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. called for an increase in school counselors and additional teachers during his fourth State of the Nation Address to address rising cases of bullying, depression, and mental health issues among students.

Marcos emphasized the need to prioritize mental well-being alongside traditional academic support, highlighting the emotional toll many students are facing due to bullying and depression.

The Department of Education will expand its YAKAP Caravan initiative to provide free medical checkups, cancer screenings, and essential medicines for learners and teachers, which may help detect psychological issues early on.

To further support student mental health, Marcos announced plans to establish over three hundred Barangay Child Development Centers and Bulilit Centers across the country using a billion pesos allocated for this purpose.

In addition to hiring more guidance counselors, the government is also planning to hire 60,000 new teachers to address the teaching load in public schools.

A recent study published by Cambridge University Press shows that the prevalence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms among Filipinos aged 15 to 24 years old has doubled from 9.6% in 2013 to 20.9% in 2021, underscoring a significant decline in youth mental health.