NextGen Day

On Monday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian reiterated his request for the country’s public and private schools to institutionalize mental health services and to work with the Department of Education (DepEd) to create and sustain mental health programs in all schools.

Senate Bill No. 379, which seeks to establish the Mental Health and Well-Being Program to offer mental health services, emotional support services, preventive programs, and other services to students in light of the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, according to Gatchalian, should be passed soon.

On World Mental Health Day, established on October 10, 1992, to promote mental health awareness, the congressman reissued his call.

Gatchalian also underlined the significance of including psychosocial support for instructors and students in recovery efforts.

To address the mental, emotional, and developmental needs of students, teachers, and non-teaching staff, the DepEd will be required to create and operate a Mental Health and Well-Being Center in every public school under his proposal.

Additionally, it aims to recruit and place mental health specialists in public elementary, secondary, and technical institutions.

Along with creating enough plantilla products and raising salaries for guidance counselor roles, Gatchalian suggests creating a new profession called a guidance associate.

The Salary Grade (SG) of Guidance Counselor I will increase from SG 11 (PHP25,439) to SG 16 (PHP38,150), that of Guidance Counselor II from SG 12 (PHP27,608) to SG 17 (PHP41,508), and that of Guidance Counselor III from SG 13 (PHP29,798) to SG 18 (PHP42,508), according to Gatchalian’s suggestion (PHP45,203).

Guidance Associates may be employed if they have a Bachelor’s degree in guidance and counseling, psychology, social work, human services, or a closely related field.

Gatchalian continued by saying that even though the DepEd mandates one guidance counselor for every 500 pupils, there are still insufficient to serve the country’s more than 28 million kids.

As of June 2022, the Philippines only had 4,069 guidance counselors, compared to the first class that passed the licensing exams in 2008.

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