DEPED’S 2024 BUDGET TO BOOST MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

RALPH D. BACCAY

The Department of Education’s (DepEd) P210-million budget for 2024 is a big boost for the implementation of mental health programs, according to officials. With this, the DepEd can carry out mental health programs to address the mental crisis plaguing the country’s schools. DepEd data shows that 1,686 learners died by suicide between School Year (SY) 2017-2018 and SY 2022-2023, while 7,892 learners attempted suicide. Officials noted that it is important to focus on strengthening and ensuring the effective implementation of programs for mental health in schools, reason why they made sure that under the 2024 budget, funds can be allotted for DepEd’s programs for mental health to support students. Largescale international assessments showed the high prevalence of bullying in the country’s schools. Based on the analysis using the 2019 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) data, they found that compared to their peers in Southeast Asia, the Philippines' Grade 5 learners had the highest exposure to bullying (63.2 percent), aggression (9.2 percent), violence (12.3 percent), and offensive behavior (28.8 percent). The latest round of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) also indicated that one in three 15-year-old learners experienced being bullied at least once a week. While the number of Filipino learners who experienced bullying decreased between 2018 and 2022, the DepEd emphasized that bullying remains a pervasive problem, especially in public schools and more so for boys. The PISA report also found that learners who were bullied at least a few times a month scored 11 to 44 points lower in mathematics. Officials have been advocating for the passage of Senate Bill 2200 or the Basic Education Mental Health and WellBeing Promotion Act to institutionalize a school-based mental health program.

-oOoThe author is a Teacher I at Camias High School