MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) is revising the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 to enhance efforts against bullying in schools nationwide.

In a statement on Friday (07 Feb 2025), DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that the law has not been fully enforced across all public schools.

“It’s been over a decade since we helped craft this law in the Senate, and I’ve noticed that not all schools have adopted an anti-bullying policy,” Angara said.

The DepEd plans to collaborate with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) to complete the IRR revisions by the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

The revision aims to improve the monitoring of bullying incidents, ensure full compliance with the law, and strengthen the Learner Rights and Protection Office, which was established in 2022 to provide a platform for reporting bullying and violence. Angara also mentioned increasing the number of guidance counselors to better support students affected by bullying.

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MANILA – Students from Bestlink Colleges of the Philippines in Quezon City faced a dangerous situation during their field trip to Hermosa, Bataan, when transportation issues left them stranded in the mountains.

Parents of the students reported that the group had to walk for two hours through a dark and rugged mountainous area after no bus arrived to pick them up and bring them back to Quezon City. Many students struggled with exhaustion and hunger, and some even fainted from the ordeal.

Local ambulances from Hermosa responded promptly, providing first aid to the affected students. The local government of Quezon City later issued a statement urging schools to take greater responsibility in planning and coordinating field trips. They emphasized the importance of following proper safety protocols to avoid such incidents in the future.

Parents have expressed their anger and disappointment, taking to social media to voice their concerns. As of now, Bestlink Colleges has not issued an official statement regarding the incident.

This is the second field trip-related accident involving the school, with the first occurring in 2017 in Tanay, Rizal, where 15 people tragically lost their lives.

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