Acting on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s order to address the needs of students as schools reopen, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has ramped up its efforts to address bullying, promote child mental health, and create safer environments for children.
President Marcos has designated the DSWD as the lead agency supporting the mental health and well-being of children affected by bullying, both online and in person.
During a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian highlighted a comprehensive approach that protects victims and addresses the root cause of the behavior of aggressors.
“Sa mata namin, ang kabataan ay isang bulnerableng sector. Iyong ang bully, bagama’t siya iyong aggressor, mayroon din tayo dapat na intervention sa kanya, mayroon tayo dapat psychosocial intervention,” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian stressed the importance of proactive parenting and revealed that the DSWD is currently developing sessions under its Parenting Effectiveness Service (PES) program in collaboration with child and family psychologists.
Through practical sessions and workshops, the DSWD aims to guide parents and guardians on anti-bullying and other topics such as teenage pregnancy, child nutrition, and values education.
“Kami ‘yung lead agency na naatasan na humubog ng parent effectiveness sessions kasi it all starts at home. Alam natin na ‘yong pagpapalaki ng mga bata, dapat aktibo ang ating mga magulang,” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian said the DSWD will provide a standardized framework and modules to serve as templates for local government units (LGUs) in implementing the Parent Effectiveness Service Program nationwide.
The anti-bullying campaign is being carried out in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), which is in charge of deploying guidance counselors or guidance advisers, and in some cases, licensed psychologists, to provide direct support to students.
“Nasabi na ni (DepEd) Secretary (Sonny) Angara na maglalagay sila ng guidance counselors or guidance advisers. At ang mga local government units sa kanilang mga social welfare and development offices, normally mayroon na iyang built-in na mga child psychologist that deals with social protection for children,” Gatchalian said. | PND
