DepEd Strengthens Anti-Bullying Policy With Revised IRR

In a bid to curb bullying in schools, the Department of Education (DepEd) has revised the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 to strengthen enforcement and ensure greater accountability across all basic education institutions nationwide.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara signed on Monday, Aug. 4, the Revised IRR of Republic Act No. 10627, which mandates all public and private basic education institutions, including community learning centers and DepEd-supervised overseas schools, to adopt and implement a standard anti-bullying policy.

According to DepEd, the revised guidelines aim to bolster preventive measures, formalize school responsibilities and establish a clear chain of accountability to ensure every complaint is addressed promptly and fairly.

“A school is a place for learning, not for maltreatment. There should be no bullying in any corner of the school and society,” said Angara, who authored the law during his tenure as senator.

He stressed that bullying leads to absenteeism, poor academic performance and even school dropouts, adding that addressing such behavior is essential to improving educational outcomes.

Under the new framework, schools are required to implement school-wide prevention programs, early interventions and a streamlined process for resolving complaints and appeals. Roles and responsibilities of school heads, teachers, parents or parent-substitutes and learners are now clearly defined to ensure no case is overlooked.

“There should be a culture of concern and respect. For this to happen, we are giving clear authority and responsibility to the teachers, the parents and school heads,” Angara said.

The revised IRR also expands coverage by identifying precursor behaviors and patterns of intimidation, including actions that may not result in physical harm but cause emotional distress or social exclusion.

A key feature of the update is the designation of a Learner Formation Officer, who will act as the first responder to bullying complaints and coordinate necessary interventions. Schools must also incorporate anti-bullying procedures in their student handbooks and post them prominently within the campus.

DepEd will monitor the functionality of Child Protection Committees in schools and provide technical assistance to ensure all support systems are in place.

The updated policy will be published in the Official Gazette and disseminated to DepEd regional and division offices.

Voucher anomaly

Meanwhile, the DepEd said three private schools in Metro Manila are set to face criminal complaints in connection with alleged irregularities in the Senior High School (SHS) voucher program.

DepEd Undersecretary for legal and legislative affairs Filemon Ray Javier said that one school has already been charged, while two more will be facing complaints within the week. The agency is investigating 89 other schools across the country for similar issues.

The SHS voucher program provides government subsidies to Grade 10 completers enrolling in private schools for Grade 11.

Javier added that three former DepEd contractual employees from the National Capital Region were also included in the complaint. “But they are no longer connected to the department. They left the DepEd even before the issue came out in public,” he said.

The official gave assurance that current students in the implicated schools will not be displaced.

“They will just be transferred to another legitimate private school. They will not be affected since they did not commit any crime and had no knowledge about the irregularity,” Javier explained.

He clarified that while schools facing complaints may continue operating, their participation in the voucher program would be terminated.

To prevent a repeat of the anomaly, DepEd will implement stricter protocols and conduct full validation before releasing payments to schools. So far, private schools have returned P78 million, and DepEd expects the total to reach P100 million.

“If they do not return the money, we will file cases against them,” Javier warned.