MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education on Sunday expressed its condolences for the death of a Grade 10 student from an unidentified public school in Maasin, Iloilo.
The unidentified student "sadly passed away" on May 10, DepEd said in its statement.
DepEd did not state the cause of death but said that psychosocial interventions have been provided by the school's Child Protection Committee (CPC) to the "affected peers and teachers close to the said learner."
All schools are required to establish a CPC, which is responsible for developing a school-based referral and monitoring system and creating a system for identifying students who may be suffering from physical, emotional or behavioral problems, according to DepEd's Child Protection Policy.
In its statement, DepEd also said that the school will coordinate with authorities regarding the incident.
DepEd appealed to the public to refrain from sharing unverified information about the student's death "as a sign of respect for the family in this time of grief."
Citing the rise in student suicides, Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist) said in June 2023 that President Marcos Jr. should declare a mental health emergency as a response to the "hundreds of young lives that have been taken by academic and economic pressures of today's society."
Lack of career progression and stringent educational requirements have made it difficult for DepEd to hire more licensed guidance counselors in schools. Of the more than 5,300 authorized positions for registered guidance counselors at DepEd, only 19% or around 1,000 have been filled, according to data presented by a representative from DepEd’s Bureau of Human Resources and Organizational Development in 2023.
In some schools without a registered guidance counselor, teachers who do not have the license to provide guidance and counselling services are assigned a "guidance teacher" role, adding to their administrative workload on top of teaching.
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If you or someone you know needs assistance, contact the National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline at +63 917 899 8727 and 7989 8727.