ILOILO City — A sharp surge in bullying cases across Western Visayas schools has prompted the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 to strengthen learner protection measures, with officials unveiling a more aggressive campaign to safeguard students after reported incidents more than tripled in the latest school year.
During the 1st Regional Assembly of Education Leaders (REAL) at the Iloilo Convention Center, Regional Director Cristito Eco said the agency is intensifying monitoring and capacity-building efforts through its WE CARE (We Are Child Advocates for Resilience and Empathy) program to ensure schools become safer, more inclusive, and child-friendly learning spaces.
“Achieving inclusivity is a serious commitment for us,” Eco emphasized.
Bullying in schools generally involves repeated aggressive behavior in which there is an actual or perceived imbalance of power between the aggressor and the victim. It may take the form of physical attacks, verbal abuse, threats, humiliation, social exclusion, rumor-spreading, or cyberbullying through social media, messaging platforms and other digital channels.
Possible warning signs that a learner is being bullied include unexplained injuries, damaged or missing belongings, fear or reluctance to attend school, declining academic performance, withdrawal from friends or family, changes in sleeping or eating habits, anxiety, sadness and sudden behavioral changes.
Some victims may remain silent because of fear of retaliation, embarrassment or concern that reporting the abuse could worsen their situation.
“We are dedicated to strengthening our monitoring and capacity-building efforts to address learner rights concerns in education. Our focus remains on ensuring a safer and child-friendly learning environment,” said Eco.
SHARP INCREASE
The urgency comes after DepEd-6’s Learner Rights and Protection (LRP) report showed 2,162 bullying cases were recorded in School Year 2024-2025, a dramatic increase from 646 cases in SY 2023-2024 and 1,208 in SY 2022-2023.
The report also documented 139 child abuse cases in SY 2024-2025, compared with 137 in SY 2023-2024 and 190 in SY 2022-2023. Children-at-risk cases reached 1,458, up from 422 the previous school year but below the 2,216 recorded in SY 2022-2023.
Cases involving children in conflict with the law stood at 11 in SY 2024-2025, compared with eight and 49 in the two preceding school years, while other learner rights and protection concerns rose to 313 from 33 and 89, respectively.
The sharp increase in reported cases makes early detection particularly important. Parents and teachers should pay attention to significant changes in a child’s behavior and encourage learners to report bullying rather than dismissing it as ordinary teasing or an inevitable part of growing up.
Bullying may arise from a combination of individual, family, peer and school-related factors. Children who bully others may be seeking power, attention or social status, may be influenced by aggressive behavior around them, or may have difficulty managing anger and emotions. Peer pressure, intolerance of differences and environments where harmful behavior goes unchecked can also allow bullying to persist.
The consequences can extend beyond immediate physical or emotional harm. Victims may experience fear, anxiety, loneliness, poor self-esteem, difficulty concentrating, declining school performance and avoidance of classes or school activities. Persistent bullying can also have longer-term effects on a child’s emotional and psychological well-being.
LEARNER RIGHTS AND PROTECTION
DepEd defines Learner Rights and Protection as the policies and systems designed to shield students from abuse, bullying, discrimination and other threats while ensuring they can learn in a nurturing and secure environment.
Eco called on educators, parents, local governments and communities to treat learner protection as a shared responsibility rather than leaving it solely to schools.
“A community cannot afford to say that education is somebody else’s responsibility. The urgency is now, the opportunity is now, and the responsibility belongs to all of us,” he asserted.
Outlining DepEd-6’s vision for the next three years, Eco said the region aims for “Every learner included, every teacher empowered, every school improving, every stakeholder engaged.”
He added that the success of the education system should ultimately be measured by the well-being and achievements of learners, stressing that sustained collaboration among schools, families and communities will be crucial in protecting every child in Western Visayas./PN