HIRING 15,000 personnel will not magically solve everything. The counselor shortage is deeply structural.
According to EDCOM 2, only a limited number of higher education institutions offer guidance and counseling programs, with CHED noting that only around 43 institutions nationwide provide such degrees and some regions having none at all. As a result, the pipeline of future counselors remains thin. Becoming a licensed guidance counselor is no easy path. It requires a master’s degree, specialized training, and passing a licensure examination. Yet the country has only a little over 4,000 licensed practitioners serving millions of learners. The challenge is compounded by relatively low starting salaries in government schools — about ₱28,000 a month despite the profession’s demanding qualifications. Even Education Secretary Sonny Angara has acknowledged that compensation remains low relative to the qualifications demanded. These realities help explain why both DepEd and CHED continue to struggle in building and retaining a strong pool of school counselors nationwide, making the government’s more than ₱182 million allocation for graduate scholarships in guidance counseling, psychology, and related fields in the 2026 budget just as important as the planned hiring itself.
There is also a deeper issue that deserves honest discussion. Guidance counseling has been one of the most neglected vocations in education for years. It’s emotionally taxing work and it’s often misperceived. Counselors assist students in dealing with crisis, mental health, career decisions, and personal problems. They hear stories that few others hear. They carry weights that are hardly reported. They carry burdens that do not appear in accomplishment reports. Yet compensation, staffing support, and public appreciation have not always matched the importance of the role.
This is why I find hope in smaller initiatives happening across communities. I am currently leading a two-year STEP UP extension program in San Enrique, Iloilo, where teachers, guidance designates, and wellness advocates pledged to help learners facing emotional challenges. None claimed to have all the answers. They simply believed that timely support can prevent silent struggles from becoming crises. Their series of trainings on Psychological First Aid focused on a simple framework: Look, Listen, and Link. In many ways, that is also the essence of good guidance work. Notice. Listen. Connect. Sometimes transformation begins with those three ordinary actions.
Still, caution is necessary. Hiring counselor associates should not become an excuse to neglect the long-term development of licensed professionals. Guidance designates, homeroom advisers, and counselor associates play valuable roles, especially in understaffed schools. Research by Medalla and Musni (2025) found that guidance designates often carry multiple responsibilities despite limited training and resources. Their contribution deserves recognition. However, support positions should strengthen professional counseling services, not replace them. Schools deserve both trained specialists and supportive adults—parents and guidance included. The choice should never be either-or.
The best thing about this drive is the message behind it: student well-being is important. Laws and improvements in bullying, mental health, and guidance services acknowledge that learning is more than academics. Behind every report card is a young person with struggles, questions, and pressures. Schools need competent teachers and infrastructure, but they also need individuals who can listen. In that sense these 15,000 counselor roles mean far more than jobs — they mean hope.
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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./PN
