BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The implementation of Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) as a subject, along with child protection programs, is crucial in preventing and addressing bullying.
Department of Education Cordillera Regional Director Nicolas Capulong emphasized this as among the measures to address bullying inside and outside the school premises.
“Nagkakaroon po ng bullying dahil kulang ang pananaw ng ating mga mag-aaral sa kanilang kapuwa tao. They do not have the right concept of what is to be a human person, that is why they engage in this matter. It is somewhat social, it is somewhat psychological,” Capulong said in a recent press conference.
The GMRC and Values Education Act was enacted in 2020, mandating that GMRC shall be taught from Grades 1 to 6 as a separate subject. Value education shall also be taught from Grades 7 to 10 as a separate subject and shall be integrated into the teaching of subjects in Grades 11 and 12 under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum.
“So, ito po ‘yung isang sagot ng ating kagawaran. Nakita po nila ito, ano ang puwede nating gawin? Ibalik po ang asignaturang GMRC sa ating paaralan. Hopefully, makilala at makita ng ating mga kabataan kung ano ang dapat na pag-uugali ng isang tao, inside and outside of the community,” Capulong said.
He said that bullying may also be influenced by ‘barkadas’ especially for secondary school learners.
“Ito po kasi ‘yung panahon na tinatawag natin na seeking for their identity, gusto nilang magpakilala kung ano at sino sila. Kapag hindi po natin na-manage itong panahon na ito ng kanilang age of development of identity nila, either sila ‘yung nambu-bully or ito ‘yung may inferiority complex.”
Capulong shared that based on a recent study, bullying is one of the factors that affect the academic performance of learners.
To address this, the DepEd is also implementing the Learners’ Rights Protection Program.
DepEd-CAR Chief Education Supervisor Georgina Ducayso said they already have a learners’ rights and protection officer and one technical assistant in the region for the implementation of the program.
“In the division level, we are still waiting for the creation of additional items for this. There is assigned focal person in schools—the guidance advocates,” Ducayso said.
She said that they have already conducted orientation among the focal persons in the division offices to review the child protection policy and ensure that it is being practiced in schools.
Ducayso added that they also conduct advocacy on how to detect if learners have signs of bullying, either physical, emotional, or online.
These initiatives, she said, may have contributed to the decrease in bullying cases recorded in the region.
The regional director urged barangay officials to strengthen their partnership with schools, especially since most cases of bullying occur outside the school premises.
“Dito po natin tinatawagan ng pansin ang ating mga barangay officials. Tulungan tayo na ma-ensure na ang mga bata ay makakauwi nang mahusay,” he stressed.
He added that parents also must be responsible in ensuring that children arrive home safely and in providing them with proper guidance to help prevent bullying and other harmful behavior. **JDP/DEG-PIA CAR
