Members of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture called on the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to fast-track the review and approval of Qualification Standards (QS) for School Counselor Associates (SCAs), warning that continued delays are preventing the hiring of mental health personnel authorized under the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act (Republic Act No. 12080) and funded under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
The appeal came during the Committee’s hearing on school safety and violence, where lawmakers reviewed the implementation of RA 12080 alongside the Department of Education’s (DepEd) existing child protection and school safety protocols following recent violent incidents involving learners.
During the hearing, DepEd Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development Willie Cabral confirmed that despite the enactment of the law in 2024, none of the School Counselor Associates have been hired to date, as the creation of plantilla positions remains contingent on the approval of the Qualification Standards by the Civil Service Commission.
Cabral explained that immediately after the passage of the law, DepEd began preparing the job descriptions and qualification standards for the new positions. The Department formally submitted the proposed Qualification Standards to the CSC on November 27, 2025.
In January 2026, the CSC returned comments, particularly on the law’s requirement for 200 hours of specialized training, which DepEd addressed by clarifying that the requirement was expressly provided under Republic Act No. 12080.
“We submitted a request for the creation of positions of School Counselor Associate I items to the DBM, but we received a communication saying that the creation will be subject to the approval of the qualification standards that we submitted to the Civil Service Commission,” Cabral said.
“As of June 3 this year, we were informed that it’s already on the Commission en banc for approval, and so we sent another follow-up letter, citing, among others, that the creation of School Counselor Associates is contingent on that approval,” he added.
House Committee Chairperson and EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Representative Roman Romulo questioned the prolonged delay, noting that nearly two years have elapsed since Congress enacted the law.
“Why did it take too long? Sinubmit nila sa inyo November 27, 2025. Iisipin talaga ng taong bayan kaya biglang ginagalawan ninyo kasi nangyari na ‘yung Tacloban (incident). But if you had acted on this earlier then maybe they could have done something. 2024 pa ‘yung batas na ‘yan. So gaano katagal pa?” Romulo said during the hearing.
CSC confirmed that the proposed Qualification Standards remain under deliberation by the Commission. He explained that after DepEd’s submission, the CSC raised observations that required further review and assured lawmakers that the Commission recognizes the urgency of the matter, although it could not commit to a definite timeline for approval.
“While teachers are being trained to recognize early-warning signs of learners in distress, they cannot continue to absorb counseling responsibilities on top of already demanding workloads.”
Members of the committee also emphasized that while teachers are being trained to recognize early-warning signs of learners in distress, they cannot continue to absorb counseling responsibilities on top of already demanding workloads. Persistent classroom congestion and high teacher-student ratios, noting that many teachers handle classes far exceeding ideal class sizes, making sustained psychosocial support difficult to provide.
EDCOM 2’s Final Report found that shortages in guidance and mental health personnel continue to leave many schools without adequate psychosocial services, even as bullying, violence, and behavioral concerns remain significant challenges.
The report likewise highlighted the limited supply of licensed guidance counselors relative to existing vacancies in DepEd, reinforcing the importance of establishing the new School Counselor Associate position to expand school-based mental health services.
Romulo stressed that while Congress has already enacted the law and appropriated funding for the 10,000 School Counselor Associates in the 2026 national budget, implementation cannot move forward until the CSC approves the Qualification Standards.
“Strengthening school safety requires more than reacting after incidents occur.”
The veteran legislator emphasized that strengthening school safety requires more than reacting after incidents occur.
Alongside the immediate approval of the Qualification Standards, the seasoned lawmaker called for the full implementation of RA 12080 and DepEd Order No. 6, s. 2026, which strengthened the Department’s child protection and school safety protocols.
“Schools must remain places where children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. The law is already there. The funding is already there. What we need now is swift implementation. We cannot afford any more delays,” Romulo concluded.
