To protect learners and foster safer learning environments, the Department of Education (DepEd) is expanding its Kaagapay Program nationwide to equip parents, guardians, and caregivers with practical tools to prevent bullying, foster positive discipline, and reinforce values formation.
The national momentum of the program was underscored as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara personally met with participating parents during a recent Kaagapay session at Patul Elementary School in Santiago City.
Formally guided by DepEd Memorandum No. 002, s. 2026 and harmonized with the Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) Program under Republic Act No. 11908, the Kaagapay Program reinforces the crucial partnership between home and school in safeguarding children.
Established in January this year, the initiative serves as DepEd’s proactive framework to address the root causes of behavioral and emotional challenges among learners before they escalate.
“Kausapin natin ang ating mga anak araw-araw, pakinggan natin ang kanilang mga pinagdaraanan, at makipag-ugnayan tayo sa kanilang mga guro at paaralan.”
During his interaction with the parents, President Marcos expressed deep concern over recent safety incidents in schools, emphasizing the urgent need for a unified approach involving schools, families, communities, and government agencies.
“Ngayon po ay nakakalungkot na mayroon tayong nakikita na mga pangyayari sa ilang eskwelahan… Ito po ay kailangan po nating bantayan nang mabuti,” President Marcos said.
“Kailangan po magkasama tayong lahat. Hindi po lamang ang pulis, hindi lamang ang mga teacher, hindi lamang po ang mga magulang, hindi lamang po ang pamahalaan. Kailangan po lahat tayo ay magkaisa tayo at magsama-sama tayo. Bantayan po natin nang mabuti ang ating mga kabataan,” the President added.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted that while physical security interventions and classroom instruction are vital, empowering parents as co-educators at home serves as the country’s primary defense line against campus violence and bullying.
“Hindi natin kayang solusyonan ang karahasan sa mga paaralan kung sa loob lang ng classroom tayo kumikilos. Ang tahanan ang ating unang depensa,” Secretary Angara said, emphasizing the need for empathetic and vigilant engagement.
“Kausapin natin ang ating mga anak araw-araw, pakinggan natin ang kanilang mga pinagdaraanan, at makipag-ugnayan tayo sa kanilang mga guro at paaralan. Kailangan nating matutunang mapansin ang mga red flag at pagbabago sa kilos ng bata bago pa man umabot sa pananakit o bullying,” Angara added.
Angara stressed that by making children feel supported and by working together, stakeholders can ensure that every Filipino learner remains safe, guided, and cared for.
The Kaagapay Program strengthens the capacity of parents and caregivers to safeguard children through participatory sessions on socio-emotional support, positive and non-violent discipline, open communication, digital safety, early identification of protection concerns, and appropriate reporting and referral mechanisms.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted that while physical security interventions and classroom instruction are vital, empowering parents as co-educators at home serves as the country’s primary defense line against campus violence and bullying.
In partnership with Stairway Foundation Inc. (SFI), DepEd developed a parenting session guide and toolkit, while its partnership with Meta Philippines supports the training of facilitators through a Cluster Training of Trainers Program. These efforts reinforce parents and caregivers as key partners in creating safe, supportive, and protective environments for children at home, in school, in the community, and online.
The sessions cover critical topics including socio-emotional support, positive discipline, cyberbullying prevention, technology-based protective tools, early detection of behavioral red flags, and referral pathways to school Child Protection Committees (CPCs) and guidance personnel.
The initiative is progressively rolled out across all regions, with Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), National Capital Region (NCR), Cagayan Valley (Region II), Central Luzon (Region III), CALABARZON (Region IV-A), MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), and Bicol (Region V), already utilizing the session guides in engaging and capacitating parents and caregivers. DepEd is also strengthening collaboration with Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Governing Councils (SGCs) to integrate parent education directly into broader school governance and learner protection frameworks.
These efforts reinforce a whole-of-nation approach to child protection, recognizing the shared responsibility of families, schools, communities, government, and other stakeholders in creating safe and protective environments for all learners.
