Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno has filed a bill seeking to expand the country’s anti-bullying law to cover colleges, universities and technical-vocational schools, amid persistently high rates of bullying among Filipino students.
House Bill No. 10038, or the proposed Expanded Anti-Bullying Act, would amend Republic Act No. 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, by extending its coverage beyond basic education.
The measure would also apply to bullying committed by teaching and non-teaching personnel outside the scope of their official duties.
“More than a decade after the enactment of Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the ‘Anti-Bullying Act of 2013,’ bullying remains a pervasive and alarming problem in Philippine educational institutions,” Diokno said.
He cited the 2019 Programme for International Student Assessment, which found that 65 percent of Filipino students experienced some form of bullying at least a few times a month.
The 2022 PISA results showed that 43 percent of girls and 53 percent of boys in the Philippines experienced bullying several times a month—more than double the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development averages of 20 percent and 21 percent, respectively.
Diokno also cited data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education showing that around 10,018 public schools had yet to fully comply with anti-bullying policy requirements.
The bill broadens the definition of bullying to include acts that humiliate, isolate or target individuals because of their actual or perceived age, religion, culture, ethnicity, political beliefs, social class, sex characteristics, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
It would require schools to establish systems for identifying students showing signs of emotional distress, social isolation or violent behavior and referring them to mental health professionals when needed.
Educational institutions would also be required to form Student Support Teams composed of administrators, guidance counselors and teachers to assess and respond to serious or repeated bullying cases.
Under the proposal, anonymous complaints would trigger a preliminary safety assessment, while schools would be required to conduct periodic reviews of campus climate, safety conditions and the effectiveness of their anti-bullying policies.
The Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority would be tasked with developing standardized complaint procedures, including mandatory timelines, confidentiality safeguards and clear appeal mechanisms.
The bill would also require annual training for school personnel on bullying prevention, conflict de-escalation, mental health awareness, child protection and trauma-informed response.
Administrative sanctions would be imposed on school officials and personnel who fail to comply with the law, without prejudice to possible civil or criminal liability.
The proposal seeks to institutionalize reforms introduced under the revised implementing rules of the Anti-Bullying Act and DepEd Order No. 6, series of 2026, including the recognition of social and gender-based bullying.