Over 45,000 Schools and Only 1,000 Guidance Counselors Put DepEd in the Spotlight
DEPED – The huge gap in the number of guidance counselors has prompted DepEd to strengthen its efforts to expand mental health and well-being services in basic education schools.
The Department of Education is confronting a major shortage of guidance counselors, with fewer than 1,000 registered professionals serving more than 45,000 schools across the Philippines. The situation has raised concerns as schools continue to deal with increasing cases of violence, bullying, and other issues affecting the mental health and well-being of learners.
DepEd Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development Willie Cabral said the agency is working to ease the shortage through the implementation of Republic Act 12080, also known as the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. As part of the initiative, the department plans to recruit at least 10,000 school counselor associates this year.
“According to the American School Counselor Association, internationally there should be one counselor per 250 learners. In the Philippines, in DepEd in particular, we only have a thousand registered guidance counselors. And this meets the needs of more than 45,000 schools across the country. So we are still a bit far from the ideal ratio,” Cabral said.
As of January 31, there were about 5,000 registered guidance counselors and fewer than 3,000 registered psychologists throughout the country. However, fewer than 1,000 of the registered guidance counselors were employed by the DepEd.
Cabral noted that the department had established 5,000 guidance counselor positions in 2020, but only around 1,000 of these posts were eventually filled.
“That is why we are grateful because we have Republic Act 12080, which provides for the promotion of basic education, mental health and well-being. We will start with the creation of school counselor associates,” Cabral said.
Under RA 12080, DepEd is required to establish a care center in every school to strengthen access to mental health and well-being services.
“There should be a school counselor and a school counselor associate, along with other allied services. In the division, we will establish a Mental Health and Well-Being Office and it will be led by the schools division counselor,” Cabral said.
For 2026, the Department of Budget and Management has already authorized the creation of at least 10,000 school counselor associate positions. Cabral said 9,641 posts have been published, with thousands of applicants currently undergoing assessment while others remain open for applications.
Applicants must hold degrees in psychology, guidance and counseling, or related fields and meet specific behavioral science and internship requirements.
“The 10,000 positions have been created, all of them regular and permanent. That’s why they also need to have matching eligibility for services,” Cabral said.
A School Counselor Associate I will receive a basic monthly salary of P31,000, along with a P2,000 personal economic relief allowance.
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