DepEd records 966 bullying cases in Region 6 last AY; Iloilo City tops list

Ramil Miralles

Bullying reports reached 966 in Western Visayas schools during the school year 2025-2026, prompting the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 to resolve 95% of the cases.

Latest agency data shows 867 cases were resolved, 99 remain under investigation, and 13 were referred to other government agencies for intervention.

The remaining 99 cases under investigation are in Guimaras City.

Below are the breakdown of 966 cases across areas in Western Visayas:

• Iloilo City – 452 cases
• Guimaras – 213 cases
• Iloilo Province – 96 cases
• Capiz – 89 cases
• Antique – 76 cases
• Roxas City – 30 cases
• Passi City – 8 cases
• Aklan – 2 cases

DepEd Region 6 Education Support Services Division Chief Leonerico Barredo said in a press conference on June 30 that most of the cases were intervened at the school level, emphasizing that schools have their own mechanisms for handling such incidents.

Barredo noted that physical abuse remains the most common type reported, with cyberbullying ranking second, followed by verbal, social, and gender-based bullying cases.

DepEd Region 6 data showed Aklan having one of the highest numbers of monitoring staff with 282 designated school personnel in elementary schools and 93 in secondary schools, while Iloilo City has zero designated personnel in elementary and only four in secondary schools.

Local education authorities expressed concern over a massive shortage of counselor staff in Western Visayas, where only 44 licensed guidance counselors are currently active, leaving a deficit of 306 vacant plantilla positions.

Regional Director Cristito A. Eco stressed that the lack of guidance counselors is linked to the bureaucratic qualification process and uncompetitive salary, citing these as primary reasons behind the severe deficit in the region.

“Guidance counselors are considered hard-to-fill items because the salary is low but the qualifications are high. You can’t take the licensure examination without a master’s degree,” Eco said during a press conference on June 30.

Barredo emphasized the active role of local educators, noting that every reported case is carefully documented and subjected to intervention measures at the school level.

“These are endorsed through the Schools Division Offices to the DepEd Central Office’s Learner Rights and Protection Division, which monitors the implementation of the intervention,” he said.

To address these incidents, DepEd Region 6 launched the “We CARE” (We are Child Advocates for Resilience and Empathy) program. 

According to Eco, the program is built to promote resilience, empathy, and child protection advocacy in schools, providing capacity-building training for school personnel, parents, and community stakeholders.

“Through the We CARE program, we are strengthening our efforts to ensure that learners’ rights are protected,” Barredo ensured by adhering to the guidelines set by DepEd Order No. 006, s. 2026 about school safety and conducive environment.