ssnia:':

NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ]

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ]
First Regular Session ] •22 JUL 12 All 54

SENATE RlXElVSOti.,

S.B. No. 379

Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE PROMOTION AND DELIVERY OF MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES IN BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS THROUGH THE
INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
PROGRAM, PRESCRIBING THE HIRING AND DEPLOYMENT OF MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, PRESCRIBING THE CREATION OF
PLANTILLA POSITIONS OF GUIDANCE ASSOCIATES IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, INCREASING THE SALARY GRADES OF
GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 13, Article II of the 1987 Constitution is explicit in recognizing

the vital role of the youth in nation-building and the need to promote and
protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. To
achieve this, proper guidance must be extended to the youth to ensure and enable
their fullest development physically, mentally, emotionally, morally,
spiritually, and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of
freedom and dignity appropriate to their corresponding developmental stage.1

1 Articles 9 and 10, Presidential Decree 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code, state;
Art. 9. Levels of Growth. - The child shall be given adequate care, assistance and guidance
through his various levels of growth, from infancy to early and later childhood, to puberty
and adolescence, and when necessary even after he shall have attained age 21.
Art. 10. Phases of Development. - The child shall enjoy special protection and shall be given
opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to ensure and enable his fullest
1
 This bill institutionalizes the Mental Health and Well-Being Program
which shall provide mental health services, emotional, developmental and
preventive programs, and other support services, and eliminate the stigma on
mental health counseling, to ensure the emotional and social well-being of
basic education learners and teaching and non-teaching personnel in both
public and private schools. In line with this, the Department of Education
(DepEd), in consultation with the Department of Health, the Department of
Social Welfare and Development, other relevant government agencies, civil
society organizations, and the private sector, shall develop and implement a
comprehensive and integrated multi-year roadmap using the Whole of Society
Approach.

To ensure the institutionalization of an effective, efficient, and

integrated Mental Health and Well-Being Program, the bill mandates to: (1)
establish and maintain a Mental Health and Well-Being Center (“Center”) in
every public basic education school as well as ensure their establishment and
maintenance in private basic education schools in the country; (2) prescribe
the creation of a sufficient number of plantilla items for the positions of
Guidance Counselors and Guidance Associates; (3) set the qualifications and
functions of a Guidance Associate; (4) hire mental health professionals and
deploy them to public elementary, secondary, and vocational institutions; (5)
guarantee the professional and career development of mental health
professionals; (6) increase the salary grades of Guidance Counselors who are
currently classified as Guidance Counselor I, Guidance Counselor II, and
Guidance Counselor III from Salary Grades 11, 12, and 13, respectively, to
Salary Grades 16, 17, and 18; (7) endeavor to attract the best available and
qualified officers and support personnel of the Centers through career
progression, adequate and competitive remuneration, benefits, incentives and

development physically, mentally, emotionally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy

and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity appropriate to the
corresponding developmental stage.
2
allowances, scholarship and training grants, and exchange programs; (8)
carry out the appropriate regular training and skills upgrading and
development for mental health professionals and support personnel; and (9)
ensure that teacher education institutions offering teacher education
programs include in the curriculum subjects on mental health.

The DepEd requires basic education schools to hire one (1) Guidance
Counselor for every 500 students. Currently, however, the Philippines has
only 4,069 registered Guidance Counselors as of June 2022 since the first
batch took the licensure examinations in 2008.2 Clearly, with 27.4 million
elementary and high school students3, the desired ratio of 1:500 Guidance
Counselor to students is far from being met.

This measure recognizes the shortage of registered Guidance

Counselors and perceives the urgent need to address the current challenges
in the delivery of the appropriate mental health and well-being services and
programs, the increasing number of incidents of suicide due to various mental
health issues and disorders, and the need to provide the needed intervention
to ensure the mental health and well-being of learners as well as of the
teaching and non-teaching personnel.

With the end goal of ensuring the mental health and well-being of
learners and of the teaching and non-teachins^personnel in our basic
education institutions, I fervently urge Congress/for tpi e immediate passage of
this legislation.

2 Data from the Professional Regulation Commission Board of Guidance and Counseling is
inclusive of individuals who may have shifted careers or passed away. Note that for 2020 and
2021, there were no licensure examinations due to the pandemic.
3 SY 2021-22 data as of December 2021 for both public and private elementary and secondary
schools, the DepEd, including BARMM.
3
 Ot liie ^ 1.: '‘t,!!')’

NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ]

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ]
First Regular Session ] 72 JUL 12 All 54

SENATE Rl:CEIV^DBV.

S.B. No. 379

Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE PROMOTION AND DELIVERY OF MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES IN BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS THROUGH THE
INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
PROGRAM, PRESCRIBING THE HIRING AND DEPLOYMENT OF MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, PRESCRIBING THE CREATION OF
PLANTILLA POSITIONS OF GUIDANCE ASSOCIATES IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, INCREASING THE SALARY GRADES OF
GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

1 Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the 'Basic Education
2 Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion AcP.
3
4 Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the vital role of the
5 youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral,
6 spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. Towards this end, it shall be the
7 duty of the State to establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate,
8 and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of society and its
 1 people.
2 To achieve these goals, the State shall:
3 a) institutionalize an effective, efficient, and integrated mental health
4 and well-being program, and strengthen the existing mental health
5 and guidance and counseling program that will ensure the mental
6 health and emotional well-being of the learners and the teaching
7 and non-teaching personnel in all public and private basic
8 education schools in the country;
9 b) hire and capacitate competent mental health professionals, and
10 other qualified support personnel to meet the current demand of the
11 education sector. They shall develop strategies and standards that
12 will promote and ensure the mental health and well-being of the
13 learners and the teaching and non-teaching personnel; and
14 c) protect and ensure the physical, moral, intellectual, and social well-
15 being of learners and the teaching and non-teaching personnel in
16 public and private basic education schools to make them resilient
17 and well-adjusted individuals possessed with the appropriate
18 qualities, skills, and attitude in life.
19
20 Sec. 3. Objectives. - The objectives of this Act are as follows:
21 a) to enable the Department of Education (DepEd) to recruit, train and
22 hire additional mental health professionals, promote and sustain
23 their well-being, competencies, professional growth, and career
24 development in the DepEd;
25 b) to adequately address the mental, emotional and developmental
26 needs of learners as well as of the teaching and non-teaching
27 personnel through the provision of mental health professionals,
28 with the end view of developing their social skills, self-esteem,
29 individual resilience, motivation, self-awareness, and sense of
30 belonging in the school community, among others;
 1 c) to promote the emotional, psychological and the mental health and
2 well-being of learners and teachers to enhance their learning and
3 classroom preparedness, including those learners identified as
4 children in conflict with the law (CICL), students at risk of dropping
5 out (SRDO), learner-victims of Violence Against Women and
6 Children (VAWC), and learners-victims of other related forms of
7 child abuse and criminal acts;
8 d) to support teachers and other education personnel in improving
9 classroom management through the conduct of behavioral and
10 other guidance-related interventions, to improve the learners’ well­
11 being, emotional and psychosocial development, daily disposition
12 and career decision-making;
13 e) to train the teachers and the non-teaching personnel in developing
14 awareness and skills to enable them to identify early warning signs
15 of mental health problems and the need for mental health
16 interventions;
17 f) to establish linkages with the community to include parents,
18 guardians, and concerned stakeholders, through the promotion of
19 mental health and well-being programs and activities geared to
20 address the mental, emotional and developmental needs of learners
21 as well as of the teaching and non-teaching personnel;
22 g) to support parents, guardians, and concerned stakeholders in
23 improving the school behavior and academic success of the
24 learners;
25 h) to remove the emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial barriers to
26 learning to achieve a learner-friendly, inclusive, safe, and motivating
27 learning environment; and
28 i) to provide aftercare support in the treatment of mental health
29 concerns of learners as well as of the teachers and non-teaching
30 personnel.
 1 Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
2 a) Counseling - refers to a dynamic face-to-face personal interaction
3 between the counselor and the counselee, where the counselor
4 employs various methods, approaches or techniques to enhance the
5 counselee’s intrapersonal and interpersonal development and
6 competencies;
7 b) Guidance Associate - refers to an individual who holds a guidance
8 associate plantilla in the DepEd and a graduate of Bachelor’s degree
9 in Guidance and Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, Human
10 Services, and other allied disciplines or any related courses, and
11 possesses the qualification provided hereafter;
12 c) Guidance Counselor - refers to an individual who possesses license
13 or certification granted by the Professional Regulations Commission
14 (PRC) and holds a minimum master’s degree in Guidance and
15 Counseling, Guidance, or Counseling without prejudice to those
16 registered under the grandfather’s clause of Republic Act (R.A.)
17 9258, otherwise known as the “Guidance and Counseling Act of
18 2004,” and is competent to perform guidance and counseling, career
19 guidance and implement mental health and well-being programs;
20 d) Guidance Services Specialist - refers to the specific plantilla position
21 in the DepEd of Guidance Counselor who are tasked to ensure the
22 mental health and well-being of learners and the teaching and non­
23 teaching personnel;
24 e) Guidance Teacher - refers to a regular teacher who is given
25 additional assignments related to guidance or counseling services,
26 or both, aside from the teaching load, to augment the lack of supply
27 of Guidance Counselors. They shall be selected by the school
28 principal based on their leadership skills and potentials, and
29 competence in handling guidance-related concerns. Preferably, a
 1 Guidance Teacher has at least a background in psychology, values
2 education, or units in guidance and counseling;
3 f) Mental Health - as defined in R.A. No. 11036, otherwise known as
4 the “Mental Health Act”, refers to a state of well-being in which the
5 individual realizes one’s own abilities and potentials, copes
6 adequately with the normal stresses of life, displays resilience in the
7 face of extreme life events, works productively and fruitfully, and is
8 able to make a positive contribution to the community;
9 g) Mental Health Professional - refers to a medical doctor, nurse.
10 Guidance Counselor, Guidance Associates who can be a
11 psychologist, psychometrician, social worker, or any other
12 appropriately trained and qualified person with specific skills
13 relevant to the provision of mental health and well-being services;
14 h) Mental Health and Well-Being Program - refers to the system of
15 services designed to maintain the state of well-being of an individual
16 in order that one may realize one’s own abilities and potentials, cope
17 adequately with the normal stresses of life, displays resilience in the
18 face of extreme life events, works productively and fruitfully, and be
19 able to make a positive contribution to the community;
20 i) Mental Health Services - as defined in R.A. No. 11036, refer to the
21 psychosocial, psychiatric or neurologic activities and programs
22 along the whole range of the mental health support services
23 including promotion, prevention, treatment and aftercare, which are
24 provided by mental health facilities and mental health professionals;
25 j) Multi-year Mental Health and Well-Being Program Roadmap - refers
26 to a document that shall serve as a guide for the DepEd, Department
27 of Health (DOH), Department of Social Work and Development
28 (DSWD), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the
29 Commission on Higher Education (CHED), other relevant
30 government agencies, and the private stakeholders for the optimal
 1 realization of the objectives of this Act. It shall contain the current
2 policy, practices, gaps, and challenges affecting the mental health
3 and well-being of learners and the teaching and non-teaching
4 personnel, as well as the implementation of the current guidance
5 and counseling or mental health programs of schools, h shall
6 likewise set detailed targets and outcomes for a minimum period of
7 five (5) years and provide the stakeholders' specific actions or
8 interventions to include implementation and monitoring strategies
9 and annual budgetary requirements. It shall be subject to a periodic
10 review and updating to determine its implementation status and
11 ensure that the implementation of the Mental Health and Well-Being
12 Program as envisioned in this Act is sustained;
13 k) Psychologist - refers to a natural person who has professional
14 training and clinical skills in psychotherapeutic intervention and
15 assessment for mental health problems, possesses license or
16 certification granted by the PRC, and holds a minimum Master’s
17 Degree in Psychology without prejudice to those granted licenses
18 under the grandfather’s clause of R.A. 10029, otherwise known as
19 the “Psychology Act of 2009”; and
20 1) Psychometrician - refers to a natural person who has professional
21 training skills in psychological assessment, possesses license or
22 certification granted by the PRC, and holds a minimum Bachelor’s
23 Degree in Psychology without prejudice to those granted licenses
24 under the grandfather’s clause of R.A. 10029, otherwise known as
25 the “Psychology Act of 2009”.
26
27 Sec. 5. The Mental Health and Well-Being Program. - The Mental Health
28 and Well-Being Program is hereby institutionalized which shall be
29 implemented by the DepEd. It shall be designed to provide mental health
30 services, emotional, developmental and preventive programs, and other
 1 support services, and to eliminate the stigma on mental health counseling, to
2 ensure the emotional and social well-being of basic education learners and
3 teaching and non-teaching personnel in both public and private schools.
4
5 Sec. 6. The Mental Health and Well-Being Program Roadmap. - To ensure
6 the effective implementation of this Act, the DepEd, through the Schools
7 Division Offices (SDOs), in consultation with the DOH, the DSWD, other
8 relevant government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private
9 sector, shall develop and implement a comprehensive and integrated multi-
10 year roadmap using the Whole of Society Approach.
11 The multi-year roadmap shall likewise be crafted and implemented in
12 complementarity with the provisions of R.A. No. 11036 or the Mental Health
13 Act, R.A. No. 11206 or the Secondary School Career Guidance and Counseling
14 Act, and R.A. No. 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”.
15 The Superintendents of the SDOs shall require all schools within their
16 jurisdiction to periodically prepare and submit reports on the implementation
17 of each school of the multi-year roadmap and of the other provisions of this
18 Act, and submit a consolidated report to the Secretary of the DepEd through
19 the Regional Director having jurisdiction of the SDOs.
20
21 Sec. 7. The Mental Health and Well-Being Center; Personnel. -
22 Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, Section 27 of R.A. No. 9258,
23 and to facilitate the effective implementation of the Mental Health and Well-
24 Being Program and the provisions of this Act, the DepEd shall establish and
25 maintain a Mental Health and Well-Being Center (Center) in every public basic
26 education school as well as ensure their establishment and maintenance in
27 private basic education schools in the country. The Center shall be equipped
28 with functional physical facilities, located within an adequate space, and
29 provide privacy and accessibility to the learners, the teaching and non-
30 teaching personnel, and parents.
 1 For this purpose, secondary schools may utilize the Career Guidance
2 and Counseling Program Centers required to be established under Section 5
3 of R.A. No. 11206. Existing Guidance and Counseling Offices may be utilized
4 for this purpose or integrated into the Center.
5 The Center shall be supervised and headed by the school principal and
6 shall have a Registered Guidance Counselor, Guidance Associate, and other
7 support personnel.
8
9 Sec. 8. Functions of the Center. - The Center in every public and private
10 basic education school shall implement the provisions of this Act by delivering
11 mental and well-being services to address the mental, emotional and
12 developmental needs of learners and the teaching and non-teaching
13 personnel.
14 It shall likewise craft and implement a localized multi-year roadmap
15 anchored on the DepEd’s multi-year roadmap as provided herein.
16 In crafting the localized multi-year roadmap, the Center shall undertake
17 the following steps in the development and implementation of the multi-year
18 roadmap:
19 a) needs assessment;
20 b) identification of priorities, goals and objectives;
21 c) designing activities or services to meet the desired goals and
22 objectives;
23 d) drawing up a program multi-year budget, including the allocation of
24 resources;
25 e) identification and hiring of necessary personnel as provided in this
26 Act;
27 f) evaluation and its outcomes; and
28 g) revision of goals leading to the specification of new objectives.
29 The Center shall periodically prepare and submit reports to the SDO in
30 its implementation of the Mental Health and Well-Being Program.
 1 Sec. 9. Organization of the Center Officers and Support Personnel, and
2 Creation of Positions. - To ensure the effective implementation of the Mental
3 Health and Well-Being Program and the delivery of mental health and well-
4 being services towards the attainment of the objectives of this Act, the DepEd,
5 in consultation with the DBM and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), shall
6 develop an organization focused on the implementation of this Act and of the
7 multi-year roadmap. As such, a sufficient number of plantilla items for the
8 positions of Guidance Counselors, and Guidance Associates shall be
9 prescribed to be created in schools in order to cater to the needs of learners
10 and the teaching and non-teaching personnel, according to minimum
11 standards to be determined by the DepEd and the DOH.
12 The concerned agencies shall consider the position classification,
13 salaries, career progression, and the detailed description of the duties and
14 responsibilities of such officers and support personnel.
15
16 Sec. 10. Personnel for the Center. - The Center shall have a Registered
17 Guidance Counselor, a Guidance Associate, and other necessary officers and
18 support personnel as may be determined by the school principal. It shall be
19 headed by a Registered Guidance Counselor who shall have qualified
20 pursuant to the provisions of R.A. No. 9258.
21
22 Sec. 11. Qualifications of a Guidance Associate. - To qualify as a
23 Guidance Associate, one must have:
24 a) completed the academic requirements for a Bachelor's Degree in
25 Guidance and Counseling or completed the academic requirements
26 for a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Social Work, Human
27 Services, and other allied disciplines; and
28 b) must have earned a minimum of twelve (12) units of Behavioral
29 Science subjects and two hundred (200) hours of supervised
 1 practicum or internship experience on guidance and counselling
2 preferably in a school or community setting.
3
4 Sec. 12. Functions of a Guidance Associate. - A Guidance Associate shall
5 perform the following functions:
6 a) actively participate in the implementation of the Mental Health and
7 Well-Being Program;
8 b) conduct preliminary screening or evaluation of learners and the
9 teaching and non-teaching personnel using pre-approved forms;
10 c) conduct or assist in the orientation of teachers, parents, learners, or
11 the community on psychosocial well-being and mental health;
12 d) engage in conversations with, or listen to, learners and the teaching
13 and non-teaching personnel who require such support from the
14 Center;
15 e) coordinate with teachers, parents or guardians, and external
16 partners on concerns a;ffecting the psychosocial well-being or mental
17 health and academic performance of learners who need guidance
18 and counseling, and facilitate the conduct of such guidance and
19 counseling by the Guidance Counselor;
20 f) assist the Guidance Counselor in assessing and monitoring learners
21 and the teaching and non-teaching personnel who need guidance or
22 counseling, or both;
23 g) participate and assist in the implementation and facilitation of
24 educational and training workshops for teachers. Center officers,
25 support personnel, and parents; and
26 h) perform such other fuuctions as may be assigned by the Guidance
27 . Counselor or school principal.

28 Sec. 13. Hiring and Deployment of Mental Health Professionals. - Subject

29 to the guidelines set by the C$C and the DBM, the DepEd shall hire and
30 deploy mental health professionals such that each public elementary,

10
 1 secondaiy, and vocational institution shall have mental health professionals
2 or mental health service providers within five (5) years from the effecfivity of
3 this Act.
4 Notwithstanding the provisions of R.A. No. 9258, public and private
5 educational institutions may hire, as may be necessary, graduates with
6 relevant background in psychology or similar fields, who do not yet qualify as
7 mental health professionals, to provide school-based mental health services:
8 Provided, That they undergo sufficient capacity building as determined by the
9 DepEd and supervised by qualified mental health professionals in their
10 provision of mental health services: Provided, further, That they shall be
11 licensed as mental health professionals within three (3) years from their date
12 of hiring.
13 The DepEd shall establish mechanisms to maximize existing mental
14 health services offered by other executive departments such as agencies
15 attached to the DOH and the DSWD.
16
17 Sec. 14. Professional and Career Development of Mental Health
18 Professionals. - The DepEd, in coordination with the DBM, CSC, DOH and
19 PRC, shall:
20 a) prepare a uniform career and personnel development plan that shall
21 include provisions on personal wellness, merit promotion,
22 performance evaluation, in-service training, postgraduate
23 scholarship grants, research grants, incentive award system;
24 b) match the salary grades of mental health professionals related items
25 with respect to the provisions of R.A. No. 6758, otherwise known as
26 the “Position Classification and Compensation Act”;
27 c) align the qualifications and standards for the qualification outcomes
28 of mental health professionals to R.A. No. 10968, otherwise known
29 as the “Philippine Qualifications Framework Act”;

11
 1 d) revisit the DepEd’s organizational structure in order to provide
2 competent and professional personnel who will provide supervision
3 and technical assistance to Guidance Counselors, Guidance
4 Associate and other personnel at the school levels;
5 e) review, revise and develop the duties and responsibilities of mental
6 health professionals in accordance with their professionalizing laws;
7 f) prepare performance evaluation plan that considers the
8 improvement of individual counselor efficiency and organizational
9 effectiveness: Provided, That each employee shall be informed
10 regularly by the immediate supervisor of one’s performance
11 evaluation; and
12 g) provide for the institutionalization of the Basic Education Mental
13 Health and Well-Being Manual.
14
15 Sec. 15. Salary Grade Adjustment of Guidance Counselors. - The salary
16 schedule for the positions of Guidance Counselors shall be modified as
17 follows:
18 Position Title Current Salary Grade Modified Salary Grade
19 Guidance Counselor I 11 16
20 Guidance Counselor II 12 17
21 Guidance Counselor III 13 18
22
23 Sec. 16. Remuneration, Benefits, and Incentives for Center Officers and
24 Support Personnel. - The DepEd shall endeavor to attract the best available
25 and qualified Center officers and support personnel through career
26 progression, adequate and competitive remuneration, benefits, incentives and
27 allowances, scholarship and training grants, and exchange programs. As
28 such, the career and salary grades of mental health professionals shall
29 provide for a gradual progression from a minimum to a maximum salary by

12
 1 means of regular increments, to be given regularly based on merit and
2 competencies as similarly given to Master Teachers.
3 The salaiy grades of mental health professionals and support personnel
4 shall be set in accordance with the Revised Compensation and Position
5 Classification System and other CSC Rules and Regulations.
6
7 Sec. 17. Other Benefits. - The mental health professionals shall enjoy the
8 rights and privileges as provided in the Magna Carta for Public Health
9 Workers, Mental Health Law, and other pertinent laws.
10
11 Sec. 18. Scholarship Program and Service Obligation. - The DepEd, in
12 collaboration with the CHED, shall develop a scholarship program for in-
13 service teachers who shall take the required master’s degree or units on
14 Guidance and Counseling, or other related courses to equip them with
15 knowledge on policies, principles, and pedagogies on guidance and
16 counseling.
17 As their return service, the grantees shall serve as Guidance Counselors
18 or Guidance Associates as they continue to work in the DepEd for such
19 reasonable period as may be determined by the latter.
20
21 Sec. 19. Continuing Education and Training. - The DepEd shall carry out
22 the appropriate regular training and skills upgrading and development for
23 mental health professionals and support personnel.
24 To ensure that the in-service teachers have the basic knowledge in
25 guidance and counseling, the DepEd, within one (1) year from the effectivity
26 of this Act, shall ensure that all teachers as well as the non-teaching personnel
27 in public and private basic education schools are equipped with the needed
28 basic training to detect learners who may need mental health support and
29 guidance and counseling, and refer them to the Center for the appropriate
30 intervention.

13
 1 Sec. 20. Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training. - The DepEd shall
2 collaborate with the CHED to ensure that teacher education institutions
3 offering bachelor of elementary or secondary education degrees include in the
4 curriculum subjects on mental health.
5 In order to adequately provide the needed personnel for the
6 implementation of this Act, the CHED and the DepEd shall closely coordinate
7 and effectively implement programs necessary to support the continuing
8 education of DepEd personnel including a unified system for ladderized
9 education, which shall have a mechanism for conversion of career experience
10 into education degree credits. This shall include programs for transitions and
11 progressions for teaching and non-teaching personnel, such as but not
12 limited to programs for an education degree graduate to become a Guidance
13 Associate, and a psychology degree graduate to become a Guidance
14 Counselor: Provided, that, they shall pass the required licensure examinations
15 or were issued the required certifications.
16
17 Sec. 21. Readiness Assessment. - Upon the effectivity of this Act, the
18 DepEd shall conduct an evaluation of all schools to determine their readiness
19 in the provision of mental health and well-being services, including a general
20 assessment of each school’s current mental health and well-being programs
21 and services, as well as the resources and personnel they need: Provided, that,
22 the DepEd shall coordinate with the CHED to ensure the supply of qualified
23 professionals through recruitment of students in the appropriate courses and
24 ensure their seamless progression from higher education to employment,
25 taking into consideration the demand for such personnel in the multi-year
26 roadmap as provided in this Act.
27
28 Sec. 22. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation
29 of this Act shall be charged against those authorized in the current
30 appropriations of the DepEd. Thereafter, the amount necessary for its

14
 1 continued implementation shall be included in the budget as a separate line
2 item in the annual General Appropriations Act.
3 The DepEd shall likewise submit the funding requirements, with its
4 corresponding annual targets for the implementation of the multi-year
5 roadmap, to the DBM and other concerned agencies for the determination of1
6 appropriate budget allocation and inclusion under the yearly National
7 Expenditure Program of the government.
8
9 Sec. 23. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) on Mental
10 Health. - There is hereby created a JCOC to oversee, monitor and evaluate
11 the implementation of this Act. The JCOC shall be composed of five (5)
12 members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives with the
13 Chairs of the Committees on Basic Education of both Houses as Co-chairs.
14 The Chairs of the Committees on Higher and Technical Education of both
15 Houses shall likewise be designated as members of the JCOC. The Speaker of
16 the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate shall designate
17 the other three (3) members of the JCOC of the House and the Senate,
18 respectively, from among the members of the Committees on Basic Education,
19 one (1) member of which shall be from the minority.
20
21 Sec. 24. Sunset Review. - Within five (5) years after the effectivity of this
22 Act, or as the need arises, the JCOC shall conduct a sunset review. For
23 purposes of this Act, the term "sunset review’’ shall mean a systematic
24 evaluation by the JCOC of the implementing agencies’ performance and
25 accomplishments, including the impact of this Act, for purposes of
26 determining remedial legislation.
27
28 Sec. 25. Annual Report. - For a period five (5) years from the approval of
29 this Act, the DepEd shall submit an annual report to the Committees on Basic
30 Education of both houses of Congress on the status of the implementation of

15
 1 this Act.
2
3 Sec. 26. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days
4 from the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd, in consultation with relevant
5 national government agencies and other concerned stakeholders, shall issue
6 the rules and regulations implementing its provisions. The Implementing
7 Rules and Regulations (IRR) issued pursuant to this section shall take effect
8 thirty (30) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
9
10 Sec. 27. Separahility Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held
11 invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain
12 in force and effect.
13
14 Sec. 28. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, executive orders,
15 presidential decrees, administrative orders, rules and regulations, issuances,
16 or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
17 hereby repealed or amended accordingly. Except as otherwise provided in
18 this Act, nothing herein contained shall repeal, amend or modify the
19 provisions of R.A. No. 9258.
20
21 Sec. 29. Effectivity. - Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this
22 Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette
23 or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

16