BY HERMAN M. LAGON
DESPITE political instability and economic challenges, we have decent job opportunities and a respectable employment rate. However, this wealth of options often leaves students and job seekers needing clarification about their career paths.
Career and personality guidance and assessment services become indispensable in such a landscape, particularly for public school students. Government support in this crucial area needs to be improved, leaving many young minds unguided.
Today, the Department of Education (DepEd) is having trouble filling 4,400 guidance counselor positions nationwide. This shortfall is significant, especially given the country’s rising bullying problem. The lack of school counselors hinders mental health support and bullying prevention, putting students’ well-being at risk.
Only 251 people, including myself, earned a Master’s in Guidance and Counseling from 2018 to 2021, compared to 4,460 vacancies in March 2024. This glaring mismatch highlights a significant supply gap in qualified professionals.
The dearth of guidance counselors is not merely a numerical issue; it speaks volumes about this critical profession’s systemic neglect and undervaluation.
One major deterrent is the disparity between the high standards required to become a guidance counselor and the low salary offered. Entry-level guidance counselors — despite needing a Master’s degree and passing a grueling licensure exam — are assigned a salary grade of 11, which equates to just P27,000 per month. This unappealing compensation, juxtaposed with the rigorous qualifications, deters many potential candidates from pursuing this career path.
According to EDCOM 2 report, Mimaropa and Eastern Visayas have hundreds of openings but need graduates. Other regions, like SOCCSKSARGEN, have too few graduates for open positions. This mismatch forces schools to use unqualified teachers as guidance counselors, which violates Republic Act 9258, the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004, but is necessary.
Despite the 2013 Anti-Bullying Act, school bullying has increased. These incidents are underreported due to a lack of registered guidance counselors.
DepEd’s figures are consistently lower than international assessments, indicating a worse problem. According to the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), 65% of 15-year-olds in the country reported regular bullying, the highest percentage among 79 countries.
To improve policy responsiveness, EDCOM 2, a congressional committee tasked with identifying Philippine education system gaps, is reviewing the Anti-Bullying Act’s IRR. This review hopes to enhance bullying reporting and response to make students safer.
Comprehensive career guidance and assessment benefits include helping people understand their strengths, weaknesses, and interests to make informed career and personal choices. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and EQ-i reveal personality and emotional intelligence. They need to be more utilized, contributing to the career guidance crisis. (To be continued)/PN
