Education Secretary Sonny Angara has urged teachers to take on a more supportive role in schools as the Department of Education (DepEd) responds to growing mental health concerns among Filipino youth following a recent school shooting in South Cotabato.
Angara said educators should act as “compassionate foster parents” by providing emotional support to learners who feel isolated, unrecognized or unable to find validation at home.
“For those who are very susceptible to influence from whatever they see online, and those who are looking for validation from their families but perhaps do not receive it, let us give them that as their foster parents at school,” Angara said in a statement.
He made the call following the school shooting in Banga, South Cotabato, which he said should serve as a wake-up call for DepEd to recognize the challenges facing young people and take steps to address them.
Angara said the agency needs to acknowledge what he described as a mental health epidemic among the youth and understand its underlying causes to prevent further harm.
“This is a wake-up call for all of us in DepEd to be aware of the problem and take positive steps to address it,” he said.
“We can overcome this. But we must acknowledge that there is a mental health epidemic among our youth today, and we must look to the roots of this and understand it. Otherwise, I hesitate to say, more people might get hurt.”
Angara said teachers can begin with simple interventions, such as learning their students’ names, understanding their struggles and regularly checking on their well-being.
DepEd is also reviewing its existing measures to encourage teachers to spend more time connecting with learners and monitoring their emotional well-being.
He said learner safety and well-being remain paramount, even as the department continues to recognize improvements in academic performance.
“We acknowledge the academic gains made by our teachers, but in terms of addressing the emotional problems of our children, we still have crucial work to do,” Angara said.
He cited the country’s sustained gains in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and progress under learning recovery programs, while stressing that academic improvements must be accompanied by greater attention to learners’ emotional needs.
Angara also pointed to harmful digital influences as another concern, particularly among teenagers who may be vulnerable to content encountered online.
He urged parents and guardians to closely supervise their children’s use of smartphones and social media outside school.
DepEd is expanding the Kaagapay Program nationwide to equip parent communities with practical tools for identifying warning signs, managing behavioral concerns and coordinating directly with school Child Protection Committees and guidance personnel.
At the same time, DepEd is strengthening physical security measures in public schools following multiple incidents of school violence.
These measures include mandatory bag checks, the use of metal detectors and closed-circuit television cameras, and increased police visibility through coordination with the Philippine National Police, local government units and barangay personnel.
Restrictions on mobile phone use inside school campuses are also being enforced.
The department is reviewing both its security and support mechanisms as it seeks to address risks affecting learners while maintaining schools as safe spaces for students.
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