By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA

With the rapid rise of cyberbullying, online harassment and the subtle psychological abuse on social media that often go unnoticed among learners, the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) urged public and private schools in the city to strictly enforce anti-bullying policies, revitalize their child protection committees, and closely monitor all forms of bullying and cyberbullying.

Councilor Em Ang said local child protection advocates, parents and educators in the city have observed an alarming shift in bullying dynamics, particularly with the use of social media.

“There is an urgent need for schools to transition from passive compliance to proactive monitoring by strengthening their respective Child Protection Committees and establishing more accessible, confidential and responsive reporting mechanisms for the learners,” she said.

Ang cited the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Order No. 40 in 2012, or the DepEd Child Protection Policy, which strictly prohibits all forms of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, and bullying against children.

She added that the increasing incidence of these undocumented and unresolved bullying cases directly correlates to the rising number of mental health crises among local students, including anxiety, depression, severe academic decline, and school refusal.

Ang, chairperson of the SP committee on health and sanitation, noted that Republic Act No. 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, requires all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions, ensuring a safe and secure learning environment.

She added that the DepEd – Bacolod City Division should intensify its monitoring of compliance among all public and private basic education institutions regarding the submission of their localized anti-bullying policies and their annual reports on bullying cases and interventions./MAP, WDJ