The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to boost its efforts in addressing cyberbullying and the proper use of technology in schools.

This comes as DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday acknowledged the growing concern over the prevalence of bullying on social media and other digital platforms.

"There is a lot of bullying happening on social media and other digital platforms. We are exploring how we can better address and limit exposure to digital bullying," Angara said.

“Bullying, whether it’s cyberbullying or any other form, is absolutely prohibited. The challenge, as mentioned by Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) executive director Karol Mark Yee in his presentation to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is that while the Anti-Bullying Law requires each school to have an Anti-Bullying Policy, the law does not specify how strict these policies need to be,” Angara said.

To address this gap, Angara revealed that DepEd will focus on monitoring and tracking compliance with the Anti-Bullying Law more rigorously as he also cited that the agency has an existing policy that bans smartphones and cellphones in classrooms.

“We will really track or monitor compliance with this law. It’s crucial that schools not only have policies but also adhere to them effectively,” Angara said.

"Teachers are also tasked with explaining the proper use of technology and cellphones to students, which includes learning to critically evaluate news and observing good manners and right conduct through technology,” he added.