The Department of Social Welfare and Development pushed for a nationwide approach to combat the issue of child bullying, which had recently led to the passing of a 15-year-old high school student in Quezon City.

Assistant Secretary and department spokesperson Irene Dumlao underscored the importance of familial and community efforts to ensure that bullying is not propagated in the environments in which children are raised.

“No one child should ever be subjected to bullying, both in an online and offline setting. It not only disrupts learning among children and the youth, but also carries serious and lasting effects on their overall health and well-being,” she said.

Dumlao noted that the DSWD was saddened upon hearing the news of the death of the teenager, who was said to be a person with disability, and that it was working with the National Council on Disability Affairs to resolve the issue.

“We extend our sincerest condolences to the student’s family and loved ones. We support the NCDA as they commit to closely monitoring the ongoing investigation, particularly the school’s response and handling of the alleged bullying incident,” she expressed.

The DSWD spokesperson reiterated her call to concerned sectors to work together to establish an environment where children can freely express themselves without fear of scrutiny.

Dumlao shared that the social welfare agency had a pre-existing campaign under its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) that addresses the issue of bullying.

Registered members of 4Ps are directed to attend monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS), where topics such as bullying are tackled as a means to enhance an individual’s parenting capacity.

“The discussions focus on understanding the cause of bullying among children, recognizing the forms of bullying, and strategies on ways on how to cope and prevent bullying,” the assistant secretary explained.