VIA GRAPHIC PLUS | MAKATI CITY (27 August 2026) — Education Secretary Sonny Angara is accelerating the recruitment and deployment of 10,000 School Counselor Associates (SCA) nationwide to support learners’ mental health following recent campus incidents of violence. 

Following official approvals from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on June 30, 2026, and the creation of 10,000 plantilla items for SCA I by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on July 15, 2026, DepEd shortened its standard hiring process to 36 days.

Under DepEd’s digital hiring portal, the Agile Gateway for Appointments and Placements (AGAP), as of August 27, 2026, 9,702 items have already been posted. Of these, 785 positions are currently open for application, 8,811 are under assessment, and 106 are for appointment. The remaining 298 positions are either awaiting issuance of Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action (NOSCA) or are yet to be posted.

Candidate assessments and appointments are scheduled for completion, followed immediately by onboarding to place new counselor associates in schools by year-end. 

Secretary Angara emphasized that safeguarding schools requires a comprehensive strategy that integrates mental health interventions with physical security efforts.

“Keeping our schools safe is not just about building fences or installing metal detectors. It is also about making sure our learners have trusted, caring adults to talk to whenever they are going through tough times,” Angara said.

“While we carry out emergency drills and physical safety checks, we must respond to mental health needs with the same urgency. By speeding up the hiring of our School Counselor Associates, we are creating a stronger safety net for our children,” Angara added.  

Created under Republic Act No. 12080, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act of 2024, these new School Counselor Associate positions will provide frontline mental health and well-being services and support to School Counselors in the schools. 

The 10,000 SCA I positions will complement School Counselors in providing basic mental health and psychosocial support, information and advocacy, and learner referral services.

Angara said schools with documented cases of bullying or high mental health needs are being prioritized for deployment. 

DepEd has also requested 5,000 additional SCA I positions under the scrap-and-build process mostly by converting existing vacant guidance-related items. 

The rapid deployment marks a critical milestone in the implementation of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, which was enacted on December 6, 2024. 

DepEd submitted the proposed qualification standards to the CSC on November 27, 2025. 

The CSC officially approved the standards on June 30, 2026, paving the way for the DBM to authorize the creation of 10,000 SCA I positions on July 15, 2026.

This initiative is part of DepEd’s overall school safety strategy, combining improved physical security measures with emergency response training and accessible mental health services.