The House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading a bill declaring September of every year as National Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month.

House Bill No. 10134, or the proposed “National Bullying Awareness and Prevention Month Act,” received 245 affirmative votes, with no negative votes or abstentions on Tuesday, August 25. The House’s official record confirms the measure was approved on third reading on that date.

The measure seeks to strengthen public awareness of bullying and mobilize schools, families, communities and government institutions to prevent behavior that can cause lasting harm to children.

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said bullying should not be treated as a normal part of growing up, stressing the importance of prevention, awareness and early intervention.

Under the bill, the observance would promote safer learning environments and greater protection for children and young people from bullying, abuse, cruelty, exploitation and other harmful conditions.

The Department of Education would be tasked, together with the National Youth Commission and the Council for the Welfare of Children, to prepare and implement an annual program of activities for the observance.

DepEd would also lead awareness campaigns on bullying prevention in public and private elementary and high schools, while the Philippine Information Agency would help disseminate information about the measure and its objectives.

Local government units, private organizations, civil society groups, nongovernment organizations and people’s organizations would also be encouraged to participate, expanding anti-bullying efforts beyond schools and into the wider community.

Dy said addressing bullying requires the involvement of teachers, parents, schools, government and young people themselves.

He also noted that bullying has increasingly moved into digital spaces, including social media, making awareness and early intervention more important as harassment can continue even after children leave school.

HB 10134 was filed on July 21 and was principally authored by Reps. Iris Marie Demesa Montes, Ma. Victoria Co-Pilar, Giselle Mary Maceda and Roman Romulo.

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