Manila, Philippines | Anieluz Pastolero: The Philippine Senate Committee on Basic Education cited the SEA-PLM 2019 evidence as a crucial resource in shedding light on the prevalence of bullying in schools and its impact on learning outcomes during the public hearing to review the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 on 13 February 2023. 

Led by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the Committee underscored during the hearing the use of data such as those provided by SEA-PLM 2019 and called for an improvement in reporting mechanisms to encourage students to report bullying incidents. 

The SEA-PLM 2019 data revealed that 63.2% of Grade 5 students in the Philippines experience bullying at least once a month in schools. This figure is consistent with the National Baseline Survey on Violence Against Children conducted by the Council for the Welfare of Children in 2016, which found that 65% of students in the Philippines have experienced bullying. The same level of prevalence is also affirmed by the data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which the Philippines participated in 2018.

The Philippine Senate hearing emphasized the need to address bullying in schools in the country and to prioritize the well-being of students. The data from SEA-PLM 2019 highlights the significance of the issue and the need for effective measures to address it, including improving reporting mechanisms and implementing policies that protect students from bullying and creating a safe school environment.

Project Manager Alejandro Ibanez represented SEA-PLM Secretariat and SEAMEO Secretariat in the said hearing.