(Photo by PNA)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education (DepEd) have awarded graduate scholarships to 230 education personnel under a program aimed at addressing the shortage of guidance counselors and strengthening mental health support in Philippine schools.
The scholarships were awarded Friday, October 9, during the 4th Joint Education Trifocal Management Committee (JETMC) Meeting at the Negros Oriental Convention Center in Dumaguete City.
The Learning Initiatives for Nurturing Guidance Associates and Counselors Program (LINGAP) provides financial assistance to qualified DepEd teaching and non-teaching personnel pursuing graduate studies in guidance, counseling, and psychology.
CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to improving learners’ well-being by investing in professionals who can provide appropriate guidance and psychological support.
“When learners feel safe, supported, and guided, they are better able to learn, make informed choices, and pursue the opportunities ahead of them,” Agrupis said.
Under LINGAP, scholars will receive full coverage of tuition and other school fees, a monthly living allowance of Php 30,000, and a research allowance of up to Php 150,000, subject to scholarship guidelines.
Of the 327 nominees shortlisted for academic year 2026–2027, approximately 230 were selected following DepEd’s evaluation and validation process.
The program has an allocation of Php 182.055 million under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, covering 870 scholarship slots nationwide.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said LINGAP seeks to address the persistent shortage of guidance counselors in public schools, a problem partly attributed to low compensation and strict professional licensing requirements.
Angara recalled that some regions previously had no practicing guidance counselors or students pursuing the profession, leaving schools struggling to respond to learners’ mental health needs.
“We have long been planning this program due to the lack of guidance counselors and as such, our policy-makers are looking for ways to address the problem,” Angara said.
He emphasized that education goes beyond academic achievement and requires meaningful connections between teachers and students.
“No matter how skilled we are in pedagogy, no matter how many degrees or awards we have for being centers of excellence or for being outstanding professors, if our learners do not feel that we care about them, if our learners do not feel seen, if there is no connection between those teaching and being taught, I think we have not done our job adequately,” he said.
According to Agrupis, the Philippines had approximately 5,000 guidance counselors as of January, with fewer than 1,000 serving under DepEd despite the agency overseeing around 45,000 schools nationwide.
Nine teacher-scholars from the Negros Island Region were among the first batch of LINGAP beneficiaries recognized during Friday’s ceremony.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director-General Jose Francisco Benitez welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important step toward improving mental health services for students.
Benitez encouraged the scholars to maximize the opportunity, noting that financial limitations often prevent aspiring professionals from pursuing advanced education and specialized training.
Meanwhile, CHED, DepEd, and TESDA also introduced two education initiatives during the meeting: the Localized Access Pathways and Institutional Transitions (LAPIT) Index and the Integrated Ladderized Education-to-Employment Pathways (ILEEP).
The LAPIT Index aims to identify gaps in students’ educational pathways, while ILEEP seeks to establish alternative routes from education to employment beyond traditional four-year college programs.
The three agencies said the initiatives form part of efforts to improve access to education, strengthen student support systems, and create more flexible opportunities for Filipino learners.
