Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking the full and effective implementation of the Parent Effective Service Program (PES) Act, or Republic Act No. 11908, to help curb the incidence of bullying in schools.
Gatchalian made this call during a hearing on recent incidents of bullying and violence in schools.
The veteran legislator called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to operationalize the program at the level of local government units.
“The DSWD and the Department of Education will create the modules but the LGUs are in charge of organizing PES.”
“I am urging the DSWD, together with the DILG, to issue a directive to operationalize the PES at the LGU level. It is really the local government units that will operationalize this. The DSWD and the Department of Education will create the modules but the LGUs are in charge of organizing PES, so it needs DILG intervention,” the seasoned lawmaker pointed out.
“The DSWD Central together with the DepEd should instruct the local city or municipal social welfare development office to organize the program or else hindi mamo-mobilize and Parent Effectiveness Service Program Act,” said the principal author and a co-sponsor of PES.
The law seeks to assist parents and parent-substitutes in strengthening their knowledge and skills in responding to their parental duties and responsibilities, protecting and promoting children’s rights, fostering positive early childhood development, and advancing their educational progress.
Under the law, cities and municipalities shall implement the PES Program through their respective social welfare and development offices.
