CIBAC Rep. Bro. Eddie Villanueva is calling for an investigation into the increasing and alarming incidents of violence in schools following the assault of a teacher at Elizalde National High School in Davao de Oro. He is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) and other concerned agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education Act.
The latest incident, in which a teacher was allegedly assaulted by a student and the student’s sibling after enforcing school rules, comes barely a month after the fatal shooting inside a school in Tacloban City. According to Rep. Villanueva, these disturbing incidents underscore the urgent need to examine whether values formation, discipline, and character education are being effectively reinforced both in schools and at home.
“The recent incidents of violence in our schools are deeply alarming. Schools should be places of learning, character formation, and safety—not places where teachers fear being assaulted or students become victims of violence. These incidents compel us to seriously examine whether the values we seek to instill through GMRC are truly taking root in the lives of our young people,” Villanueva said.
The CIBAC lawmaker, principal author of the GMRC and Values Education Act of 2020, stressed that while the law restored GMRC as a separate and mandatory subject, its success cannot be measured merely by its inclusion in the curriculum.
“GMRC begins long before a child enters the classroom. The home is the first school, and parents are the first teachers of respect, discipline, responsibility, and compassion. Schools reinforce these values, but families must lay the foundation. If we want to address the growing culture of violence, we must strengthen not only our educational system but also the partnership among parents, schools, churches, communities, and government. Values formation is a whole-of-society responsibility,” he said.
The CIBAC solon urged DepEd to undertake a comprehensive review of the implementation of the GMRC law, including whether schools are receiving adequate support to effectively teach values education, strengthen guidance and counseling services, enhance anti-bullying and violence prevention programs, and deepen collaboration with parents, churches, and local communities.
“We cannot dismiss these incidents as isolated cases. Every act of violence in our schools is a wake-up call. Let this be an opportunity to renew our commitment to raising a generation marked by respect, self-discipline, and compassion. The success of the GMRC law will ultimately be measured not by what is written in textbooks, but by the values our children live out every day,” Villanueva concluded.
