Councilor Pilar C. Braga, chairperson of the Committee on Education of the City Council, on Tuesday pushed for stronger policies to safeguard the teachers from harassment, humiliation, and emotional abuse.
“We, in Davao City, must lead by example. I call on this Council to push for stronger policies that safeguard our teachers from harassment, humiliation, and emotional abuse. We must ensure that our schools are places of respect, dignity, and support for both students and teachers,” Braga said in her privileged speech.
This developed following the death of Marjorie Llanto-Boldo, teacher of Tibagon Elementary School in Pantukan, Davao de Oro, on September 19 due to severe stress after she was allegedly scolded by her principal, Alvin Escobar, for not adequately disciplining her students.
Reports said the accusation of her principal left Boldo devastated and questioning her role as an educator.
“This tragedy serves as a painful reminder of the challenges our teachers face, not only in Davao de Oro but here in Davao City and across the nation. Our teachers dedicate their lives to shaping the minds and futures of our children, often at great personal cost. For a teacher to lose her life—allegedly due to emotional distress caused by harsh treatment from her superior—is unacceptable,” Braga said.
Braga pushed that programs that will promote mental health and emotional well-being should be integral to the educational system and that the City Council must hold those in leadership accountable for fostering a positive and nurturing environment in the schools.
“As leaders of Davao City, we have a responsibility to protect the well-being of our educators. They are the backbone of our society, and their mental and emotional health should be a top priority. While I commend the Department of Education for taking immediate steps to investigate this incident, it is clear that more needs to be done to prevent such tragedies,” Braga said.
Braga added that the City Council must ensure that the schools are places of respect, dignity, and support for both students and teachers.
“Let this tragic loss be a wake-up call for all of us. We owe it to our teachers to provide them with the respect and support they deserve. No teacher should ever feel that their worth as an educator is diminished by the careless words or actions of a superior,” she said.
