As parents, we send our children to school with trust—trust that they will be guided, protected, and taught with compassion and care. Sadly, a public high school in Cebu betrayed our trust.
It is the story of how my child, a Grade 7 student during the 2024–2025 school year at Barrio Luz National High School, became a repeated target of bullying—and how the system failed us.
Ignored Years of Bullying
The bullying started when my son was in Grade 5. One classmate, Daniel Pacaña, punched him in the face and stomach multiple times. My son came home crying, but I tried to stay calm. I told his Grade 6 teacher the following year that Daniel had already bullied my son the year before.
Her response shocked me. She said, “Maybe they were just playing or bumping into each other. That’s normal.” I raised the issue twice, but she gave me the same response each time—no intervention, no accountability.
We tried to move on, hoping things would improve.
But in Grade 7, they were classmates again—and the bullying resumed.
The Adviser Did Nothing
Just a week into Grade 7, I visited the school and spoke with several classmates of my son, who said that Daniel had bullied him again. The adviser, Ms. Ruby Ann Rodrigo, saw the incident but did not take any action. When I spoke to her, she only mentioned that the student smoked in the restroom, showing no urgency or concern for the well-being of my child.
On the same day, I raised the issue with the principal and emphasized that the bullying had started as far back as Grade 5. They assured me that they would contact the bullies’ parents and arrange a meeting where I could speak with them directly. I agreed and waited, but nothing happened. The school just forgot about it. But there was no follow-up, no parents’ meeting, and no resolution, and the issue remained unresolved.
More Bullying, Still No Action
A week later, it happened again. My son was crying. He had been hit again by another classmate. Upon returning to the school, I discovered that the teacher had observed the incident but took no steps to address it. I confronted her again. She offered nothing more than another vague and noncommittal response.
I had enough. I turned to DepEd.
Turning to DepEd – and the School’s Backlash
I emailed DepEd Region 7—Cebu and explained everything. The school remained unresponsive until the Department of Education (DepEd) officially intervened. The school later called me in for a meeting with the principal and four teachers.
Instead of discussing solutions, they focused on questioning why I contacted DepEd. I stated that I had previously informed the teacher and the principal, yet the matter remained unaddressed. They directly replied that I should’ve waited longer.
Their final decision was to transfer my son to another section, saying there were “too many bullies” in the class and removing them would create an imbalance.
Why was my son—the victim—being forced to adjust again?
A New Section, More Problems
My son moved to a different class under the supervision of Ms. Maritess B. Revoltar, but the situation did not improve.
During the second week of January 2025, the teacher requested a meeting with me. During our conversation, she asked my son to read a book aloud in front of us. Afterward, she bluntly said, “He can read, but he doesn’t understand what he reads.” I was stunned and hurt, especially because she seemed to assume he didn’t know how to read at all, when in fact, he reads clearly and understands what he’s reading.
She is a teacher, someone who receives a monthly salary to educate and uplift students, and yet this is how she chooses to treat them. Instead of encouraging learning, she was quick to judge, even saying it directly to my face without empathy or concern. It made me question how such an attitude helps children grow or feel supported in the classroom.
She then listed all the projects my son allegedly failed to submit. I insisted he submit them, especially the soap carving project. I pointed it out on her table. She admitted it was his but said he had never told her the project belonged to him.
Despite my proof, they still failed my son.
I asked, “Did he fail the entire semester?” She answered yes, even before the second semester had begun.
I realized then that this was a form of retaliation for reporting them to DepEd.
“We Can’t Control Bullying”
One of the most worrisome things a teacher said to me was this:
“We can’t control bullying in our school.”
That was the moment I fully understood what we were up against.
It wasn’t just a matter of one or two students. It was a systemic issue—a culture of indifference and shifting blame. I later learned that Barrio Luz National High School already has a bad reputation, and our experience confirmed that.
Final Thoughts
I’m sharing this not to shame anyone, but to raise awareness.
Bullying is real. The emotional toll it takes on children is often invisible, but deeply damaging. No child should ever feel unsafe at school. No parent should have to fight this hard just to be heard and protected.
On top of the bullying, we also faced issues with her adviser. When I inquired about the repeated teacher absences, I discovered that her adviser had been absent for an entire week, and other teachers were also frequently absent. It became clear to me that some of them were not only incompetent but lacked the very qualities and responsibility expected of good educators.
To fellow parents: You are not alone. Speak up. Don’t stay silent.
To teachers and school administrators: Please listen with compassion. Act with urgency. Care deeply.
To the Department of Education (DepEd): Thank you for listening. Schools must be held accountable for the safety, presence, and competence of every teacher guiding our children.
