WORLD EDUCATION CONNECT MULTIDISCIPLINARY E-PUBLICATION
Vol. V Issue IX (September 2025)
International Circulation
This is an open-access, peer-reviewed, and refereed international publication in online & printed versions that features research papers, abstracts, theses, dissertations, and journals. It is registered to the ISSN National Center of the Philippines, and ISSN International Center, the Global Index for Continuing Resources with ISSN (Online) 2799-0842 and ISSN (Print) 2799-130X.
World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. V, Issue IX (September 2025), pp.276-309
MARYJOY R. MANALO, RPm
Associate Guidance Counselor, CASS
Tarlac State University
INTRODUCTION
Students face numerous challenges in various aspects of their lives, including academic, social, emotional, financial, career, personal, and family, making guidance, counseling, and program services increasingly important. Guidance and counseling have become increasingly important due to the individual's numerous challenges in critical areas of life.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented Guidance and Counseling, an integral program that plays a necessary and vital role in the educational system and students’ overall development. The guidance program is a coordinated program of activities and services such as individual inventory service, information service, counseling service, testing service, placement service, follow-up service, referral service, and research and evaluation service, which are systematically arranged and laid out to assist students with their numerous problems in school. The guidance and counseling program will address and resolve the students’ needs, challenges, and problems (Aguilar-Ramat, 2022, as cited in NEAP Professional Development). On the other hand, guidance is a service that assists the individual in understanding their potentialities, abilities, weaknesses, and needs. Counseling plays a central role in the guidance program, being considered as the “heart” of the program. This service aims to assist students in gaining deeper self-understanding and awareness of their problems. Guidance services comprise many support systems to help students with their personal and career development and education.
According to Chakma (2023), teachers, counselors, and administrators benefit from cumulative records about their students. The information acquired should be thorough, comprehensive, and adequate for accurate inferences. The cumulative record identifies students who require further assistance and allows teachers to adjust the teaching accordingly.
Guidance and counseling services are important not only for academic success but also for professional growth. Career counselors assist learners in examining various career possibilities, assessing their strengths and preferences, and arriving at well-informed decisions about their future endeavor. In connection with this, Eremie et al. (2020) study on the “Guidance and Counseling Services' Influence on Career Choice and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Rivers State”, vocational counseling motivates students and facilitates their career exploration. It's critical to have a thorough understanding of the guidance services that can assist young people in making career decisions.
As stated by Mann et al. (2020), remaining in school for longer than ever, today's young people must make more choices regarding where, what, and the intensity of their studies. These investment decisions are becoming increasingly challenging since technology is transforming the way the world itself is so rapidly. Good schools will respond by encouraging young people to develop critical thinking skills about how their education is related to the labor market. Practical career guidance has never been this vital, and collaborating with educational institutions to assist young people in understanding professions and jobs assists educators in making learning relevant.
These services are important for providing a comprehensive guidance program that equips students with the appropriate knowledge, attitude, and abilities. It provides support and resources to improve students' psychological strengths and overall health. A practical guidance program is important because it helps students' well-being and academic success.
Guidance and counseling programs and their services are important in helping students manage stress academically and in other areas of their lives. Guidance counselors help the learners deal with their problems, academic, personal, or even social, such as those of the family and the environment. Counselors must have exceptional communication abilities to communicate with the most challenging students.
Republic Act No. 9258 defines Guidance and Counseling as "the profession that involves the use of an integrated approach to the development of a well-functioning individual primarily by helping him/her to utilize his/her potentials to the fullest and plan his/her present and future in accordance with his/her abilities, interests, and needs."
The responsibilities of guidance counselors are broad and continually evolving. It includes orienting students across different grade levels, preparing guidance and counseling forms such as individual inventories and agreement forms, and administering and interpreting psychological and projective assessments for individuals and groups. In addition to these roles and responsibilities, they provide excellent individual and group therapy, make referrals to other government agencies, and organize program support with the community through non-government organizations (NGOs) or government organizations (GOs). Not only that, but they also provide career counseling to students and provide scholarship programs to students. The guidance counselor is crucial in the school's support system, providing many services to needy students Llego, M.A. (2021),
Delivering guidance services requires establishing a professional relationship between individual seeking assistance for his/her psychological concern and a trained professional who is capable to provide the necessary assistance. In addition, it is difficult for designated counselors to manage obligations in offering assistance to persons in need when they are not trained and do not have background in the counseling procedure.
According to American School Counselor Association (2022), noted that school counselors are equipped with unique skills and qualifications that allow to implement a comprehensive counseling program, which addresses the social-emotional, academic, and career needs of pre-kindergarten to grade twelve students. They are leaders, advocates, and collaborators, implementing systemic change to provide equal educational outcomes through the school counseling program. They also assist students in accessing external mental health services when needed. ASCA also highlighted respecting students’ values, beliefs, and backgrounds while ensuring legal and ethical compliance. Furthermore, counselors must maintain appropriate professional boundaries and uphold high ethical standards.
A Civil Service Commission (CSC) survey found that counseling accounts for 25% of a counselor's overall workload, with 25% spent on follow-up sessions with students. Other services include information, career counseling, individual inventories, referrals, and research. Counselors must be trained in the same field to administer counseling programs. Guidance counselors are important in ensuring students have positive school experiences. They must have the necessary abilities to do specified duties while fostering the learners' well-being.
Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004, Article IV, Section 27, regarding in practice of guidance and counseling that “no person shall (a) engage in the practice of guidance and counseling without a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card or a special permit; (b) make representations to the public or to third persons as a licensed guidance counselor during the time that the license has been revoked or suspended, and, (c) allow anybody to use his/her license as guidance counselor to enable such unqualified individual to engage in the practice of guidance and counseling.”
The basic principle of guidance must be emphasized, that it needs to maximize the competencies of the guidance personnel to improve the educational services for the students. To make the school guidance program more functional and practical, guidance personnel must be committed, receptive, and active in building the people in the administration and the students' total personality.
Guidance and counseling programs in educational institutions help students integrate their interests, talents, and values enabling them to reach their full potential. The study attempted to look into the impact of a guidance and counseling program on academic achievement among high school students in Toronto, Canada. A random sample of one hundred (100) students, fifteen (15) educator counselors, and fifteen (15) head educators was selected from the five (5) educational institutions. Based on the findings of the study, the following proposals were made. Instructor counselors must provide all services required for a guidance and counseling program. There is a need to increase educational counselors' training in guidance and counseling. Instructor counselors must employ students' positive attitudes to strengthen career counseling within their schools. To improve the academic performance of the region's educational institutions, the guidance and counseling program should be enhanced, Shizha, Abdi, et al. (2020)
Implementing a guidance program that will provide the most comprehensive opportunities possible to benefit every student is imperative. A comprehensive guidance program comprises various guidance and counseling services tailored to the students’ needs.
Vostanis and Bell (2020) found that guidance and counseling assist people in becoming more aware of themselves and how they react to their surroundings. This process also assists children in determining the personal significance of behavior and establishes and categorizes goals and ideals for future behavior.
According to Dhami (2020), as cited in NEAP Professional Development, Guidance and counseling can help people develop an awareness of their talents and abilities, a positive view on overcoming negative tendencies, and the resourcefulness and self-discipline required to adapt to social changes. The primary goal of guidance and counseling services is to help students academically, socially, emotionally, personally, and spiritually. Despite recognizing the importance of guidance services, challenges still exist in many educational settings.
In Malaysia, the majority of counseling and guidance teachers, as well as school counselors, have received special counseling training. Most high school counselors have a bachelor's degree in counseling, with some pursuing a Master's. According to the Malaysian Counselors Act (Act 580), some school counselors have enrolled with the Board of Counselors to become professional counselors.
Counseling services are currently accessible to primary school pupils as well. Counselors assist students with academic, career, and social concerns by linking educational goals to future achievement.
In Kakamega, the study discovered that some problems affecting guidance and counseling include an unfavorable guidance and counseling atmosphere, insufficient finances for the guidance and counseling programs, and a lack of adequate resources to support guidance and counseling programs. Emerging variables like COVID-19 and technology have changed the landscape of guidance and counseling. Guidance counselors encounter various obstacles, including a lack of psychological materials, limited services on placement, and insufficient time to give individual counseling (Paras, 2021).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies were done in the United States to examine college students' psychological health. Three national surveys revealed a decline in students’ mental health. According to an online survey conducted by Active Minds in mid-April 2020, 80% of students stated that COVID-19 affected their mental health, with 20% reporting a significant decline in their mental health (Horn, 2020). It is particularly troubling that 56% did not know where to get immediate professional mental health care. Another national research conducted from late May to early June showed that 85% of college students had heightened anxiety and stress during the pandemic. However, only 21% sought help from a qualified counselor or expert. Despite the high frequency of mental health problems, college students often underutilize mental health services. When asked about the barriers that kept them from seeking mental health services, students reported a lack of perceived needs for help (41%), preference to deal with mental health issues on their own or with families and friends (27%), a lack of time (23%), financial difficulty (15%), and not knowing where to find help (10%).
According to Arrieta et al. (2021), there has been a shift in stakeholder dynamics, with guidance counselors strengthening homeroom and guidance, holding mental health activities, and working more closely with class advisers, teachers, and academic heads during this time. Similarly, a 2022 article titled “Two years in: Reflecting on counseling during pandemic”, published by Counseling Today by Webmaster, highlights that school counselors have been increasingly working as liaisons and emotional support figures, not only for students but also for parents and faculty.
Stear et al. (2021), in their study titled, “When schools go dark, school counselors shine”, highlight the critical role of school counseling during a global pandemic. The research illustrates how counselors even went beyond; they communicate with students and their families, and they updated/improved their techniques by giving students and families through text messages, calls, and video appointments to fulfill the immediate needs of their school communities.
Paras (2021) conducted a study that examined the state, issues, and possibilities of the guidance program in nine public high schools across three districts in Northern Palawan. The subjects were 95 guidance workers, including six school administrators, 10 guidance counselors, and 79 classroom instructors. The data were collected via self-administered questionnaires. Regarding the availability of guidance services, schools provided counseling, testing, information, and inventory services. The guidance worker ratio is 150:1, and among the key concerns cited were inadequacy of experienced guidance counselors, counselors who were overloaded with guidance work, a lack of psychological materials, placement services, and en loco parentis, which recognizes the importance of guidance programs in supporting social and personal needs of the students.
School counselors have traditionally been expected to take a wide range of diverse and conflicting roles. The shortage of guidance counselors impedes the efficient execution of the guidance program, leaving a sizable section of the student body without proper mental health support. According to Bakar (2020), the shortage of licensed counselors has resulted in the deployment of teachers without adequate credentials as guidance teachers, potentially compromising the quality of mental health support. Furthermore, insufficient facilities and resources exist to develop and implement career advising and counseling programs. The student-to-counselor ratios in most schools limit the services that counselors may provide with their diverse range of unconnected duties.
According to Mababa and Fabella (2023), the notion of guidance associate was established to address the impact of the guidance counselor shortage. These individuals with a bachelor's degree and specific training in guidance and counseling could assist without being registered counselors. Similarly, the Department of Education (2024), to address the lack of qualified guidance counselors, the Department of Education, (2024) suggested a Professional Development (PD) program for guidance counselors to provide participants with the necessary knowledge and abilities to effectively support learners' academic, personal, career, and social development. Furthermore, the program's primary goal is strengthening guidance designates' skills, empowering them to deliver comprehensive guidance and support services. These services include counseling, orientation and information, individual inventory, referral, placement, follow-up, research and evaluation, assessment, homeroom guidance program, career guidance program, prevention/intervention program for specific target groups, collaborative activities, and peer facilitation, ensuring the alignment with the evolving needs of learners and the educational institution’s goals.
According to a study by Mabuza et al. (2025), there was a lack of administrative support, financing, and parental involvement. Furthermore, time constraints are a significant problem for guidance and counseling teachers implementing the program. The study also suggested that guidance and counseling should receive additional support from school administrators, teachers, and parents, including increased time dedicated to the subject and financing for guidance and counseling programs.
Program evaluation is indispensable to ensuring the effectiveness of guidance and counseling services. Sandra Hearth (2023) emphasizes the importance of evaluation in developmental guidance and counseling programs, ensuring accountability and helping stakeholders make informed decisions regarding the program's future.
As Lenz A.S. (2022) notes, counselors play a special role in program evaluation. They provide direct services, identify local needs, amplify historically excluded voices, and simplify complex data for broader understanding. Counselors also promote inclusive planning, monitor implementation, and contextualize a program's impact within the broader scope of human development. In evaluating programs, counselors contribute to identifying areas for growth, advocating for social change, and highlighting successes to support continued improvement.
Assessing and evaluating programs is crucial. Daniel Stufflebeam introduced the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) evaluation paradigm, which can be employed. This review is designed to provide information to decision-makers. This model’s evaluation components are divided into four categories: context, input, process, and product. In line with this, according to Setiawan, M.A., et al. (2024), who conducted a study exploring the effectiveness of the CIPP evaluation model in measuring and enhancing the quality of guidance and counseling programs in Vocational High School in Indonesia. Understanding the challenges and contexts of Vocational High Schools, the study highlighted the importance of a targeted and evidence-based approach to enhance guidance and counseling services by applying and testing the CIPP model in this educational setting. In addition, it aimed to generate actionable insights that policymakers, educators, and practitioners could use to strengthen counseling programs, ultimately supporting students’ academic and personal development.
Improving Comprehensive and Developmental Programs was the first edition of Program Evaluation in School Counseling (Trevisan & Carey, 2020), a ground-breaking book focusing only on knowledge, context, techniques, procedures, and evaluation examples relevant to school counseling programs. This book has a detailed technique for evaluating school counseling programs and historical evidence to back up the foundation and utility of such evaluations. Chapter 2 addresses "why" program evaluation knowledge is necessary in school counseling.
To establish the accomplishment of the guidance and counseling program's goals, efforts must be made to collect evidence in the form of data that indicates success, which will then be reviewed and interpreted. This effort is called evaluation (Yastibas & Erdal, 2020). Reviewing these activities can be helpful for future guidance and counseling programs. If the program functions correctly, it may be continued, and what is lacking can be used to improve.
Thus, the role of the counselors is critical in evaluating the guidance and counseling program, determining the level of goal achievement, how well the services are delivered to students, and how the programs and services help students in their academic and life in general.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 09 Series of 2013 “Enhanced Policies and Guidelines on Student Affairs and Services” section 14, Article VII, mandated that higher institutions of learning should offer guidance services, using an integrated approach to help students utilize their potential to the fullest. It also mandated that these services should be managed by licensed counselors (CMO-No.09-s2013). Guidance and counseling services in the Philippines have been professionalized. There are set principles and criteria on Continuing Professional Education (CPE) and implemented procedures necessary and proper for maintaining high ethical standards in the practice of the profession (RA 9258, Art. II, sec. Q & ff.).
Likewise, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, also known as Republic Act No. 10533, serves as a cornerstone in developing the educational system in the Philippines. This legislation laid the foundation for the K to 12 programs, emphasizing the importance of guidance and counseling in enhancing the quality of education. The historical context provides insights into the roots of guidance and counseling practices in the country. This also emphasized the need for guidance and counseling to support the students’ mental health and overall well-being. Additionally, research highlights that effective guidance programs can lead to positive psychosocial outcomes, significantly impacting student performance and well-being. The diversity of student needs necessitates a structured approach to counseling, which can only be achieved through well-implemented guidance programs within schools. This is in connection with the passing of Philippine Mental Health Act (R.A. 11036) was monumental in placing the issue at the forefront of everyone’s mind, focuses on mental health promotion in educational institutions, stating that schools of all types "shall develop policies and programs for students, educators, and other employees designed to: raise awareness on mental health issues, identify and provide support and services for individuals at risk, and facility access, including referral mechanisms of individuals with mental health conditions to treatment and psychosocial support."
According to Savitz-Romer et al. (2022), school counseling programs improve a wide range of student academic and behavioral outcomes. Effective school counseling programs require a collaborative effort from the school counselor, families or parents, community partners, and other educators.
A well-organized guidance program is essential to meeting students' personal, social, psychological, and career development needs. The administrators should take a leadership role in developing the guidance program by giving initiative and support, both morally and financially. Classroom teachers and guidance counselors/ advocates should also be encouraged to participate in developing and formulating the guidance program, which is a collaborative effort to deliver a practical guidance and counseling program in school settings. Each has specific responsibilities and skills to build a supportive environment promoting student progress. Academic advising and placement, counseling, and discipline are all part of student affairs and support services, and college and career services for older students.
The researcher was motivated to carry out this study because of the limited awareness among students and alumni regarding the guidance services offered at CIT Colleges of Paniqui Foundation, Incorporated. During initial interviews with the alumni, many expressed that they perceived the guidance office as only for students with complaints or those who cause trouble. Some alumni and current students were also unaware of the guidance services. Despite recognizing the importance of comprehensive guidance programs that provide academic, emotional, and social support, challenges still exist. A key issue is the limited awareness among students. CIT Colleges of Paniqui Foundation, Incorporated's guidance services for the school year 2024 – 2025 include individual inventory, information, testing, counseling, placement/career, follow-up, and research and evaluation. However, the institution is currently facing a lack of registered guidance counselors.
Administrators, principals, and faculty members are critical in successfully implementing guidance services. Through active coordination with the guidance office, principal, and faculty members can utilize student assessment results to gauge their students' needs and concerns better, making it easy for them to offer corresponding academic and emotional support. On the other hand, administrators ensure institutional goals align with the guidance program. By measuring the effectiveness of the services, they can look for gaps and take measures to improve the services. Through such a collaborative initiative, issues related to delivering guidance services, like limited awareness and resource constraints, can be adequately addressed, enabling a more helpful and holistic learning environment.
The researcher was motivated to advocate for more accessible, structured guidance services to help students thrive academically, socially, and personally. This aimed to ensure students could benefit from these services and help administrators improve them. This study’s goal is not to criticize but to enhance the guidance services to meet students’ needs and contribute to their development.
This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the guidance services of CIT Colleges of Paniqui Foundation, Incorporated, which focused on how the students evaluate the level of implementation of the guidance services, the level of adequacy of the guidance services, the high school teachers, and principal identifying the challenges encountered in the delivery of the guidance services, and areas for improvement.
Evaluation of the program involved those who were affected or participants who directly received the services. These were the students, the high school teachers, and the principal, who have direct contact with the needs of the students. Evaluation could also determine which services need to be strengthened.
