LIEZL H.

ALVAREZ

MAED-EM

Reaction Paper on RA 9258

Some of the duties of Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and

Counseling are the following: “monitor the conditions affecting the practice of
guidance and counseling, conduct ocular inspection of places where Guidance
Counselors practice their profession” and “issue special/temporary permits to foreign
guidance counselors to practice guidance and counseling and to research for
specific projects.” Being at the guidance teacher coordinator in our school in City of
San Pedro, I have not yet encountered or even heard of the Board going to different
schools to monitor the practice of guidance and counseling in our province. It is safe
to tell that the Board is yet to go at that level of checking the practice of the
profession on the grass-root level. Moreover, foreign guidance counselors are
allowed to practice counseling in our country in the same way that we can also be
allowed to work for them. This means we are called to really take multi-cultural
awareness in counseling seriously. The changing need of time is also apparent to
the profession that it needs to catch up with international standards of practice
especially when one provides helpful service to another who belongs to a different
cultural background or orientation.

Mostly, the RA 9258 talks about the responsibilities and duties of the
chairman/members of the Board. It will be more meaningful for the Board to also
properly distribute the Code of Ethics and the Code or Manual of Professional and
Technical Standards for Guidance Counselors to all the guidance practitioner and
school administrators as well. In this way, the standards, scope, limit and
specifications of practice of the guidance and counseling profession and the roles of
guidance counselors are clearly defined.

I have read an article published in a blog by someone who is I think is

affiliated in the Philippine Association of Psychologists. The article was mainly about
how the RA 9258 also affected other professions (like the practice of psychology) in
coming up with their own initiative to professionalize the field. However, it also
discusses how the term “counseling” is under the scope of different fields like
psychology, social work, church and other helping profession. There is truth in it
actually. Should those who claim they can counsel be under the Board’s regulation?
Or should we classify professional counseling from those which are not? In fact,
many radio stations and TV programs use the tool to help individuals who seek for
advice, coaching and guidance although the essence of counseling is not really
captured by those who claim to provide it. I believe the term ‘counseling’ is prone to
misuse for different purposes. That is why people tend to be confused that whenever
they talk with a counselor they feel he/she has all the answers for their questions, a
solution that will resolve their problem. Will there be a way to help minimize it?