LAWMAKERS from the Makabayan bloc have filed a House resolution calling for a legislative inquiry into the death of Junver Toledo, a BS Physical Therapy senior who took his life on May 17 after learning he had failed a subject and won’t graduate this term.
House Resolution 2305 seeks to reexamine the impact of outcomes-based education (OBE) in the Philippines, citing Toledo’s death as a tragic consequence of the “immense pressure, mental burden, and emotional distress” the system puts on students.
The three-page resolution filed June 3 was authored by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro.
“OBE, as currently implemented not only on UST, but also in most if not all academic institutions nationwide, often prioritizes grades and quantitative metrics over the holistic learning, mental health, and overall well-being of students, without due consideration for the heavy academic workload and the specific challenges faced by individual learners,” it read.
According to Manuel, the resolution was aimed at introducing amendments to OBE-related laws and executive orders issued by former president Rodrigo Duterte and incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Supposedly, ang edukasyon ay nakakatulong sa ating development. Hindi dapat nakamamatay ang edukasyon,” Manuel told the Varsitarian after the filing at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
“‘Yong ganitong set ng different laws and orders na nakabatay doon sa pag-subscribe sa kung paano ngayon pinapatupad ang outcomes-based education, ‘yan ang gusto nating busisiin,” he added.
The resolution is expected to be taken up by the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, chaired by Nacionalista Rep. Mark Go, for further review.
The Toledo family was invited to the filing but was not able to attend in person, according to Raven Racelis, president of UST Panday Sining.
Racelis read a letter from Olive Toledo, Junver’s sister, outlining the University’s “failures”:
- negligence in providing timely and appropriate mental health support despite evident signs of distress;
- failure to act on prior complaints, red flags, or calls for help by [Junver];
- inadequate systems of reporting and response from faculty, staff, or student support services when it became evident that he was struggling; and
- institutional silence and lack of transparency following his death, adding insult to the injury by denying both accountability and empathy.
According to the letter, the Toledo family demanded the following from UST:
- an official written acknowledgment and apology from the university leadership;
- disclosure of any and all internal reports, complaints, or communications relating to [Junver’s] case;
- immediate and public commitment to reforms, especially regarding mental health support, grievance procedures, and crisis response protocols; and
- appropriate disciplinary action against staff or faculty who may have been negligent or complicit.
“He (Junver) trusted the institution. UST failed him,” the letter read. “We demand justice, not just for him, but for every student who continues to walk the halls, unaware that their cries for help might also go unanswered.”
Junver, who was initially set to graduate in 2024, jumped to his death after learning he had failed Clinical Correlation and Team Approach for the second time in Academic Year 2024-2025. He missed the passing mark by just 1.5%.
“Ang kwento ni Junver ang kapareho ng marami pang kwento ng mga kabataan at estudyante na gustong gamitin ang kanilang talino para sana makapagsilbi sa ating bayan,” Manuel said.
‘Overhaul education system now’
In his privilege speech at the House of Representatives on June 2, Manuel said Toledo’s death must serve as a wake-up call to reexamine a system that prioritizes grades over students’ well-being.
“Ang sinapit ni Junver at kung paano siya humantong sa kaniyang desisyon ay paalala sa ating lahat na palaging tanungin kung para saan ba at para kanino ang sistema ng edukasyon na ating pinapairal,” Manuel said.
“The time for us to completely overhaul how we see education — and the time for us to act — is now.”
Manuel pointed out that the unchecked and unbalanced implementation of outcomes-based education is a problem in many Philippine schools, not just in UST.
“Sa ilalim ng ganitong patakaran, sinasamba ang grades and metrics ng walang pagbibigay ng konsiderasyon sa partikular na danas ng mga estudyante at maging ng mga gurong inaasahang magpapatupad ng mga standards na binababa sa kanila,” he said.
What schools should strive for, according to the lawmaker, is a more holistic way of developing students — teaching them not merely to excel according to metrics and foreign standards.
“Sa kuwentong ito ni Junver at ng kaniyang mga kamag-anak, hindi rin maisasantabi ang bigat na idinulot ng mga patakarang umiiral sa pamantasang kaniyang pinasukan,” he said.
Manuel urged his fellow lawmakers to support a legislative inquiry.
“Makakatulong ito para matiyak ng ating kapulungan na naipaplasta ang mga polisiyang gagabay sa ating mga paaralan para itaguyod ang isang sistema ng edukasyong tunay na naglilingkod sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.
“Isang sistema ng edukasyon kung saan tunay na natututo ang ating mga kabataang estudyante kesa maging pabigat lamang ito sa kanila,” he added.
