SEC. 10. Effectivity

This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

SEC. 9. Repealing Clause

All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. Separability Clause

If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force or effect.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations

Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DepED shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 6. Sanction for Non-compliance

In the rules and regulations to be implemented pursuant to this Act, the Secretary of the DepED shall prescribe the appropriate administrative sanctions on school administrators who shall fail to comply with the requirements under this Act. In addition thereto, erring private schools shall likewise suffer the penalty of suspension of their permits to operate.

SEC. 5. Reporting Requirement

All schools shall inform their respective schools division superintendents in writing about the anti-bullying policies formulated within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act. Such notification shall likewise be an administrative requirement prior to the operation of new schools.

Beginning with the school year after the effectivity of this Act, and every first week of the start of the school year thereafter, schools shall submit a report to their respective schools division superintendents all relevant information and statistics on acts of bullying or retaliation. The schools division superintendents shall compile these data and report the same to the Secretary of the DepED who shall likewise formally transmit a comprehensive report to the Committee on Basic Education of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

SEC. 4. Mechanisms to Address Bullying

The school principal or any person who holds a comparable role shall be responsible for the implementation and oversight of policies intended to address bullying.

Any member of the school administration, student, parent or volunteer shall immediately report any instance of bullying or act of retaliation witnessed, or that has come to one’s attention, to the school principal or school officer or person so designated by the principal to handle such issues, or both. Upon receipt of such a report, the school principal or the designated school officer or person shall promptly investigate. If it is determined that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the school principal or the designated school officer or person shall:

(a) Notify the law enforcement agency if the school principal or designee believes that criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code may be pursued against the perpetrator;

(b) Take appropriate disciplinary administrative action;

(c) Notify the parents or guardians of the perpetrator; and

(d) Notify the parents or guardians of the victim regarding the action taken to prevent any further acts of bullying or retaliation.

If an incident of bullying or retaliation involves students from more than one school, the school first informed of the bullying or retaliation shall promptly notify the appropriate administrator of the other school so that both may take appropriate action.