President Rodrigo Duterte has declared the second week of February of every year as “National Hazing Prevention Week,” to increase awareness of the importance and value of hazing prevention.
Under Proclamation 907 signed Feb. 21, the Commission on Higher Education is tasked to lead the nationwide observance of the National Hazing Prevention Week.
All other national government agencies, including state universities and colleges, are directed to provide assistance to CHED for the successful conduct of programs, projects and activities relative to its observance.
“Throughout the years, there has been an alarming number of hazing-related deaths in the Philippines despite the passage of the Anti-Hazing Act,” according to the proclamation.
Local government units, as well as the private sector, relevant civil society organizations and professional groups, are also encouraged to actively participate in the celebration and provide support to CHED.
The necessary funding for the implementation of the proclamation would be sourced from the respectively available appropriations of the concerned agencies.
For the succeeding years, the necessary funding shall be programmed in the respective budget proposals of the said agencies.
Hazing is deemed as an unlawful act, according to Republic Act 11052 or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018. Duterte signed this law following the death of University of Santo Tomas law freshman Horacio Castillo III, who went through an initiation rite to become a member of Aegis Juris fraternity in 2017.
Under the law, hazing has been defined as “physical or psychological suffering, harm or injury inflicted on a recruit, neophyte, applicant or member as part of an initiation rite or a requirement for continuing membership in a fraternity or sorority or organization.”
President Duterte, however, admitted last year that hazing cannot be eliminated unless fraternities are banned.
His remarks followed the deaths of Philippine Military Academy Fourth Class Cadet Darwin Dormitorio.
Earlier this month, a freshman Criminology student passed away while another student was severely injured in what was believed to be a fraternity-related hazing incident in Bulan, Sorsogon.