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Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services during the COVID-19

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 ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature
Abbreviated Key Title: ISSRA J Edu Ling Lite
ISSN: 2583-102X (online)
Research
Published By ISSRA Publishers
DOI:
Article
Recived:.06.12.2021| Accepted: 10.01.2022| Published: 30.01.2022 Volume-2| Issue-1 | Jan-Feb-2022

Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services during the COVID-19

Pandemic
John Erwin Prado Pedroso*1 1-4
West Visayas State University, Iloilo City, Philippines
Amabel Tangco-Siason2
Catherine Ortizo-Roces3
Jan Iris Faye Magramo-Basbas4
Abstract: This descriptive qualitative study aimed to describe how guidance and counseling services were implemented during the COVID-19
pandemic. This was conducted among five (5) counselors who were determined through purposive sampling. The data were gathered using a semi-
structured interview and analysed using a conventional qualitative content analysis. Challenges, initiatives, and insights in implementing guidance and
counseling services were revealed. There were seven (7) meaningful categories taken from data transcripts. Counselors were challenged by (1)
inadequate support and (2) restrictions in delivering guidance and counseling services. Their initiatives included (3) using technology-aided services,
(4) conducting online activities, and (5) strengthening of school and community partnerships. The two (2) essential insights of counselors on their
experience were about (6) counseling as a value-laden helping profession and (7) efficient implementation of services. Since counselors faced both
personal and professional challenges highly influenced by technology during unprecedented times, their motivation to deliver guidance and counseling
services comes from a genuine desire to serve the school and community. This proves that guidance and counseling is not only a profession but also a
vocation.
Keywords: Counseling, Guidance, Profession, Vocation, Covid-19
Copyright © 2022 The Author(s): This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0) International
License.

INTRODUCTION programs have been widely adopted by educational

The sudden shift to a new learning
environment brought by the COVID-19 pandemic has
resulted in significant changes in the education process
and practices (Strear et al., 2021). The unforeseen
implementation of government lockdowns and social
isolation, combined with a slew of home issues, death,
sickness, and uncertainty to COVID-19, has stemmed
into a spate of mental health concerns such as
depression, sleep deprivation, and anxiety (Rath &
Beland, 2020; Savitz-Romer et al., 2021; Pincus et al.,
2020). All of which have a detrimental effect on
students’ motivation for academic success and generate
behavioural issues in schools (Pincus et al., 2020).
It has long been recognized that the role of a
guidance counselor is crucial in the education of
students, and this has been amplified during the
pandemic, where their role has been critical and their
skills have been severely needed by students who are
faced by several personal challenges (Arrieta et al,.
2021; Supriyanto et al., 2020; Mielgo-Conde et al.,
2021; Ahmed & Firdous, 2020). School counselors are
vital in assisting students’ re-adjustment and learning
since they are licensed professionals skilled in fostering
students’ socio-emotional, academic, and postsecondary
development (Savitz-Romer et al., 2021). Students'
stress, anxiety, and depression may be addressed, if not
eliminated, by providing counseling sessions (Ahmed &
Firduos, 2020). However, since face-to-face or real-
time guidance and counseling services are almost
impossible to obtain and execute during this time of
crisis, virtual or online guidance, and counseling
institutions (Mielgo-Conde et al., 2021; Harrichand et
al., 2021). The transition to online guidance and
counseling services prompted guidance counselors to
employ creative, innovative, and efficient means and
ways to execute their roles and responsibilities.
Studies across the globe such as in the
Netherlands (Fejit et al., 2020), the United States of
America (Snow et al., 2018; Reimers & Schleicher,
2020), Portugal (Dores et al., 2020), and Indonesia
(Hastuti and Tyas, 2021) have assessed the
effectiveness of digital tools integrated into online
implementation of counselors’ services such as
WhatsApp, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, and Hangout.
The wide use of these digital tools are associated with
the advantages they characterize such as easy
accessibility, high adaptability, flexibility and
convenience, evolution at the client's pace, easy
adherence and treatment monitoring, privacy and
possibility of anonymity, cultural adaptability, low cost,
and a high potential for dissemination (Mielgo-Conde,
2021; Situmorang, 2021; Supriyanto et al., 2020).
Counseling being the heart of guidance
services challenged counselors to deliver this service
online in this time of pandemic. However, it is not a
new practice (Situmorang, 2020). Inspite of these
advantages, certain drawbacks remained to be a concern
to school counsellors such as lack of nonverbal
communication, difficulties with connectivity, and
technological concerns, ethical issues, and lack of
training in the use of these tools (Hastuti & Tyas, 2021;

*Corresponding Author: John Erwin Prado Pedroso 1

Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
Dores et al., 2020; Fejit et al., 2020; Savitz-Romer,
2021).
Furthermore, since the majority of counselors’
job descriptions are based on face-to-face
communication, this new situation will need them to
seek new alternatives to operate efficiently (Karaman et
al., 2021). While professional counselors are adept at
creating safe spaces for their clients to process their
pain, they seldom use this skill on themselves (Thomas
& Morris, 2017). To be effective, professional
counselors who offer mental health services must
establish appropriate boundaries and practice regular
self-care (Thomas & Morris, 2017). The cumulative
impact of more challenging client problems, managing
telehealth methods, difficulties with online
confidentiality, ethical responsibilities, and personal
experiences with COVID-19 may pose substantial
challenges for counselors (Litam et al., 2021),
potentially jeopardizing their ability to maintain
wellness and their professional quality of life during the
pandemic (Cullen et al., 2020). In Slovenia, it was
reported that counselors’ stress levels were significantly
influenced by factors such as their self-perceived self-
efficacy in information and communication technology
(ICT), their attitude toward online counseling, and even
the support of their superiors (Košir et al., 2019). As a
result of this quick adoption and move toward full
usage of ICTs, educational counselors who offered
services during the COVID-19 pandemic may be more
susceptible to post-traumatic stress and burnout (Litam
et al., 2021). Additionally, they may struggle to balance
their responsibilities as educators, professional
counselors, and supervisors, resulting in the neglect of
their practices (Harrichand et al., 2021). To prevent this
unlikely circumstance, some studies suggest that
counselors should emphasize the value of resilience and
self-care practices (Litam et al., 2021).
Despite the escalating number of studies on
guidance counselors’ role during the pandemic, the
majority of these studies emphasized the end of the
counselees, which are mostly the students (Yuniarti et
al., 2021; Wong et al., 2018; Savarese et al., 2020;
Elmer et al., 2020; Baloran, 2020), and a few shed light
to the challenges, experiences, and perception among
guidance counselors. Moreover, there is a limited study
that has systematically identified and carefully analyzed
how COVID-19 affected school counselors and their
perception towards the conduct of technology-driven
implementation of guidance services particularly here in
the Philippines. These deficiencies in literature
motivated the conduct of this study which seeks to
describe how counselors implemented guidance
services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At this challenging time where school
counselors are beholden to make extraordinary efforts
to help students, it is vital to identify the obstacles that
guidance counselors face as they continue to carry out
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their functions during this pandemic. They also need to
take care of their mental health to gain renewed strength
as they continue to perform their roles. This present
study seeks to answer the research question, how are
guidance and counseling services implemented during
the COVID-19 pandemic? The findings of this study
can also contribute to the development and
implementation of new ideas, activities, and strategies
to enrich the school's current guidance and counseling
program. Finally, this study aims to help educators,
stakeholders, and policymakers in redesigning programs
and policies that promote achievement for all students
in remote learning environments and at the same time
create a safe space while safeguarding both the wellness
of the counselors and counselees.
METHODS
Study Design
Phenomenology, a method described
bySandelowski (2000) was employed to attain the
objectives of this study. It was anchored on a
constructivist epistemology which sought to explore
what is assumed to be a socially constructed dynamic
reality through a detailed description of the
phenomenon under investigation (Cerbo, 2012; Pedroso
et al., 2021).
Informants
By following the purposive or selective
sampling technique (Jones, 2020; Brown, 2018;
Holloway, 2013; Domingo, 2014, Pedroso, 2021;
Pedroso et al., 2021), five (5) guidance counselors were
chosen as informants of this study. Snowball or referral
method was employed (Lamasan & Oducado, 2018) in
identifying informants who met the inclusion criteria.
Key informants were selected based on the following
criteria: a) 30 to 50 years old during the conduct of this
study; b) a registered guidance counselor; c) designated
as guidance counselor of a Tertiary Higher Education
Institution in Panay; and d) with 3 or more years of
experience as a guidance counselor. In the initial plan, 3
informants were considered. However, data saturation
guided the researchers to further consider additional
informants during the gathering of data and analyzing
of written transcripts. In employing this deliberate
action, two (2) more informants were added that helped
in making sure that no new concepts emerged in the
succeeding data gathering activities.
Table-1 showcases the informants' profiles.
The five (5) registered guidance counselors included
two (2) male and three (3) female informants. Four (4)
were married and one (1) was single. Their age ranged
from 32 to 42 years old. The informants had a minimum
of four year-experience as designated guidance
counselors. They came from two (2) private and three
(3) public higher education institutions. Furthermore,
two (2) of them came from the province of Capiz; one
(1) from Aklan; and two (2) from Iloilo City. The
informants were assigned pseudonyms to maintain
2
Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
confidentiality.
Profile of the Informants
Registered Guidance Age No. of Years as Designated
Counselor Guidance Counselor
Ann 39 5 Public
Don 36 15
Kaye 42 21
Gill 32 4 Public
Jay 35 9 Public
Ethical Considerations
The researchers were guided in the ethical
conduct of this research project by Republic Act 9258,
also known as the "Guidance and Counseling Act of
2004". The importance of guidance counselors in
nation-building is recognized by RA 9258. Similarly,
the guidance and counseling profession aimed to
promote the advancement and protection of the
guidance and counseling profession by undertaking and
instituting measures that will result in professional,
ethical, relevant, efficient, and effective guidance and
counseling services for the development and enrichment
of individuals and groups' lives (Republic Act 9258,
2004). Written informed consent was used to get
participants' voluntary involvement in this research
project. The researchers maintained confidentiality and
anonymity throughout the whole research period.
Data Collection
Data included for this research study were
gathered in the last quarter of 2021. The written
interview form was done through Google Docs sent
among the identified informants. The researchers
organized a group chat through Facebook messenger for
easy follow-up. Scheduled virtual meetings were also
conducted to supplement the data taken from written
interviews. The informants were given approximately
four (4) weeks to accomplish the written interview
form. The questions in the written interview form, as
well as the responses from the informants, were written
in English. After a series of consultations with
qualitative research experts, recommendations and
suggestions were included in the final form of the
written interview form. No one else except the
researchers have the access to the data submitted by the
informants. Thus, confidentiality was upheld. Virtual
focus group discussion was also employed in the data
gathering procedure for validation of information
shared by each informant.
Data Analysis
Since the informants submitted their
accomplished written interview forms at their most
convenient time, the researchers decided to
electronically store the documents for easy access. Each
written interview form was downloaded and properly
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Type of Tertiary Location Sex Civil
Higher Institution Status
(Private or Public)
Capiz F Married
Private Iloilo M Single
City
Private Iloilo F Married
City
Aklan M Married
Capiz F Married
labeled with the informants' names. After completing
the five (5) written interview forms from five (5)
informants, the researchers were guided by
conventional qualitative content analysis by Hsieh and
Shannon (2005) in analyzing transcripts. The written
transcripts were organized using a researcher-made data
analysis matrix to identify practices of counselors in
implementing guidance services. The researchers
initially agreed that the significant statements and
phrases of the informants would be highlighted and
assigned with relevant codes. Furthermore, the different
codes were classified into different categories based on
their differences and similarities. Meaningful categories
were generated by grouping relevant codes together.
The different categories were reduced and grouped
according to counselors' challenges, initiatives, and
insights in the implementation of guidance services
during the COVID-19 epidemic. The analysis part runs
for six (6) weeks. Lastly, the manuscript was presented
to the informants for validation of the data presented.
Trustworthiness
To ensure the trustworthiness of this
qualitative research study, rigorous data collection,
member checking, textual descriptions, verbatim or
direct quotations, and informant validation were
employed. Steps undertaken by this research pursuit are
also reported for other researchers to consider when
conducting researches that may or may not be related to
this.
RESULTS
Challenges on the Implementation of Services
There were two meaningful categories
identified relating to the counselors’ challenges in the
implementation of guidance and counseling services
during the COVID-19 pandemic namely (1) inadequate
support for the delivery of services, and (2) restrictions
in the delivery of services.
Inadequate Support for the Delivery of Services
The readiness of both students and school
counseling offices for this change is very valuable for
the protection of the mental health of the community.
This is divided into two (2) subcategories namely
3
Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
Stakeholders’ Participation, and Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) Facilities and
Services.
 ICT Facilities and Services: The use of technology
and the internet is inevitable. The pandemic has
even necessitated its significant role in service
delivery. By using technology, counselors make the
guidance services accessible to more clients and
stakeholders. Due to the pandemic, guidance
counselors had to find a way to virtually re-create
their in-person while performing their roles and
responsibilities in school. This instant shift posed
great challenges and has become a source of stress
for everyone and was complicated by the fact that a
significant number of students lacked access to
high-speed internet connections and lack of
desktop, laptop, or tablet computers. Various
efforts were done in finding ways to continue
offering guidance services, focusing on students’
emotional and social learning, and giving specific
support to learners who were struggling with
various personal and school-related issues.
Ann: "There was no available connection in
the campus during the onset of the pandemic.”
Ann: "There was limited ICT equipment
available to carry out a new mode of service
delivery."
 Stakeholders’ Participation. : Effective delivery
of guidance services depends on the collaboration,
cooperation, and participation between counselors
and all stakeholders. Counselors view stakeholders
as partners in the implementation of guidance
services. Finding new ways to stay connected to
learners and their families and keeping in contact
with them is one of the most important things
school counselors can do right now. To get support
there is also a need to focus on the barriers that
children and their parents face in this new mode of
learning. Many parents are feeling overwhelmed
with providing financial support for the family, and
coping with the online learning needs of their
children which can be sources of frustration for
them. Hence, getting their support and
cooperatively working with them can also be
challenging.
Don: “It was difficult to seek help and support
from the community and stakeholders.”
Kaye: "Some parents failed to get involved in
their child/children in online schooling. Thus,
students seek guidance services. "
Restrictions in the Delivery of Services
These restrictions are evident in counseling,
student activities, testing, and inventory, as well as
career guidance program.
 Counseling: This requires the counselor and the
client to have a collaborative effort. Counselors
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appreciate the physical presence to efficiently
deliver this guidance service. Counseling is helping
students through a one-on-one relationship with a
professionally trained/Registered Guidance
Counselor for them to become fully functioning
people. It is usually done face to face in a private
place. However, in this unusual time, there is a
need for guidance counselors to conduct virtual
counseling sessions and connect with learners in a
safe meeting space or use a tele-counseling
platform. This can be a challenge to some of them
especially the need for privacy in virtual counseling
sessions. Some counselors may still need training
in this area.
Ann: "Face-to-face counseling was not
possible during the peak of the pandemic."
 Student Activities: Counselors consider student
activities as opportunities for student development
especially in improving students' capacities to
reach their best. It is geared towards the
development of well-adjusted, well-integrated, and
self-directed individuals. Activities are built on
openness, truth, mutual respect, and teamwork to
assist students to actualize their academic, career,
personal, and social potentialities towards
becoming responsible and effective members of
society.
Gill: “Guidance-sponsored student
development activities were restricted andput
on hold.”
 Testing and Inventory: These services give
counselors, teachers, and the school as a whole
students' information and data. Through
psychological testing, students build a realistic
picture of their selves by exploring their personality
traits/work values as revealed in their
personality/values test results. It also provides
relevant data for use in counseling and organizing a
guidance program. An important concern here is
the lack of available standardized online
psychological tests and training on conducting
these tests online.
Gill: “The pandemic restricted physical testing
and inventory.”
 Career Guidance Programs: Counselors also faced
challenges in this area helping pre-college students
to make informed educational choices. It involves
helping students to find a place that will contribute
to their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual
health and well-being (Villar, 2007). Various
activities (group guidance activities, pre-
employment orientation program, etc.) are
conducted to assist students in their career and
employment concerns.
Kaye: “It was challenging in providing career
guidance program for our senior high school
students.”
Gill: “Career fairs and labor education for
graduating students were restricted.”
4
Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
Initiatives on the Implementation of Services
There were two (2) categories identified with
counselors' initiatives in delivering guidance and
counseling services namely (1) use of technology-aided
services, and (2) strengthening of school-community
partnership.
The Use of Technology-Aided Services
This is divided into two (2) subcategories
namely (1) Establishment of Online Platforms, and (2)
the Conduct of Online Activities.
 Websites: Counselors saw that having a website
allows official dissemination of information and
efficient implementation of services.
Gill: “Instituting an official guidance website
where all student development contents are
properly uploaded, posted, and organized was
for the convenience of students."
 Facebook (FB) Page: The informants of this
study also organized a Facebook page to
disseminate the services offered by the
Guidance Office. They found this effective
since this seems to be the most popular
platform and is mostly visited by students.
Ann: "We created an FB page to at least reach
and promote our services in the Guidance
office."
 Virtual Conferencing Platforms. The
availability of various conferencing platforms
also gave the counselors the chance to carry
out counseling services.
Gill: “Virtual platforms such as Google Meet,
Zoom, and Messenger enabled virtual
counseling.”
The Conduct of Online Activities
Because of the distance learning setup, the
counselors organized activities that are deemed helpful
for both students and their parents. This subcategory
included webinars for students and parents, and also
online jamming.
 Webinars for Students: These webinars have
varied topics that are geared toward helping
students to cope with academic and personal
stress.
Ann: “A Moment with the Guidance
Counselor” and “Mental Health Webinar”
Kaye: “Online Discussion on Study Habits,
Time Management, and Self-Care were
conducted.
 Webinar for Parents: The counselors also
recognized the limitations of some parents in
dealing with the challenges of this time so they
also took an initiative in providing parents
with webinars to help their child/ children
during the pandemic.
Kaye: “Guiding, Supporting, and Connecting:
A Webinar on Parental Engagement and
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Involvement in Times of the Pandemic” was
conducted.
 Wellness Activity: Counselors saw the
importance of worthwhile activities for
students. These online wellness activities allow
them to build connections with fellow
students, learn coping strategies, develop
resiliency and gradually regain their
confidence and self-worth. They also
organized activities that are not academic-
related but very useful strategies in connecting
with friends, sharing experiences, and in
coping with their challenges.
Don: “Online Kamustahan and Online
Jamming were made live in the Student Affairs
Facebook Page.
The Strengthening of School and Community
Partnership
This includes five (5) subcategories that
feature the stakeholders from the community and
various institutions who helped the counselors in the
delivery of guidance services.
 The Local Government Unit, Parents, and
Students: Counselors saw the importance of
their involvement in the success of new
initiatives being carried out.
Ann: “To involve stakeholders such as
students, parents, and representatives from the
Local Government Unit in planning and
implementing new initiatives is important.”
 Job Placement Agencies and Career
Websites: Through concerted efforts with job
placement offices and online employment sites
such as jobs180.com professional speakers
were made available during the virtual career
fair.
Kaye: "Virtual Guidance Program and its
purpose has collaborated with Job Placement
Offices and JOB.180.com which provided
different professional speakers for this activity.
 Alumni: The involvement of the alumni was
also considered by counselors important in
providing relevant inputs related to
employment qualifications and opportunities.
Gill: “College alumni were invited as guest
speakers.”
 Website Visitors: Although website visitors
would come randomly, counselors took the
opportunity to have them involved as they
could in one way or another also help improve
the delivery of guidance services.
Gill: “Website visitors were encouraged to
provide feedback on how to better improve our
website.
 Adopted Community: The adopted
community, a recipient of the school’s
extension services, was also involved. Despite
the restrictions brought by the pandemic,
5
Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
counselors in this study articulated their
continued efforts to further strengthen the
school and community partnership.
Don: “The school conducted community
extension service to the adopted community
during the pandemic.”
Insights on the Implementation of Services
There were two (2) categories identified
relating to counselors’ insights in delivering guidance
services namely (1) a value-laden helping profession
and, (2) efficient implementation of services.
A Value-laden Helping Profession
This includes 3 important subcategories
featuring prominent values identified by counselors in
the implementation of guidance services.
 Resiliency:The counselors’ experiences in the
performance of their roles made them strong,
bounce back, recover, and adjust easily so they
pointed out the importance of being flexible to
efficiently implement guidance services in
addressing the needs of their clients.
Ann: “It strengthened my resiliency in
addressing problems and issues.”
Don: "We need to adapt to the call of the
current situation for us to still cater to the
needs of our students."
Jay: “The pandemic taught us to be responsive
to the current situations.”
 Reflectiveness: Through their responses,
counselors showed that introspection is
important in a helping profession. By being
reflective they were able to look into
themselves and their genuine intentions of
implementing the guidance services amid
challenging situations.
Kaye: “To reach out to our clients by offering
our services as best as we could, have allowed
us to think and reflect, that at the end of the
day, we have done our services to those who
need it.”
Don: “Despite the pandemic, a lot of people
are willing to help and give out to others.”
Ann: “It was very challenging and risky but, it
made me appreciate my humane side rather
than my role as an implementer of the
program.”
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 Ingenuity: Counselors in their desire to be
more creative in the delivery of their activities
were able to bring out their best efforts to
bring novelty on how they implemented
guidance services which became more
accessible to their clients.
Jay: “We became more creative and
resourceful to ensure that students keep on
learning.”
Gill: “The establishment of an online request
system is a good innovation for paperless
transactions.”
Efficient Implementation of Services
This includes four (4) subcategories that
resulted from the counselors’ realizations brought by
their experiences in the implementation of guidance
services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Information Dissemination:With the use of
online platforms, counselors were able to see
the importance of constant promotion of their
programs for information dissemination.
Kaye: “We need to advertise our programs
and services for our clients to be aware of and
eventually seek our assistance when they need
it."
 Exhausting Possibilities: Counselors have
backup plans to implement their services. They
provide alternative ways to ensure the delivery
of guidance services.
Kaye: “If one way will or technique will not
work, another one might help.”
 Investment in Resources: Counselors saw that
the availability of resources is important to
continue the implementation of different
innovations in delivering guidance services.
Gill: “Capital investment should be made in
better equipment like gadgets, reliable
connectivity, and skills development for
guidance counselors to sustain the initiatives.”
 Stakeholders’ Involvement: To efficiently
implement guidance services, the participation
of stakeholders spells out the success of the
services and programs for different clients.
Kaye: “Successful implementation of any
program would require the assistance of
groups and people concerned.”
6
Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
Fig-1. Demonstration of meaningful categories of the study
DISCUSSION
The implementation of guidance and
counseling services during the COVID-19 pandemic
were elaborated by the challenges, initiatives, and
insights of guidance counselors. Seven (7) major
categories were extracted from the data text after
thoroughly scrutinizing the interview transcripts. A
detailed analysis was used, which led the researchers to
place the findings of this study in the context of related
literature and the results of past research projects that
were similar to this.
In the Philippines, the Republic Act 9258
(2004), also known as the Guidance and Counseling
Act of 2004 that professionalized the practice of
guidance and counseling, gave importance to the
essential role of counselors in nation-building. As they
help implement professional, ethical, relevant, efficient,
and effective services to improve and develop the lives
of individuals and groups (Republic Act 9258, 2004),
the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for them to
implement guidance services (Supriyant et al., 2020).
During these exceptional circumstances, guidance and
counseling services were greatly valued (Ahmed &
Firdous, 2020). However, guidance counselors are
expected to tailor services not just for students (Astuti,
2021) who experience educational, physiological,
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relational, and technical challenges in the outbreak of
the pandemic, but also for family members and teachers
(Karaman et al., 2021) to address academic, social, and
emotional needs (Bill et al., 2020; and Strear, Duffy &
Sunde, 2021). While guidance counselors face
professional and personal problems (Savitz-Romer et
al., 2021) in the helping profession, it is undoubtedly
difficult for them to administer guidance services
during the COVID-19 pandemic (Luthar & Mendes,
2020).
The findings of this study revealed how
technology influenced the challenges that counselors
encountered, the initiatives that they implemented, and
their insights on the effective implementation of
guidance and counseling services. Counselors endeavor
to use technologically assisted services and
implementation of online activities as a response to the
obstacles they experience in providing services due to
inadequate support and restrictions. In addition,
dissemination of information, exhausting possibilities,
community initiatives, and value-laden practices
contribute to the effective implementation of services.
When the lockdown was implemented in the
world of education (Abdullah et al., 2020) it brought
restrictions to prevent the transmission of the COVID-
7
Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
19 virus (Yanti et al., 2020). It also triggered the
implementation of “work from home” or WFH
(Supriyanto et al., 2020) set up to ensure continuity of
service delivery. In effect, the importance of internet
accessibility became undeniable. In a study conducted
in Indonesia, (Supriyanto et al., 2020) posited about the
limits in counseling services with technology-based
media that need attention, highlighting the difficulties in
signal or internet connection. Similarly, counselors in
the age of globalization, according to (Lattie et al.,
2019), have an urgent need for technology to address
the problems and opportunities of counseling services.
Counselors must understand the principles and factors
involved in using technology as a medium for
counseling services (Saha et al., 2018), as well as the
availability of electronic devices such as laptops,
cellphones, and other gadgets. Likewise, signal and
limited internet access are also significant obstacles. As
counselors optimize the use of technology in delivering
counseling services, the birth of cyber counseling is
made possible, which allowed synchronous and
asynchronous interactions (Watts, 2016) of counselors
and counselees.
In a study conducted by Zainudin & Yusop
(2018), cyber counseling is measured by client
satisfaction while for (Woo et al., 2020) technological
competence is important for practitioners to provide
distance counseling services. Individual counseling
services and group counseling were implemented while
using social media or applications with the use of
digital technology. In a study conducted by (Ifdil et al.,
2020), results tell that school counselors helped
improve the psychological state of students and parents
in alleviating high levels of stress, anxiety, depression,
and other psychological conditions through online
counseling, distribution of disease prevention
brochures, websites, YouTube tutorial videos, shorts
films, and online discussion through WhatsApp groups,
and other means. Similarly, (Greenhalgh et al., 2020)
presented that consultation videos are useful in
alleviating students' problems. On the other hand, the
use of digital media technology in counseling services
is responsive to global challenges to different issues
during the COVID-19 pandemic (Vostanis & Bell,
2020). Also, the result of this study emphasizing the use
of virtual conferencing platforms is consistent with the
findings of (Supriyanto et al., 2020) in the use of
asynchronous media with WhatsApp, Facebook,
Instagram, or social media, as well as synchronous
media with Zoom, Webex, Google Meeting, or Hangout
which can be very helpful in the implementation of
guidance services.
On one hand, stakeholders' participation with
the use of technology contributes to the better
implementation of guidance services. A study
conducted by (Pedroso et al., 2021) pointed out the
influence of technology on forging partnership with
stakeholders through group chat for a fast and easy flow
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of communication and collaboration. Likewise, constant
dialogue and collaboration with stakeholders using the
use of different communication platforms are important
(Pedroso, 2021) among the Local Government Unit,
parents, students, Online Job Placement Agencies,
alumni, and adopted community. Moreover, the school
counselor is often the only mental health provider
identifying, managing, and providing interventions for
students at risk and can communicate with multiple
districts, parents, and mental health stakeholders
(Donohue et al., 2015; Springer et al., 2020).
Meanwhile, a study in Turkey found out that school
counselors continued to provide their intended services
to different families. Services included family
counseling, parent meetings, parent needs analysis,
online parent seminars, and home visits. Despite the
large number of services provided to students and
parents, the number of counselor services was restricted
at the start of the pandemic (Karaman et al., 2021)
which likely made counselors keep up with the
changing and challenging demands of the work
environment during the pandemic.
Conducting online activities, specifically with
the use of webinars and online wellness activities is
likewise emphasized in this study. In a study conducted
by Pedroso (2021), he concluded that webinars are an
alternative and supplemental source of knowledge and
skills to make teaching and learning more effective,
entertaining, and worthwhile. Like in the
implementation of guidance services, webinars also
feature job-embedded learning, and peer-assisted
learning to ensure the transfer of learning in the
workplace and to improve the work performance in
terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and timeliness
(Pedroso et al., 2021) when applied to career guidance
program.
To highlight the counselors' insights in this
study, they believe that using technology is helpful, as
shown by their attempts to promote their programs on
their school's website and Facebook page. In one way or
another, this involves community participation to
effectively disseminate knowledge. Even though their
plans may fall short for some time, they exhaust all
options to provide services to their stakeholders.
Counselors, on the other hand, suggested investing in
resources, which might be very useful in implementing
guidance and counseling services efficiently not just
during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in other
difficult situations.
Guidance and Counseling is considered a
helping profession, which is supported by the findings
of this study as counselors exemplified value-laden
insights with special emphasis on resiliency,
reflectiveness, and ingenuity. Aside from being trained
in dealing with crises systematically and individually
(Brown, 2018) in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic, their positive dispositions perhaps served as
8
Pedroso, J. E. P., Tangco-Siason, A., Ortizo-Roces, C., & Magramo-Basbas, J. I. F. (2021). Implementation of Guidance and Counseling Services
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. ISSRA Journal of Education, Linguistics and Literature, 2(1), 1-12.
a contributory characteristic that kept them going in this
challenging time. Technically, counselors were
expected of being trained in handling crises in their
master's degree program (Havlik et al., 2019). So,
beyond the non-counseling responsibilities contained in
the guidance services, which are also crucial for
implementation, counselors' tasks are supposed to be
tied to counseling activities (Rose, 2019). In addition,
school counselors have been trained how to act as
leaders, advocate for change, and collaborate to achieve
systemic change (Pincus, 2020). It is expected that
counselors must be both competencies- and values-
based (Lloyd-Hazlett, 2017) in implementing guidance
services. Moreover, counseling services with an ethical
approach according to Munir (2018) is crucial. It is
important that counselors further develop their
professional and personal competence through
continuous knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills
according to the dictates of time (Utami & Latiana,
2018). Self-development in the use of technology
assists the counselors in implementing guidance
services and can be obtained through different capacity-
building activities and the provision of facilities
(Prawiro, 2019).
This study has various limitations that should
be noted and may be addressed in future studies. Firstly,
the number of informants which consists only of five
guidance counselors may not be ideal in generalizing
the findings to the broader field of guidance and
counseling professions, specifically in the
implementation of guidance and counseling services, in
the Philippines or other countries. A quantitative
research may accompany the qualitative findings of this
study to provide a deeper understanding on how
guidance and counseling services are implemented
during the COVID-19 pandemic considering the
challenges, initiatives, and insights of counselors.
Inclusions of personal variables included in the profile
of the informants in this study may probably give more
insights to the findings of this research. Secondly, since
this study only focuses on licensed guidance counselors,
careful use of applying the findings and implications of
this study to other undergraduate programs may be
observed. Inferences and generalizations cannot be
made for other professions implementing different
services compared to the guidance and counseling
services. Thirdly, our findings are generated within a
general context of challenges, initiatives, and insights of
counselors in implementing guidance and counseling
services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future
researches may provide further validation and
comparison across different guidance and counseling
services. Lastly, our study used written-interview
questionnaires and may be subject to self-report bias.
Despite these limitations, this research generated
information on the challenges, initiatives, and insights
of counselors in implementing guidance and counseling
services which in one way or another may serve to
inspire the conduct of related studies on this topic.
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CONCLUSION
Guidance Counselors have always played a
significant role in the educational setting primarily by
assisting students on their academic and personal
decisions, as well as socio-emotional support. The
COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the role of Guidance
Counselors as we recognized the importance of
providing different guidance and counseling services
that promote mental health. However, guidance
counselors face both personal and professional
challenges highly influenced by technology during
unprecedented times, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Being in the helping profession, they take their role by
heart in implementing initiatives that serve different
stakeholders amidst the many restrictions and
inadequate support in the delivery of guidance and
counseling services. They go beyond their usual ways
in implementing services through using technology-
aided gadgets and online platforms to address various
needs not only of students, but also of teachers,
families, and the community as a whole. It is
undeniable that stakeholders' participation in the
implementation of services helped counselors in
strengthening school and community partnerships. It is
also noteworthy that guidance counselors' values
grounded them in selfless service to their different
clienteles. Thus, in this time of the pandemic, the skills
of guidance counselors must be coupled with values
that they possess to cope and overcome the challenges
that they encounter in the performance of their roles and
functions. This once again proves that guidance and
counseling is not only a profession but also a vocation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the
efforts of the informants and all the unsung heroes and
heroines who helped in the realization of this research
paper.
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