The Philippines has one of the highest school bullying rates in the world. While its nature, causes, and impacts are well-documented in the international literature, local evidence remains limited and at times conflicting. This study assesses the contribution of bullying exposure to student achievement in a large-scale international student assessment and infers its potential long-term implications. Differences in bullying exposure explain around 0.05 standard deviations of the gap in average student achievement between proficient and nonproficient students, which could potentially cost the Philippines around PHP 10–20 billion annually in foregone economic activity. Important risk factors for being the “most bullied” around the world are also documented, along with highlighting spatial disparities in bullying risks.
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