The Department of Health (DOH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with #MentalHealthPH (MHPH), to promote mental health care through behavioral and mindset change.
MHPH, in collaboration with DOH’s Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB), developed the self-care kits and integrated the self-care kits in health promotion tools provided to LGUs through the Centers for Health Development (CHDs).
The self-care kits were conceptualized during #MentalHealthPH’s celebration of World Health Month last October 2021, which carries the theme “Cultivating Courage to Embrace Vulnerabilities” in recognition of Filipinos’ struggle with their mental health due to isolation caused by the pandemic.
The self-care kits encourage a people-centered approach to health and well-being that takes into consideration each individual’s needs, situations and living environment in the hopes of helping Filipinos better manage their mental health.
“It is a dream for us in #MentalHealthPH to provide access to mental health tools for the community.”
“It is a dream for us in #MentalHealthPH to provide access to mental health tools for the community. These self-care kits are a collection of our team’s story, our personal pain that brought us together, and the hope we found in each other, which we want other people to experience too. We are grateful for DOH-HPB for the opportunity to expand our reach and change more lives one community at a time,” shared Nikki Lizarondo, Deputy Director for Communications of #MHPH.
In the self-care kit volume 1 called “Seed of Courage,” the user is introduced to the kit’s character, “Courage.” Courage represents a Filipino value that needs to be nurtured in every individual to help them become mentally healthy.
On the other hand, “A Garden of Compassion,” volume 2 of the self-care kit, introduces another character, Kalachuchi, to symbolize the growth and revival that we experience when we are being supported by the people around us through both easy and difficult situations.
“As we recognize the pivotal role of mental health, the DOH commits to empowering Filipinos to take charge of their overall well-being by making healthy behaviors easier for everyone. This partnership between the DOH and #MentalHealthPH emphasizes the importance of addressing mental wellness outside of the clinics and hospitals and making it part of our everyday lives in the community,” Public Health Services Team Assistant Secretary Beverly Lorraine Ho shared during the ceremonial signing.
“Through these self-care kits, we are shifting attitudes and reducing barriers for Filipinos to practice healthy behaviors.”
“Through these self-care kits, we are shifting attitudes and reducing barriers for Filipinos to practice healthy behaviors,” Ho added.
The DOH was represented by her while MHPH was represented by Executive Director Roy Dahildahil, Secretary General Michael Pereira, and Deputy for Partnerships Mika Salanguit during the ceremonial signing.
Also present during the event were Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) Division Chief Dr. Alfonso Miguel Regala, DPCB Mental Health Division Officers Julie Rose Dimaguiba and Jean Hazel Blanco, and Mental Health Advocate Angelique Manto.
#MentalHealthPH is a non-profit and non-government organization that promotes and protects mental health in the Philippines through social media and digital technologies. The digital copies of the self-care kits are free to download through https://healthypilipinas.ph/resources and https://mentalhealthph.org.
