Senator Bong Go, the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, renewed his push for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1786, which seeks to mandate public higher education institutions (HEIs) to establish Mental Health Offices in their respective campuses.
Go emphasized the importance of mental health in addressing mental health disorders, which are often overlooked and unrecognized.
In an ambush interview after aiding fire victims in Parañaque City recently, the legislator said he filed SBN 1786 which aims to strengthen the mental health services of public HEIs by establishing a Mental Health Office in all their respective campuses, and hiring, deploying, and training of additional HEI-based mental health service personnel.
“Mental health is very important to address just like any other health concern,” the lawmaker said.
“Mental Health Offices shall set up campus hotlines with dedicated and trained guidance counselors to provide assistance to the whole HEI community, especially the students.”
Under the senator’s proposed measure, Mental Health Offices shall set up campus hotlines with dedicated and trained guidance counselors to provide assistance to the whole HEI community, especially the students.
The bill also states that special attention shall be given to those identified to have mental health problems or conditions, especially those at risk of committing suicide.
If enacted into law, the Commission on Higher Education and the public HEIs, through their Mental Health Offices, shall then initiate and sustain a heightened campaign to raise the collective consciousness about mental health.
Furthermore, the measure also proposes to mandate educational institutions to raise awareness on mental health issues, identify and provide support and services for individuals at risk, and facility access by developing necessary mechanisms to further empower educational institutions in promoting the mental health and wellness of students, faculty, teaching and non-teaching staff, and other personnel.
The awareness campaign shall give special emphasis to the issues of suicide prevention, stress handling, mental health and nutrition, and guidance and counseling. The campaign shall ensure that the whole HEI community is aware of in-campus mental health services.
“Alam n’yo marami pong apektado noong panahon po ng pandemya. Hindi lang po noong panahon ng pandemya, hanggang ngayon po,” he lamented.
“Establishing Mental Health Offices in higher education institutions will help promote mental health and wellness among the youth.”
Hence, mental health, just like any other health concern, must be addressed properly, and Go believes that establishing Mental Health Offices in higher education institutions will help promote mental health and wellness among the youth.
Earlier, the Commission on Human Rights released a statement reiterating its urgent call for the institutionalization of more comprehensive and integrated mental health programs. It also urged the government to strengthen the implementation of Republic Act No. 11036 or the “Philippine Mental Health Act.”
This call comes in response to the growing number of distressing incidents related to mental health among the youth.
RA 11036 was signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte. It establishes a national mental health policy directed towards improving the health of the population. The said Act also underlines the right of all Filipinos to mental health care while shaping the structural and attitudinal challenges to achieving positive mental health.
Specifically, it aims to provide mental health services at the barangay level, and integrate mental health and wellness programs at the grassroots level so that interventions will be felt by the communities. It also seeks to improve mental health facilities and promote mental health education in schools and workplaces.
