City dads want mental health programs part of recovery plan

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Council is requesting the office of Mayor Edgardo Labella to make mental health programs and interventions an integral part of the recovery or bounce back plan of the city government.

The council proposed to establish a healthcare system that is and will be responsive to the realities of the present context and builds resilience of the Cebuanos to bravely face the challenges and demands of the new normal.

Councilor Alvin Dizon sponsored the request through a resolution which was approved by the city council.

Dizon said it is vital to raise awareness on the importance of public mental health amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and make mental health programs and interventions an integral part of the recovery plan of the city government.

“A comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach to mental health initiatives even become crucial as the national government reported spike in suicide cases caused by the global health crisis,” said Dizon.

Dizon said the COVID-19 pandemic is both an unprecedented and overwhelming event that is highly stressful for people, both adults and children, due to emotions of fear and anxiety.

“Public health measures such as community quarantine, physical distancing and loss of jobs, or people have had difficulty going back to their provinces or are greatly impacted by the loss of loved ones or are separated from loved ones and the associated uncertainties of the future as well as the transition to the new normal are just too heavy to confront that, for some, could lead to mental health issues such as anxieties, fear or severe forms of depression, or even worst, suicide,” said Dizon.

Last September, the City Council also requested the Local School Board to make a program to help address possible physical and mental health-related problems that may impact both learners and teachers as a result of the dramatic shift from traditional learning to online learning.

This is together with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the barangays.

Dizon earlier said the shift from traditional to online learning modality will not be without its own set of challenges as the Department of Health (DOH) warned the public against possible physical and mental health problems to be experienced by students.

He said that with online classes, there could be increasing feelings of isolation due to lack of face-to-face interaction and students may experience health concerns related to increased screen time, such as fatigue, headache, lack of motivation, avoidance, procrastination, among others. — GMR (FREEMAN)