Sign mental health bill into law, Duterte urged

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Thursday appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to sign into law the Mental Health Bill, which seeks to integrate mental health services and programs in the country’s public health system.

Hontiveros, the bill’s principal author, stressed that the measure can help those suffering from depression and other mental health issues.

“Let’s have a policy that actually saves lives. So many Filipinos need this measure. So many of our countrymen and women from all walks of life suffer in silence and need our help. It’s about time we answer the call,” she said.

The bill passed the Senate in May 2017. The House of Representatives passed its own version in November last year.

The measure’s final version, ratified by the upper chamber in February, is awaiting the chief executive’s signature.

The senator made the call in the wake of the deaths of designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain.

State of mental health in the country

According to the World Health Organization, over 300 million people worldwide are suffering from depression.

“In 2013 alone, it was found that as many as seven Filipinos committed suicide daily. The Global School-Bases Student Health Survey of 2015 reported that 17 percent of high school students in the Philippines aged 12 to 15 said they had attempted suicide at least once,” Hontiveros said.

She also noted that the country currently has 60 psychiatric healthcare facilities and that the county operates with a ratio of only two mental health workers per 100,000 people.

The National Center for Mental Health, she added, only has a current bed capacity of 4,200. 

“The figures speak for themselves. But more than the number are the lives that need help right now. Mental health struggles can be found in all walks of life and at any age,” Hontiveros said.