CEBU, Philippines — Two Cebu City legislators urged the Office of the City Mayor to issue an Executive Order aimed at prioritizing the establishment of a mental health hotline, which will be managed by trained mental health professionals and crisis counselors.
This was part of a proposed joint resolution authored by Councilors Mary Ann de los Santos and Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, which is included in the agenda for today’s regular session of the Cebu City Council.
In the resolution, it was noted that on Nov. 5, 2024, De los Santos delivered a privileged speech urging the Cebu City Government, particularly the Office of the Mayor, to fulfill its mandate under Cebu City Ordinance 2479 by appropriating the necessary budget for the Barangay Behavioral Health Units.
At that time, Abellanosa made a corollary motion requesting the Office of the Mayor to issue an Executive Order for the Cebu City government to prioritize the establishment of a mental health hotline staffed by trained mental health professionals and crisis counselors, which will be accessible 24/7 to all residents of Cebu City.
Additionally, they called upon the Crisis Hotline established by the National Center for Mental Health to provide a local hotline in line with the objectives of the Mental Health Act.
The resolution also proposed that the mental health hotline be integrated with the Cebu City Government's 911 Emergency Command Center, which was launched on Sept. 30, 2024.
The proposed resolution cited that under the State Policy outlined in Section 2 of Republic Act 11036, or the Mental Health Act, the state is committed to promote the well-being of people by ensuring that mental health is valued, promoted, and protected; mental health conditions are treated and prevented; and mental health services are timely, affordable, and of high quality.
It also mandates the provision of culturally appropriate mental health care available to the public, among other policies that emphasize and protect the importance of mental health actions.
The resolution further noted that pursuant to Section 21 of the Mental Health Act, 24/7 hotlines must be strengthened to provide assistance to individuals with mental health conditions, particularly those at risk of committing suicide.
In line with this, the resolution emphasized that the Cebu City Government should, in accordance with Section 37 (e) of the Mental Health Act, establish, reorient, and modernize mental health care facilities necessary to adequately provide mental health services within their respective jurisdictions. — JG (FREEMAN)