When people have physical illnesses, they are excused from work
and school, and receive care and sympathy. However, when people suffer
from mental illnesses, they do not get the same treatment. Discrimination is
rampant and many laugh and joke about mental illnesses according to
June Lopez a mental health advocate of the University of the Philippines
and it stays as a misunderstood topic.
In a country mired by various problems, advocates feared that the
government will put mental health on the back burner..The country's first
Mental Health Act was filed as early as 1989 by then Senator Orlando
Mercado; a year later, another version was filed by Senator Jose Lina.
Nearly a decade later, Executive Order 470 was issued, creating a council
for mental health. The PPA, however, argued that no such council exists
today since the policy is poorly implemented.
In the succeeding years, there has been at least 16 bills focusing on
mental health, according to Edgardo Tolentino of the PPA. None of them,
however, was passed by Congress.The Philippines has plenty of MH
problems, advocates say. Aside from cases of psychiatric conditions,
there's the lack of mental health professionals, facilities, funding, and a
national law.
The most current version of the House Bill was filed by Camarines
Sur Third District Representative Leni Robredo, alongside Representatives
Barry Gutierrez, Walden Bello, Kaka Bag-ao, Romero Kimbo, Karlo
Nograles, and Emmi de Jesus.
Meanwhile, the Senate version of was filed by Senator Pia Cayetano.
The Mental Health Law seeks to create an active and inclusive council,
which will be an attached agency of the Department of Health (DOH) that
will address mental health problems through a new "mental healthcare
delivery system" and conduct consultations with various stakeholders like
patients themselves. HB 5347 and Senate Bill 2910 – the Philippine Mental
Health Act of 2015 – require the government to "uphold the basic right of all
Filipinos to mental health and to respect the fundamental rights of people
who require mental health services." The proposed law is based on various
international human rights standards, which the Philippines is a signatory
of. It proposes to protect people with mental health problems from torture,
cruelty, and degrading treatment. It also assures that patients receive
adequate information, aftercare, and rehabilitation. This includes protection
from discrimination in the workplace, schools, homes, and elsewhere. The
provision on employment, however, is yet to be fleshed out.
Confidentiality shall be respected at all times, which means that the
patient's information cannot be revealed to anyone except her or his doctor
unless completely necessary. The law will mandate the DOH, the
Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Justice, and national and
local hospitals to support people with mental health problems.
Mental health services will also be integrated with the primary
healthcare system in communities. This means MH services should be
available among hospitals down to the barangay level, including training of
healthcare workers.The law proposes to include mental health in health
courses in schools as well.
“No one is spared” from the possibility of suffering from mental
illness. This is the clear message mental health experts are sending to the
public. Mental illnesses can cut across all professions and ages, and affect
even those who care for patients with mental health issues themselves.
In 2006, the Department of Health reported that the number one
mental health problem, at least within the National Capital Region, is
anxiety. This is followed by alcholism and depression. The study, which
polled government employees in Metro Manila, revealed that 32% of
respondents have experienced mental health problems. In 2011, the World
Health Organization (WHO) found that 16% of Filipino students aged 13 to
15 had "seriously" contemplated suicide in the past year. Meanwhile, 13%
had actually attempted suicide. Anyone can experience a mental health
problem and there is nothing wrong with that, advocates remind the public.
It could be a form of depression; anxiety; mood, adjustment, dissociative,
psychotic, eating, addiction, and personality disorders; or a post-traumatic
stress disorder.
The problem is one that carries a heavy burden as the World Health
Organization (WHO) predicted that by 2030, mental disorders will account
for 13% of the total global burden of diseases.
“Everyone is on alert,” said psychiatrist Dr Dinah Nadera of the
University of the Philippines Diliman Infirmary and president of non-
governmental organization Foundation Awit in an interview with Rappler.
The risks apply to the Philippines as well. Experts told Rappler mental
illnesses and suicide cases among the youth have increased in the last few
years.
In 2004, over 4.5 million cases of depression were reported in the
Philippines, according to the Department of Health (DOH). Suicide cases in
the Philippines recorded by the WHO in 2012 also reported over 2,000
cases from 2000 to 2012. Majority of those who died by suicide were
between 15 to 29 years old.
Fast forward to the present, the numbers are most likely much higher
since many who suffer from depression often hesitate to seek help due to
the stigma that surrounds mental disorders. The same can also be said for
those who attempt suicide.
Some Filipinos tend to keep it to themselves, out of fear of
discrimination. This, however, might only worsen their condition as they
delay treatment. Meanwhile, others cannot afford the help they need.
According to experts, whether or not the Philippines effectively
addresses the growing health concern will depend on how well the recently
signed Mental Health Act will be implemented. The DOH, along with health
professionals and civic groups, are still finalizing the law’s implementing
rules and regulations.
Hailed by mental health advocates as a “major victory,” President
Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the landmark bill in June 2018. The
Philippines was one of the last few countries in the world without a mental
health law, though several bills were proposed as early as the 1980s.
But apart from the nearly 30 years it took to become law, Republic
Act 11036 is praised for being the first legislation to recognize the
fundamental right of all Filipinos to mental health services.
“(The) Mental Health Law would aim to bring mental health closer to
the everyday lives of the youth,” said Dr Constantine Chua, chief resident
of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Medicine.
Crucial parts of the law include the government’s responsibility in
promoting the well-being of people, which would be done by ensuring the
value, promotion, and protection of mental health.
According to experts, this is important as it can lessen the stigma
around mental health and ensure the access and delivery of mental health
services to every Filipino.
The law also aims to ensure that delivery of, and access to
psychiatric, psychosocial, and neurologic services happens in regional,
provincial, and tertiary hospitals. Apart from this, the law also supports the
presence of mental health services embedded in school systems and the
teaching of mental health in all education levels. The said law seeks to
establish a national mental health policy directed towards improving the
health of the population. It also underscores the basic 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 in the grassroots
level so that interventions will be felt by the communities. It also seeks to
improve mental health facilities and to promote mental health education in
schools and workplaces. Mechanisms for suicide intervention, prevention,
and response strategies, with particular attention to the concerns of the
youth, will be part of the national mental health program.
Another salient feature of the law shifts focus of care to the
community. Ideally, the offshoot would be the presence of mental health
services at the primary health care setting such as in barangay health
stations and not just hospitals. Adequate training of teachers and officials in
mental health knowledge as well as mental health programs should also be
required in schools and the workplace. Mental health advocates also hope
that with the implementation of the mental health law, more people would
be enticed to become practicing psychiatrists. Currently there are roughly
only 600 in the whole country for a population of nearly 100 million.
The measures contained in the Mental Health Law are anchored on
the Fourmula One Plus strategy, namely: Governance, Health Financing,
Service Delivery, Regulations, and Performance Accountability.
Foremost, this law will provide for the creation of the Philippine
Council for Mental Health (PCMH) composed of the following: Secretary of
DOH as Chairperson; Secretary of DepEd; Secretary of DOLE; Secretary
of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
Chairperson of CHR; Chairperson of CHED; one representative from the
academe/research; one representative from medical or health professional
organizations; and one representative from non-government organizations
(NGOs) involved in mental health issues. The Council will be responsible
for developing and providing oversight functions in the implementation of a
national mental health plan.
The budget to be used for its operation will be taken initially from the
2018 DOH budget. For succeeding years, funds will come from the
National Expenditure Program be based on the General Appropriation Bill
Beneficiaries of this law include persons experiencing any mental
health condition, their families, carers and other appointed legal
representatives.
This law is otherwise known as “An Act Establishing a National
Mental Health Policy for the purpose of Enhancing the Delivery of
Integrated Mental Health Services, Promoting and Protecting the Rights of
Persons Utilizing Psychiatric, Neurologic and Psychosocial Health
Services, Appropriating Funds therefor, and for Other Purposes.”
https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/111100-filipinos-need-mental-health-act
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/211679-philippines-readiness-
address-mental-health
https://www.doh.gov.ph/node/14558
