QUEZON City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas yesterday urged the Senate to pass its own version of the proposed Mental Health Service Act for state colleges and universities (SUCs) as the world celebrates Mental Health Day tomorrow.
The House-approved House bill No. 6416, which was principally authored by the lawmaker, seeks to provide the necessary mental health support for students amid the rising number of suicide cases in the country.
“I ask the Senate to pass its own version of the bill,” Vargas said. “We must be part of a society which aims to reduce the entrenched stigma and discrimination on people with mental health problems.”
One way to effectively do this, he said, is to “start with the young minds that we are shaping in universities, wherein pressures and influences are coming from all sorts.”
The Senate’s version of the bill, SB No. 1796, otherwise known as the “State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) Mental Health Act,” is still pending in the committee level.
Another bill, SB No. 1795 or the “Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act,” which aims to establish mental health and well-being offices in schools, is pending in the plenary.
The Department of Health estimates that there are over three million Filipinos facing mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. On the other hand, data from the Department of Education reports 404 incidents of suicide by students, with a staggering 2,147 suicide attempts in the school year 2021-2022 alone.
The proposed mental health bill seeks to provide the necessary support to students to successfully complete their studies through efforts such as the establishment of a College Campus Task Force to discuss mental and behavioral health concerns in campuses.
Vargas also pushed for additional measures addressing mental health and well-being, such as HB 2789, or the proposed “Act Granting Immediate Compensation Benefits for Mental Health Service Users Amending RA 11036 and HB 6574 or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act.”
Meanwhile, HB No. 6416 mandates the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to require all SUCs to establish a Mental Health Office (MHO) in all their campuses, subject to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the policies, standards, and guidelines of the CHED.
The MHOs shall set up campus hotlines with dedicated and trained guidance counselors to assist the whole SUC Community, especially students.
Special attention shall be given to those identified to have mental health problems or conditions, especially those at risk of committing suicide.
The CHED and the SUCs, through their MHOs, shall initiate and sustain a heightened campaign to raise the collective consciousness about mental health.
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 SUC community, especially students, is aware of in-campus mental health services.
