It’s about time!
The Philippines is now inching closer to having its first ever mental health bill after the Senate passed Senate Bill No. 1354 or the Philippine Mental Health Law on its third and final reading.
The bill sponsored by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros seeks to integrate mental health program in the country. It mandates the government to establish basic mental health services at the community level.
It’s the first of its kind in the Philippines.
“After being one of the few countries left without a mental health policy, we are now one step closer to realizing a national mental health law to comprehensively address the Filipinos’ mental health needs and ensure that our rights as persons with mental health needs are protected and secured,” Hontiveros said.
The bill was approved with 19 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and no abstention.
“The principal author of the bill is Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III. His co-authors are Senators Loren Legarda, Antonio Trillanes IV, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Juan Edgardo Angara, and Joel Villanueva,” Rappler reports.
In the Philippines, people with mental health problems usually face stigma, which makes it difficult for them to seek professional help.
The Department of Health earlier said it was allotting more than PHP1 billion in funding for mental health projects this year.
