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| President Duterte. Help is here. |
Marinduque Congressman Lord Allan Velasco expressed
gratitude to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for signing into law Republic Act No. 11036 or the
Mental Health Act of 2017. Velasco coauthored House Bill No. 6452 for the purpose of safeguarding the fundamental rights and welfare of people who require mental health services.
Velasco said, “The passage of this law will definitely help
Filipinos as it will develop better facilities, treatment and service in relation to mental
health. This law furthers our advocacy to promote mental health awareness and the delivery of timely,
affordable and high-quality mental health care to the public.”
Further thrust for the protection of the public against
mental health illness has been thrown into the picture by the recent suicides committed by two famous
figures, Kate Spade and Anthony
Bourdain.
With its passage, this law will fill the void existing in
Philippine legislation and remove the stigmatization and discrimination that society engenders
about the issue of mental health problem.
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| Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco coauthored House Bill No. 6452 that fills the void in existing legislation. |
Philippine Mental Health Law or Republic
Act 11036 finally sets the path for the government’s policy in integrating
mental health care in the general health care system.
The law secures the rights and welfare of persons with
mental health needs, mental health professionals, provide mental health
services down to the barangays, integrate psychiatric, psychosocial and
neurologic services to be undertaken in regional, provincial and tertiary hospitals.
It will also help improve mental health education in schools and workplaces.
Research shows that every day, 7 Filipinos turn to suicide
and one in 5 Filipino adults suffer from some form of mental disorder. Mental
health issues will now cease to be an invisible sickness spoken only in
whispers.
