With the increase in suicide-related calls amid the Covid-19 pandemic, lawmakers are pushing for a resolution calling for an additional P1-billion budget for the National Mental Health Program.
In House Resolution 1225, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo said her proposal is urging the Committee on Appropriations to allocate an additional P1 billion to ensure the expedient and effective implementation of Republic Act 11036, or the Mental Health Act under the Department of Health (DOH) budget for 2021.
The resolution was coauthored by Quezon City Rep. Jesus Suntay. As of this writing, 134 lawmakers have already expressed intent to co-author the measure.
“In August 2020, the National Center for Mental Health reported a huge increase in suicide-related calls to their hot line amid the Covid-19 pandemic, from an average of 33 calls monthly from January to March 2020, to 66, 80, 112, and 115 calls monthly in April, May, June, and July of the same year, respectively,” said Quimbo.
Quimbo said it was revealed during the DOH budget hearing that mental health (MH) budget for next year is a meager P615 million, or about P5.69 per Filipino.
“This is grossly unacceptable. It is even lower than the budget per capita of P12.19 in 2017; note that there was no MH Act then. This is insufficient to respond to the mental health needs of the Filipinos, especially the Filipino youth,” said Quimbo.
“We often forget the importance of our mental well-being and the fatal consequences that occur when it’s neglected. House Resolution 1225 responds to one of most pressing needs of the Filipino during a time of distress, they deserve no less,” said Quimbo.
For his part, Suntay said a few weeks ago the Department of Education confirmed a Covid-19-related suicide case of a child which led the department to strengthen its psychosocial support program.
“These accounts lead us to the conclusion that there must be an increase in the mental health program budget,” he said.
Lawmakers are also calling on the Department of Health to immediately and fully implement all the provisions of the MH Act.
The lawmakers added there is a need to immediately create the MH Division of the DOH pursuant to the MH Act.
According to the DOH, the department is still awaiting the release of the Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action from the Department of Budget and Management for the hiring of additional personnel to man the mental health division