“Remember that we have the power to help future generations work toward identifying and preventing any threat to their lives and their well-being, may these threats be physical or in the area of mental health.”

The problem of suicide knows no race, religion or nationality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), close to 800,000 people die due to suicide annually. That is roughly one person every 40 seconds. Furthermore, suicide has been found to be the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds worldwide.

In the Philippines, suicide has become a growing concern, especially among the youth. As a parent, I find it saddening and alarming that some of our young people are contemplating about harming themselves and ending their own lives when they still have their entire future ahead of them.

Despite its crucial role in the holistic well-being of a person, mental health has traditionally been relegated to the back-burner of policy-making. It also does not help that there is a stigma attached to mental health issues and disabilities. This adds to the woes of people suffering from mental health problems.

The government knew that it needs to act fast before such problems become severe.

On June 21, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Philippine Mental Health Law, or Republic Act 11036, which aims to provide better access to mental healthcare to all Filipinos.

Before this, the Philippines was one of the many countries in the world without a law that supports mental health. Thus, the Philippine Mental Health Law is a massive step toward giving necessary mental healthcare to all Filipinos who need it.

The enactment of the Mental Health Law has been lauded by many advocates due to its inclusive features which cover many concerns they have been pushing the past 17 years. The law aims to provide mental health services down to the barangay level and integrate these programs in hospitals. It also seeks to improve mental health facilities and promote mental health education in schools and workplaces.

Another salient feature of the law is PhilHealth, the government health insurance provider, will now be tasked to cover psychiatric consultations and medicines, not just hospitalization.

Meanwhile, those who have drug addiction problems as defined under Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act will be evaluated and will be given the essential services under the new legislation.

The Philippine Mental Health Law also puts emphasis on the importance of research and development vis-à-vis mental health which empowers concerned institutions to collect evidence required to come up with and develop culturally-relevant national mental health strategies and programs such as indigenous knowledge and practices concerning mental health.

The new law is, indeed, a giant leap toward creating tools that will promote and safeguard mental health for all Filipinos.

As a pragmatist, I am also aware there are practical ways of improving and promoting our mental health. My advocacies—sports and healthy, active living—are just some of these.

Regular exercise and sports participation have been scientifically proven to enhance one’s mood, thereby warding off depression and suicidal thoughts. Sports participation is also a good avenue for our teens to develop positive characteristics and to distract them from dangerous vices like drugs and criminality. Parents, teachers, educators, coaches and athletic trainers must be on the frontlines to engage our young people in sports activities and to educate them about mental health issues.

Remember that we have the power to help future generations work toward identifying and preventing any threat to their lives and their well-being, may these threats be physical or in the area of mental health.

Blast from the past: On July 2, 1973, the San Juanico Bridge was opened to the general public. The bridge traverses the San Juanico strait and connects the islands of Samar and Leyte. With a total length of 2.16 kilometers, it is also considered as the longest bridge in the Philippines.

The San Juanico bridge has undoubtedly brought enormous logistics, transportation and economic benefits to the country. It is in the pursuit of these same objectives that the Duterte administration is keen on pursuing big-ticket projects under the Build, Build, Build program, several of which are bridges that aim to span the islands of our archipelago. The President recognizes projects like these will not only generate numerous opportunities but will also bring our people closer together and unite them towards a common goal.