Marcos vows to prioritize mental health of youth

During his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed to prioritize the mental health of Filipino youth.

"Many students experience bullying or depression. We are monitoring the mental health of the youth," Marcos said, noting that more counselors will be added to schools to serve as their guides.

The chief executive also disclosed that his administration has allocated P1 billion to build over 300 Barangay Child Development Centers and "Bulilit Centers" nationwide, especially in the most underserved areas.

"That is just a start. We will gradually address the severe shortage of daycare centers that has been pending since 1990," he added.

The country faces a shortage of around 33,000 daycare centers, far below the estimated 96,000 needed, according to a study conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

He also instructed the Department of Health (DOH) to strengthen the country's routine immunization efforts.

The DOH aims to achieve a 95 percent fully immunized child coverage rate. However, based on the latest data, only 61 percent of eligible children are currently considered fully immunized.

Further, Marcos added that under the newly launched YAKAP Caravan, the health conditions of not only students but also teachers will be checked.

"They will be given free medical check-ups, free lab tests such as cancer screening, and free medicines," he added.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) last week launched YAKAP in a bid to reaffirm the government's commitment to protecting Filipinos' health and well-being.