In observance of World Mental Health Day on Friday, 10 October, Senator Imee Marcos called for immediate, concrete action to address the country’s worsening mental health crisis, emphasizing the urgent need to make mental health care free, accessible, and stigma-free for all Filipinos.

In a statement, Marcos stressed that the country's mental health system must reach those who need it most--especially the young, the poor, and the vulnerable.

“Mental health is not a luxury, it is a basic right," she added.

Marcos filed Senate Bill No. 1171 or the Philippine Mental Health Act, seeking to amend the Mental Health Act by establishing community-based mental health centers in every province, city, and town cluster.

These centers will provide free treatment and support, prioritizing minors, the homeless, and victims of abuse, with adequate staff, medicines, and facilities funded by the national government.

According to the Philippine Psychiatric Association, the Philippines only has 651 psychiatrists, 516 psychiatric nurses, and 133 psychologists — statistics far below the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 10 psychiatrists per 100,000 people.

The Philippines, by contrast, has only two psychiatrists for every hundred thousand mental care patients.

At the same time, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) surveys cited by Channel News Asia reveal that Filipino youth rank among the most affected by mental health issues in the region.

“With the rising prices of goods, the constant floods and disasters, and the endless corruption scandals that test our patience every day, mental health care can no longer take a backseat,” Marcos said.

“Aside from corruption, there’s also grinding poverty and the growing neglect of our elderly. Depression, meanwhile, cuts across society—but it disproportionately affects women, the very pillars of our families,” she added.

The senator also urged mental health experts to work together in tackling the growing crisis and proposed measures to expand access to care—empowering psychiatric nurses, training youth leaders for peer counseling, and providing subsidies for teachers pursuing counseling certifications.

She also appealed to overseas Filipino mental health professionals to share their expertise to further improve mental healthcare in the country.

“Filipinos are tired, stressed, and struggling to survive. It’s time the government treated mental health with the same urgency it gives to political scandals and profit," Marcos continued.

"Building community mental health centers is the least we can do to show that we actually care for our people,” she added.