Senator Proposes Cohesive and Holistic Mental Health Program for Schools Nationwide

Senator Win Gatchalian has expressed concern about the inconsistent implementation of mental health programs across the country’s schools by the Department of Education (DepEd). He highlighted that many mental health disorders come with an increased risk of suicide, as evidenced by the DepEd’s 2021 data showing 404 learner suicides and 2,147 attempted suicides.

According to the data, only 16,557 of the country’s 60,157 schools have guidance offices and only 21,837 schools have conducted mental health awareness programs.

Gatchalian also noted that parents, who play a crucial role in the well-being of children, are not formally involved in the DepEd’s current mental health programs. To address these issues, he has introduced the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act (Senate Bill No. 379), aimed at institutionalizing the mental health program. The act seeks to provide mental health services, emotional, developmental, and preventive programs, as well as support services, to ensure the social and emotional well-being of basic education learners and teaching and non-teaching staff.

Gatchalian also highlighted the shortage of personnel as a hindrance to the effective implementation of mental health programs in schools. To meet the ideal ratio of 1 guidance counselor per 500 students, 47,879 registered guidance counselors are needed nationwide, but only 4,379 are registered and only 3,286 are active. To address this, Gatchalian is proposing to raise the salaries of guidance counselors, with the creation of a new position, the Guidance Associate, to actively participate in the implementation of the Mental Health and Well-Being Program.

“In my own observation, our mental health program is incohesive and not holistic. We need to institutionalize it and make it sustainable too,” said Gatchalian.