A bill filed in the House of Representatives calls for the creation of mental health centers in every region.
House Bill (HB) 3582, or the proposed Mental Health Center Establishment Act, authored by Rep. Ray T. Reyes of the AnaKalusugan party-list group, aims to make mental health care more accessible in the provinces.
“Mental health and wellbeing should be a priority of our government and there is no denying that there is a need for more mental health centers in the regions,” he said Friday.
Reyes, vice chair of the House committee on health, expressed concern over recent figures from the Department of Health (DOH) which showed that at least 3.6 million Filipinos suffer from mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.
“While more and more people are suffering from mental health issues, access to mental health services in the country remains limited due to stigma and lack of resources,” he said.
“It’s sad that many of our countrymen in the provinces do not have access to mental health care,” the lawmaker added.
Under his proposed measure, the DOH would be tasked to establish centers in the different provinces and regions to make mental health services readily available for all Filipinos.
“Through this bill, we hope to make diagnosis, treatment, and care more accessible to Filipinos,” Reyes said.