Mental health in the Philippines
In the capital Manila in 1782, a religious order established Hospicio de San Jose, which provided the islands' first system of institutional care for mental illnesses and disabilities.
[6] Apart from Manileños, Hospicio de San Jose admitted patients from as far north as Ilocos region and as far south as Iloilo City.
Those who did were either demente presos, admitted due to aggressive behavior while incarcerated, or procesados, who were recently sentenced by a local judge for serious crimes like infanticide.
[16] Mental health facilities and institutions are maintained in the Philippines by both private and public groups but access to them remains uneven throughout the country.
[14] Most facilities are located in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other major cities in the country, thus favoring individuals who live near these more urban areas.
The National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), originally named Insular Psychopathic Hospital, was established in 1925 under the Public Works Act 3258.
According to the NCMH website, the hospital is "mandated to render a comprehensive (preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative) range of quality mental health services nationwide".
[22] It was established on January 15, 1950, with Dr. Manuel Arguelles as president due to the call for assessment of mental health problems induced by World War II.
[27] In the National Capital Region (NCR), most major hospitals (both public and private) have a psychiatric department which caters to the need of people with mental illness.
[29] Its primary goals include upholding the rights of people with mental conditions, prohibiting discrimination against them, and improving the accessibility of comprehensive health services.
[30] The law is based on international human rights standards, adhering to the United Nations' Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness.
[29] The law mandates the DOH, Commission on Human Rights, Department of Justice, and various hospitals in support of those with mental health problems.
There have also been social media discourses using the hashtag #MHActNow[33] wherein netizens raise awareness about why they deem a local Mental Health Law to be important.
In Congress, Representatives Leni Gerona-Robredo, Romero Quimbo, Ibarra Gutierrez, Walden Bello, Karlo Alexei Nograles, Kaka Bag-ao and Emmi de Jesus all introduced House Bill 5347, in line with Philippine Mental Health Act, in 2015.
The law states that they can avail themselves of financial and educational benefits that improve quality of life, allowing them to fully participate in society.
[37] These include discounts, such as on medicine; essential groceries; services in restaurants, hotels, and private hospitals; tickets to films and concerts; and travel fares.
What usually prompts them to finally seek help are significant changes in behavior, sleeping patterns, or performance at work[45] Filipinos generally prefer consulting with family or friends instead of, or alongside, mental health professionals.
[49][50] In some Asian cultures, there is a pervasive belief that supernatural forces are behind mental illness, and as such, religious and magical approaches are utilized to treat people.
The phrase "taong grasa" is referred to as a slang term, and is the English equivalent to "grease monkey" and/or is used when referencing a "dirty person".
[57] Several scholars recommend better access to mental health services, reforms to drug-testing procedures, and a focus on rehabilitation instead of punitive justice and criminalization.
[58] Other advocacies include education about the psychology of drug abuse, establishment of peer support groups, and nationwide implementation of opioid agonist therapy.
[59] Future policy-making efforts shall be informed by quantitative data on the long-term mental health consequences of those affected by the drug war's extrajudicial killings, of which there is an extreme lack.
Effective interventions can: restore function and enhance recovery; create a safe and secure environment; reduce uncertainty, fear, and anxiety; and mobilize family and social supports.
To address the psychosocial concerns of the typhoon victims during Ondoy, a task force on Mental Health Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) was formed headed by the Health Emergencies Management Staff of the DOH as chair and lead agency based on Memorandum 15 series of 2008 issued by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), and the DSWD as co-chair.
[62] The members of the Task Force came from national government agencies (NGAs), academe, non-government organizations and faith-based private sectors, with mental health and psycho-social support programs.
Some of the members of the MHPSS Task Force visited the children in evacuation centers in Marikina, Philippine Sports Arena (formerly ULTRA) and Bagong Silangan.
[66] Labor migration in the Philippines is based on a passive nature, with many seeking to work abroad to escape family division or economic failure.
[73] In 2011, the DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman admitted that the nation's top federal welfare agency was no longer providing special assistance or attention to the Amerasians.
In addition, many traditional NGO's (The Philippine Children's Fund of America, the Pearls S. Buck Foundation, Preda, Inc.) has reduced or phased out Amerasian aid programs or have moved on to servicing current humanitarian needs.
[73] Insofar, a study was given to more than 50,000 military Amerasian children from Central Luzon for interventions given the traits of depression, elevated anxiety, joblessness, social isolation, substance and alcohol abuse, and housing insecurity.
