GUIMARAS – The provincial government through the Provincial Health Office, in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas, marked World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 by promoting actions and messages of hope to save more lives from suicide.
The triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day for 2024-2026 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” with the call to action “Start the Conversation”.
Gov. JC Rahman Nava, in his message, emphasized the importance of being resilient in the face of adversities and learning to accept that everything has its own timing.
“Just continue to move on and move forward sa inyo pagpangabuhi kag importante nga you just try to do your best. Kay tungod indi tanan nga bagay reachable e sa dalayun, may mga good things nga matabu. This is the one thing that we should emphasize in life because we know nga indi sa tanan nga panahon imo but in time may para gid sa inyo,” Gov. Nava said.
For his part, Executive Assistant III Gerardo Gaitan said the event is a reminder of the critical need to address mental health issues and problems in the province.
“Today marks as a celebration of World Suicide Prevention Day. It is very important nga ma-remind kita sang critical need to address sang mental health issues and problems. So, with this event kabay pa nga ma-lessen ang number of records sang suicide diri sa probinsya sang Guimaras,” Gaitan said.
Data from the Provincial Health Office showed that the province has recorded five cases of suicide this year.
As part of the event, a forum about mental health was conducted. Participants included Sangguniang Kabataan officials, barangay health workers, and personnel from the rural health unit of the five municipalities.
World Suicide Prevention Day, observed annually every 10th of September, aims to raise awareness about suicide and promote actions that can prevent it. Coordinated by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the event encourages individuals, communities, and organizations to take steps to reduce the stigma around mental health and start conversations about suicide./PN
