(We yield this space to the statement of civic group Save the Children Philippines due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
DURING the Senate hearing of the Committee on Basic Education on Jan. 31, Education Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban said the Department of Education (DepEd) recorded a total of 404 learners who died by suicide, and 2,147 learners who have attempted suicide in the Academic Year 2021-2022.
We are deeply concerned for the health and well-being of millions of Filipino learners. Our country’s mental health crisis is a public health concern that requires an urgent whole-community approach response. The gravity of the issue cannot be overlooked as the suicide rates may even increase in the coming years, if left unaddressed.
To protect an entire generation from violence and untimely deaths, we need the national agencies and local governments to immediately act and work together to prevent years of progress from being reversed. Save the Children believes that children from all backgrounds and identities have the right to mental health. All children deserve to live and learn in a safe and nurturing environment that will allow them to develop their social and emotional skills, increase their space for play and interaction with peers, and provide them access to high quality mental health care and psychosocial support services.
Now more than ever, the inequalities experienced by our learners – that were exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – should be put to an immediate end. Filipino learners should not face stressors and challenges alone. We have to be there for and with them in these trying times, and respond to their issues effectively to build back better for and with children.
Thus, we urge the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the DepEd to be at the forefront in curbing its impact.
We also call the DOH to prioritize the integration of mental healthcare into primary care by increasing the availability and accessibility of mental health services, and training primary care professionals on the promotion, prevention, care and protection.
We call on the DSWD to complement social welfare programs with child-friendly community-based mental health programs that address not only individual mental health and psychosocial needs but the overall psychosocial needs of the family unit as well.
Let us invest in children’s mental health and well-being by creating a better world that will positively transform their lives and the future we share.
