THE House Committee on Higher and Technical Education has approved Bill 10284, or the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) Mental Health Service Act.

Approved on August 16, 2022, the proposed bill was authored by Bacolod Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya.

Gasataya said he re-filed the bill after the Senate failed to finish it during the last term.

He said the bill aims to put up mental health services office in all SUCs in the country.

"So it's already approved by the committee and it will be endorsed to the plenary," Gasataya also said, adding that "hopefully, it will become a law."

Earlier, President Ferdinand " Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said during his State of the Nation Address (Sona) that it will be among his priority bill.

Gasataya said he re-filed the bill in supplement of Republic Act 11036, or the Mental Health Act, in the belief that an aggressive national mental health policy focused on the youth who are under a lot of pressure considering the effects of the pandemic will help curb incidences of self-harm.

The law maker said the bill's thrust is to assist the education sector, one of the badly-hit by the pandemic, in holistic development through mental healthcare that is responsive to the mental, developmental and emotional needs of students.

He said mental health offices in SUCs under the proposed legislation shall set up campus hotlines with dedicated and trained guidance counselors to assist the whole SUC community, especially the students.

They should also initiate and sustain heightened campaigns to raise the collective consciousness about mental health focusing on suicide prevention, stress handling, mental health and nutrition, and guidance and counseling, Gasataya said.

He added the bill also requires each mental health office to be attended, train, and deploy mental health professionals who will serve as the mental health service personnel of SUCs.