CAGAYAN de Oro City Councilor Lordan Suan urged his fellow lawmakers to start treating mental illness like any other medical diseases and pushed for more budget allocation to bolster mental health programs in the city.
Suan said depression, which remains the leading cause for suicides, is an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, making it a medical case.
"It's not the victim's fault that they committed suicide. Mahitabo lang gyud na siya kung dili matambalan," Suan said.
"Kung kita, tambalan nato ang tao nga mag-sakit, mag-budget ta para ipalit ug tambal, then we should also do the same for our loved ones suffering depression," he added.
Suan proposed that more budget should be poured to the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) especially for purchasing medicines for people with mental illness.
Councilor Edgar Cabanlas, meanwhile, pushed to intensify awareness on the effects of suicide to the families left behind.
"We should entice families of suicide victims to speak out so those who will listen, will learn," Cabanlas said.
"We should break the taboo. There should be a program where they can talk about this," he added.
Cabanlas made a report during the session on Monday, January 27, saying he was alarmed after learning that there are already 19 cases of suicide in January alone.