TEACHERS and other school staff in Mandaue City may soon undergo training in strengthening mental health awareness and importance, an official said.
Lawyer Ebenezer Manzano, chief of Mandaue City Substance Abuse Prevention Office and action officer of Mandaue City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, said Tuesday, September 12, 2023, that the initiative is part of the City's Mental Health Ordinance that was passed in July.
Manzano said they will prioritize schools, which he deemed the "ground zero," or where suicide events occur most of the time.
He said the training has yet to have a start date.
Councilor and Chairman on Health Nerissa Soon-Ruiz said the City Government would allocate P5 million for the drive, adding that the money may come from the city's special education fund.
She said, though, that they are yet to discuss the matter with the Local School Board.
Manzano said they target to train, especially teachers, to identify the signs and symptoms, dos and don'ts, and proper handling of students undergoing a mental health crisis.
Aside from the education sector, Manzano said they also met with the city's business sector, particularly with the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Kelie Ko, to train workers and discuss mental health awareness in workplaces.
Manzano said they had an initial meeting with all the stakeholders last week.
Also on Monday, September 11, Mandaue City officials, representatives from the education, business, and health sectors, and other stakeholders signed a pledge of commitment to intensify mental health awareness within their respective premises and commemorate the Worldwide Suicide Health Awareness celebrated last September 3.
Soon-Ruiz said the Mandaue City Health Office noted a rise in suicide cases this year, stressing that compared to only 20 cases in 2022, a total of 21 cases were recorded from January to August 2023. Most victims are males, she said.
Aside from the mental health training in schools and workplaces, Soon-Ruiz said Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes also mandated barangay officials to create a committee to address their citizens' mental health problems.
The councilor, who also authored the mental health ordinance, encouraged parents to spare time and check on their children to help them be comfortable enough to open up about their problems.
"This is new since we have not heard of a mental health program because of the pandemic, so many cases, we cannot just be blind on it," said Soon-Ruiz in a mix of Cebuano and English.
"We don't know that there is a high number of suicide cases because we do not hear about the stigma of those parents or guardians who are ashamed that their child committed suicide and chose to silence it," she added. (HIC)