Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT TO  
PROVIDE YOUTH SUICIDE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
WHO’s a fact sheet on suicide reports that around 800,000 people die due to suicide every year, and many 
more attempt suicide every year. Suicide is also reported as the third leading cause in 15-19-year-olds. In 
a 2015 Global school-based survey conducted by the WHO among 8,761 students from Grades 7-9 aged 
13-17-year-olds, 11.6% of them considered suicide, and 16.8% attempted suicide.
In recent years, the country has made huge strides in affirming the importance of a person’s mental health 
and the rights of Filipinos to access mental health services. In 2018, the legislature has passed Republic 
Act No. 11036, or the Mental Health Act which aimed to develop and establish comprehensive, integrated 
effects, and efficient national mental health care system responsive to the psychiatric, neurologic, and 
psychosocial needs of the Filipino people.  
The increasing incidence of suicide among Filipino youth however remains to be a concern. As such, it is 
incumbent upon the State to look after the overall well-being of its citizens and introduce measures toward 
suicide prevention. Among the interventions cited by the WHO is to help young people develop skills to 
cope with life’s pressures.  
In this light, this proposed measure shall promote positive self-image, self-respect, critical thinking, and 
moral responsibility among Filipino youth. This measure seeks to (1) formulate and include in the 
elementary and secondary education curriculum a course on Life Planning; (2) conduct a nationwide 
education suicide awareness campaign to help the youth, parents of youth, teachers, school personnel, 
and the general public to recognize the common warning signs and learn how to respond to these; and (3) 
employ at least one psychologist in every school.  
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the Filipino 
people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
September 22, 2022
5:00 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT TO  
PROVIDE YOUTH SUICIDE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2022”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – Under Section 13, Article II of the 1987 Constitution, the State 
shall promote and protect the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the youth. 
Given this policy, the State shall promote youth programs that will shape their values and inculcate in them 
a positive self-image, self-respect, critical thinking, and moral responsibility to enable them to become 
principle-centered and values-driven individuals.  
SECTION 3. Formulation of Life Planning Education. – The Department of Education (DepEd), in 
coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), is mandated to formulate and include in the elementary 
and secondary education curriculum a course on Life Planning. Life Planning Education (LPE) shall require 
lectures and discussions on self and identity; personal, family, and community values; communication and 
interrelationship with others; sexuality and gender roles; community participation; health; psychological 
thinking and employment, among others. The DipEd is mandated to ensure that Life Planning Education is 
integrated into all schools. Training shall be provided to school administrators, teachers, guidance 
counselors, and other school personnel responsible for delivering LPE.  
The DepEd is likewise mandated to formulate a mechanism for sustaining peer counseling and peer 
education programs.  
SECTION 4. Implementation of Public Education Campaign. – The DOH, in consultation with the 
DepEd, is mandated to tap doctors, health specialists, medical experts, hospitals, and other medical 
institutions to conduct a nationwide education campaign to help the youth, parents of youth, teachers, 
school personnel, and the general public to: 
a.
Become aware of the increasing problem of youth suicide and suicidal behaviors;
b.
Recognize common warning signs of suicidal thoughts and intent;
c.
Learn how to respond to youth who exhibit such signs, and
d.
Know when and where to go for accurate assessments and professional help.
SECTION 5. Implementation of a Peer Counseling Group Program in Every School. – The DepEd 
is mandated to require all schools to implement a Peer Counseling Program that will be conducted by the 
school psychologist or guidance counselor and shall involve lessons on basic counseling skills and analyses 
for students. The school may also tap the help of health specialists through the abovementioned Public 
Education Campaign. 
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SECTION 6. Employment of Psychologist for Monthly School Counseling Alignment Sessions. 
– The DepEd, in cooperation with the DOH, is mandated to employ at least one (1) psychologist in every 
school. The psychologist shall be employed in a consultancy service position and shall be required to visit 
the school at least once (1) a month to hold School Counseling Alignment Sessions. The school psychologist 
must also prepare a yearly School Counseling Program of Work to align the guidance counselors with the 
campaigns and programs included in this Act. The said psychologist must be licensed to practice the 
profession by existing laws and rules and regulations. The duties and responsibilities of the school 
psychologist are, but are not limited to, the following: 
a. Gain up-to-date scientific knowledge about effective screening and crisis intervention strategies to 
identify symptoms of suicidal behavior; 
b. Formulate and implement standardized and reliable screening procedures for suicidal intent and 
tendencies; 
c. Provide consultation and assist students in seeking help from their parents, other adults in their 
social networks, and health care system personnel; 
d. Increase competencies in post-suicide intervention to prevent further suicides; 
e. Conduct screening procedures or assessments twice in each school year for every grade level 
starting from Grade 3 until Senior High School; 
f. 
Other duties and responsibilities which DepEd and DOH may identify as necessary to fulfill the 
above mandate. 
The DOH is hereby mandated to provide technical assistance to schools concerning training psychologists 
in schools. It shall implement the best practices in the identification and treatment of youth who are at risk 
of committing suicide.  
SECTION 7. Provision of Technical Assistance and Data Management. – The DOH is mandated to 
assist the DepEd in: 
a. Identifying and promoting strategies to prevent suicide among the youth; 
b. Ensuring the quality of screening and crisis intervention strategies and procedures; 
c. Studying the effectiveness of practices relating to the identification and treatment of youth who 
are at risk for committing suicide on the overall wellness and health promotion strategies related 
to suicide attempts. 
The DOH shall conduct research and development programs on the effectiveness of new and existing youth 
suicide prevention strategies, techniques, and technology, including clinical studies and evaluations of such 
strategies and related research aimed at reducing youth suicide and providing support for emotional and 
behavioral disorders which may lead to suicide attempts.  
The DOH is likewise mandated to develop a suicide data collection system to provide reliable data about 
attempted suicides in the country. In developing the system, the DOH shall: 
a. Include information on the incidence of suicide attempts; 
b. Include demographic information on the persons who attempt suicide, and 
c. Explore prevention strategies to reduce the number of attempted suicides and suicides. 
SECTION 8. Establishment of Youth Health Centers. – The DOH may establish a linkage with national 
government agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs), and non-governmental institutions to establish a 
network of health facilities and teen centers catering especially to young people to address their identified 
youth issues.  


These health facilities and teen centers shall provide family services, peer counseling, and other related 
services and may collaborate with parents, schools, religious groups, and youth-serving organizations to 
successfully implement youth suicide prevention strategies.  
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DepEd and DOH, in consultation with the 
National Center for Mental Health, National Youth Commission, and local and national organizations that 
serve youth who are at risk for suicide, shall issue the Implementing Rules and Regulations within 90 days 
from the effectivity of this Act. 
SECTION 10. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be 
included in the Genera! Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and thereafter. An 
initial amount of Fifty Million Pesos (Php 50,000,000.00) shall be allocated for the first year of its 
implementation. Such a sum shall be included in the special project allocation of DepEd and DOH.  
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. – Should any provision herein be declared unconstitutional, the same 
shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this Act.  
SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or other issuances 
or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly,  
SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect in fifteen (15) days after publication in the 
Official Gazette or one (1) newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines. 
Approved,