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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5445

Introduced by Hon. John Marvin “Yul Servo” C. Nieto

EXPLANATORY NOTE

As a manifestation of support to this timely piece of legislation, this
representation respectfully refiles this bill, which has constantly been
receiving support from the past (Rep. Villafuerte’s HBO7858) and present
congress.

The passage of the Mental Health Law highlights the importance of ensuring
that our dear Filipinos are properly provided access to a quality mental
health care system. While responding to the mental health needs of every
Filipino signifies the increase in the awareness of the mental health situation
in the country, this representation believes that there is much more to be
done to fully understand and address the subject at hand. The steadily
raising number of youth suicide, especially those cases that are heavily
related to mental health in the country, signifies such need for a preventive
system in the case if youth suicide in the country.

In line with this, the proposed piece of legislation hopes to address the
stigma of mental health and properly manage youth issues by introducing a
Life Planning Education (LPE) in the elementary and secondary education
curriculum. The LPE shall require lectures and discussions on self and
identity; personal, family, community values; communication and
interrelationship with others; sexuality and gender roles; community
participation; health; psychological thinking and employment, among others.
The proposed piece of legislation will also introduce a Peer Counseling
Program to encourage positive mental health for students. The Peer
Counseling Program will include peer counseling training course that aims to
teach basic counseling skills. Moreover, it will also aims to foster relationship
and confidence building among the student body, and be a source of skill
and academic motivation for them. Schools will also be encouraged to
employ at least one licensed psychometrician in order to respond to the
mental health care needs of the students and create suicide prevention
programs

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this piece of legislation is earnestly
sought.

JOHN VIN/' YUL SERVO” C. NIETO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. pas

Introduced by Hon. John Marvin “Yul Servo” C. Nieto

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 2019"

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. In view of this
policy, the State shall promote youth programs that will shape their values
and inculcate in them 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,
community values; communication and interrelationship with others;
sexuality and gender roles; community participation; health; psychological
thinking and employment, among others. The DepEd is mandated to ensure
that Life Planning Education is integrated in 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 wil 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.

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 on 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 in order to align the guidance
counselors with the campaigns and programs included in this Act. Said
psychologist must be licensed to practice the profession in accordance with
existing laws and rules and regulations. The duties and responsibilities of the
school psychologist are, but 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 of 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 with
respect to training psychologists in schools. It shall implement the best


practices in the identification and treatment of youth who are at risk for
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, 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 in order
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, 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 General 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 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 in one (1) newspaper of
general circulation in the Philippines.

Approved,