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Republic of the Philippines

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, on nnn
Date: sue 2
Quezon City i 25 WE 20

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

REGISTRATION

UNIT

HOUSE BILL NO. 1866 | BALS AND INDEX SERVICE

Introduced by Rep. Christopher De Venecia

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Youth suicide has affected many of our youth and their families. The stigma of
suicide prevents families, schools and communities from fully addressing and facing
the problems which lead our youth to take their own lives. Many suicide-related
deaths are often termed as “accidental deaths”. The silence and quiet indignity with
which our society reacts to these deaths does not help in the prevention of youth
ide, which more often than not, could have been stopped by early intervention.

In the US., suicide is one of the leading causes of death among the youth ages
15-24 years old and is considered as a major public health problem. The reasons they
give for attempting suicide are varied, namely: feeling overwhelmed, lonely,
inadequate and depressed; using alcohol and drugs to deal with their emotions; and
experiencing serious family conflicts,

According to a report of the World Health Organization, statistics shows that
more than 800,000 people attempt to commit suicide every year. A large portion of
these cases occur in youth ages 15-29 years old. In 2012, suicide became the second
leading cause of death among the youth under said age bracket. Consequently, many
parents have had to endure the sudden loss of their children due to suicide.

With these alarming incidences of youth suicide, there is an urgent need to
establish a youth suicide prevention program, particularly in schools, in order to begin
early, timely and effective intervention plans to abet suicidal tendencies in young
adults. The youth are overwhelmed by their present realities and need help. They need
to have access to services, facilities, and programs that can help them cope with their
problems.

‘The guidance counselor offices presently established in our schools need to be
tapped and trained in order to identify-children who are at risk of committing suicide.
Regular assessments and psychological testing within the school year must be done in
order to detect factors contributing to high risk tendency for suicide. Suicide
prevention takes different forms — from raising strong and capable youth who are well
connected to their families, friends and communities, to training professionals to
recognize early warning signs and providing physical and mental health treatments.



Section 2 of Republic Act No. 8044, or the Youth in Nation-Building Act

enshrine the promotion and protection of the physical, moral, spiritual. intellectual
reial well-being of youth to the end that youth realize their potential for

improving the quality of life. In this 1

ight. the moral convictions of our youth must be
strengthened and infuse in them faith in our Creator and belief in the sanetity of life
and dignity of the human person

The desire and hope to live must be communicated to our youth, We are all
stakeholders in assisting and helping them in valuing the gifi of life. Suicide is not
imply a personal tragedy: it is also a community tragedy. Our society must combat

youth suivide by reducing risks involved and by enhancing

resiliency among our

|
ou
REP. CHRISTOPHER DE VENECIA
Fourth District, Pangasinan


Republic of the Philippine:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

House BILL No, 1866

Introduced by Rep. Christopher De Venecia

AN ACT
FO PROVIDE YOUTH SUICIDE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION

eit enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in

es assembled.

SECTION 1. Short Tithe Phis Act shall be known as. the
Prevention Act”

Youth Suicide

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ Under Section 13. Article IH of the 198
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
cli-image. self respect, critical thinking and moral responsibility to enable them to
hecome principle-centered and values-driven individuals,

SEC. 3. Formulation of Life Planning Education, ~ The Department of Education
(DephD) is mandated to formulate and include in the elementary and secondary
education curriculum a course on Life Planning. Life Planning Education (PE) shail
require lectures and discussions on self and identity; personal. family, community
: communication and interrelationship with others: sexuality and gender roles:
community participation; health: psychological thinking and employment. among
others. The DepLD is mandated to ensure that Life Planning Education is integrated
in all schools. Training shall be provided to school administrators, teachers, guidance
LPL

counsellors and other school personnel responsible for deliverin

The DepED is likewise mandated to formulate a mechanism for sustaining
peer counselling and peer education programs.

SEC, 4. Employment of Psychologist in Every School Guidance Counsellor ’s Office.

The DepFD is mandated to require all schools to employ at least one (1)
psychologist in every guidance counselor's office. Said psychologist must be
hicensed to practice the profession in accordance with existing laws and rules and
lations. The duties and responsibilities of the school psychologist are. but not
limited to, the following



a. Gain up-to-date scientific knowledge about effective sereening and eri
intervention strategies to identify symptoms of suicidal behaviour

b. Formulate and implement standardized and reliable screening procedures of
suicidal intent and tendencies:

©. Provide consultation and assist students in secking 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:

©. Conduct screening procedures or assessments twice in each school year for

every grade level starting from Grade 3 until fourth year high school:

Other duties and responsibilities which DepED may identify as necessary to
fifi the above mandate.

The Department of Health (DOH) is hereby mandated to provide technic
assistance 10 schools with respect to training psychologists in schools. It shall

implement the best practices in the identif
risk for committing suicide.

tion and treatment of youth who are at

SEC. 5. Implementation of Public Education Campaign. ~The DOU. in coordination
with the DephD. 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

behaviours:
b. Recognize common warning signs of suicidal thoughts and intent:
Learn how to respond to youth who exhibit such signs: and

dl. Know when and where to go for accurate assessments and professional help.

SEC. 6. Provision of Technica
mandated to assist the DepED in

Assistance and Data Management. ~ Vhe DOH is

a. Identifying and promoting strategies to prevent suicide among the youth:

b. Ensuring the quality of screening and crisis intervention strategies and
procedures:

¢. 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
and existing youth suicide prevention strategies, techniques.
12). ineluding clinical studies and evaluations of such strategies and related
eareb aimed at reducing youth suicide and providing support for emotional and
behavioral disorders which may lead to suicide attempts.

effectiveness of ni

technol

re



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. Inchide information on the incidence of suicide attempts:

b. Include demographic information on the persons who attempted suicide:
andl

¢. Explore prevention strategies to reduce the number of attempted suicides
and suicides

SEC. 7. Este
with national government agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs) and non-
governmental institutions to establish a network of health facilities and teen cent
alering especially to young people in order to address their identified youth issues.

hlishment of Youth Health Centers. ~The DOM may establish a linkage

These health facilities and teen centers shall provide family services, peer counselling
and other related services and may collaborate with parents, schools, religious groups
and youth-serving organizations to successfully implement youth suicide prevention
strateuies. The said facilities shall also provide activities necessary for the formation
ofa more positive outlook such as arts workshop, skills training, and as such.

SEC. 8. 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
pall issue the Implementing Rules and Regulations within 90 days from the
effectivity of this Act

suiivide

SEC. 9 Appropriations he amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this
all be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its
enactment into faw and thereafter. An initial amount of Fifiy Million Pesos
(°50,000,000.00)) shall be allocated for the first year of its implementation, Such sum
shall be included in the speeial project allocation of DepED and DOH.

SEC. 10. Repeating Clause. ~ Any law, presidential decree. issuance, executive order.
letter of instruction. administrative order, rules and regulations contrary to or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, amended or modified

accordingly

SEC. UL, Sepurabitity Clause. — 1 any provision of this Act is held invalid or

unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected hereby shall remain valid and

subsisting,

SEC. 12. kffectivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation

Approved