SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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JUL -3 
:O? :,3 
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S._NO_. _3_9_8 _____ 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Filipinos cOillmitting or attempting suicide are getting younger over the years. The 2001 
World Health Report revealed that in 53 countries where complete data were available, "suicide 
[turned out to bela leading cause of death for young adults." 
Blame it mostly on the demands of rapid urbanization and economic hardships. 
Psychiatrists say that life has become more stressful than ever. What complicates the situation is 
the continued refusal of many families to encourage troubled members to seek the advice of 
mental health professionals, as if the act itself is an admission of insanity. Psychiatrists point out 
that children are prone to depression which sometimes leads to suicide. These are caused by the 
children's separation from their parents when the latter go elsewhere to work; the restrictive, 
abusive, punitive, or highly critical parenting style that their elders adopt; the breaking of close 
relationships, and the oppression of society. Findings also show that if these events do not drive 
children to take their own lives, these may still cause these children to grow up as emotionally 
weak adults. 
In the US, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24 years 
old. More teenagers and young adults died from suicide than from a combination of cancer, heart 
disease, AIDS, bilth defects, stroke, and chronic lung diseases taken together. In the Philippines, 
there are media reports showing that suicides among Metro Manila students, particularly those 
attending prestigious schools, are rising at an alarming rate. 
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The government, through the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of 
Education (DepEd), should take steps to raise awareness of youth suicide as a serious public 
health program. l 
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MIRIAM DEF 
SOR SlNTI!(J6 
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I This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILlPPINES 
) 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENi}.T.l~ 
S. No. 
~):J8 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
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, ifjHn,' ,,1 ';": 
''13 
JUL-3 
PROVIDING FOR A YOUTH SUICIDE EARLY INTERVENTION AND 
PREVENTION PROGRAM 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Youth Suicide Prevention 
Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is recognized by the State that youth suicide is a 
public health tragedy linked to underlying mental health problems, and that youth suicide early 
intervention and prevention activities are national priorities. 
SECTION 3.Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the term: 
(A) "Eligible entity" means the State, political subdivision, public organization, or private 
non-profit organization actively involved in youth suicide early intervention and prevention 
activities and in the development and continuation of nationwide youth suicide early intervention 
and prevention strategies; 
(B) "Best eviden~e-based" means programs that have undergone scientific evrluation and 
gave proven to be effective; 
(C) "Educational institution" means high school, vocational school, or an institution of 
higher education; 
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(D) "Prevention" means a strategy or approach that reduces the likelihood or risk of 
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onset, or delays the onset, of adverse health problems or reduces the harm resulting from 
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conditions or behaviors; 
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(E) "Youth" means an individual between 6 and 24 years of age; 
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(F) "DOH" means the Department of Health; and 
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(G) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Health. 
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SECTION 4. Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Strategies. -
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(A) In General. - The DOH shall award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible 
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entities to: 
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(1) Develop and implement nationwide youth suicide early intervention and 
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prevention strategies in schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, 
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substance abuse programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, anq other child 
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and youth support organizations; 
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(2) Collect and analyze data on nationwide youth suicide early intervention and 
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prevention services that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for 
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research, technical assistance, and policy development; and 
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(3) Assist provincial and municipal governments, through nationwide youth 
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suicide early intervention and prevention strategies, in achieving their targets for youth 
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suicide reductions. 
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(B) Preference. - DOH Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that-
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(1) Provide early intervention services to youth in, and that are integrated with, 
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school systems, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse 
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programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support 
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organizations; 
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(2) Demonstrate collaboration among early intervention and prevention services 
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or certify that entities will engage in future collaboration; 
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(3) Employ or include in their applications a commitment to engage in an 
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evaluative process the best evidence-based or promising youth suicide early intervention 
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and prevention practices and strategies adapted to the local community; 
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(4) Provide for the timely assessment of youth who are at risk for emotional 
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disorders which may lead to suicide attempts; 
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(5) Provide timely referrals for appropriate community-based mental health care 
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and treatment of youth in all child-serving settings and agencies who are at risk for 
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suicide; 
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(6) Provide immediate support and information resources to families of youth 
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who are at risk for emotional behavioral disorders which may lead to suicide attempts; 
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(7) Offer equal access to services and care to youth with diverse social and 
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economic backgrounds; 
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(8) Offer appropriate services, care, and information to families, friends, schools, 
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educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse programs, mental 
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health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations of 
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youth who recently completed suicide; 
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(9) Provide continuous and up-to-date information and awareness campaigns that 
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target parents, family members, child care professionals, community care providers, and 
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the general public and highlight the risk factors associated with youth suicide and the 
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lifesaving health and care available from early intervention and prevention services; 
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(10) Ensure that information and awareness campaigns on youth .suicide risk 
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factors, and early intervention and prevention services, use effective corpmunication 
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mechanisms that are targeted to and reach youth, families, schools, educational 
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institutions, and youth organizations; 
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(11) Provide a timely response system to ensure that child-serving professionals 
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and providers are properly trained in youth suicide early intervention and prevention 
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strategies and that child-serving professionals and providers involved in early 
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intervention and prevention services are properly trained in effectively identifying youth 
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who are at a risk for suicide; 
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(12) Provide continuous training activities for child care professionals and 
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community care providers on the latest best evidence-based youth suicide early 
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intervention and prevention services practices and strategies; and 
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(13) Work with interested families and advocacy organizations to conduct annual 
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self-evaluation of outcomes and activities on the national level, according to standards 
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established by the DOH. 
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SECTION 5. Technical Assistance and Data Management. -
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(A) Technical Assistance and Data Management. -
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(1) In General. - The Secretary shall award technical assistance. grants and 
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cooperative agreements to government agencies to conduct assessments independently or 
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in collaboration with educational institutions related to the development of statewide 
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youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. 
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(2) Authorized Activities. - Grants awarded under Section 3, Paragraph (1) shall 
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be used to establish programs for the development of standardized procedures for data 
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management, such as: 
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(a) Ensuring the quality of youth suicide early intervention and prevention 
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strategies; 
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(b) Providing technical assistance on data collection and management; 
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(c) Studying the costs and effecti veness of nationwide youth suicide early 
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intervention and prevention strategies in order to answer relevant issues of 
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importance to national policymakers; 
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(d) Identifying and understanding further the causes of and associated risk 
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factors for youth suicide; 
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(e) Ensuring the quality surveillance of suicidal behaviors and nonfatal 
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suicidal attempts; 
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(f) Studying the effectiveness of nationwide youth suicide early 
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intervention and prevention strategies on the overall wellness and health 
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promotion strategies related to suicide attempts; and 
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(g) Promoting the sharing of data regarding youth suicide with 
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government agencies involved with youth suicide early intervention and 
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prevention, and nationwide youth suicide early intervention and prevention 
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strategies for the purpose of identifying previously unknown mental health causes 
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and associated risk-factors for suicide in youth. 
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(3) Research. -
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(a) In General. - The Secretary shall conduct a program of research and 
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development on the efficacy of new and existing youth suicide early intervention 
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techniques and technology, including clinical studies and evaluations of early 
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intervention methods, and related research aimed at reducing youth suicide and 
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offering support for emotional and behavioral disorders which may lead to suicide 
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attempts. 
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(b) Disseminating Research. - The Secretary shall promote the sharing of 
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research and development data developed pursuant to the preceding paragraph 
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with the national agencies involved in youth suicide early intervention and 
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prevention, and entities involved in nationwide youth suicide early intervention 
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and prevention strategies for the purpose of applying and integrating new 
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techniques and technology into existing nationwide youth suicide early 
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intervention and strategies systems. 
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SECTION 6. Coordination and Collaboration. -
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(A) In General. - In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall collaborate and consult 
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with-
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(1) National Center for Mental Health (NCMH); 
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(2) Department of Education (DepEd); 
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(3) National Youth Commission (NYC); 
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(4) Other government agencies: national and local agencies; 
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(5) Local and national organizations that serve youth at risk for suicide and their 
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families; 
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(6) Relevant national medical and other health and education specialty 
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organizations; 
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(7) Youth who are at risk for suicide, who have survived suicide attempts, or who 
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are currently receiving care from early intervention services; 
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(8) Families and friends of youth who are at risk for suicide, who have survived 
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suicide attempts, who are currently receiving care from early intervention and prevention 
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services, or who have completed suicide; 
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(9) Qualified professionals who possess the specialized lmowledge, skills, 
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experience, and relevant attributes needed to serve youth at risk for suicide and their 
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families; and 
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(10) Third-party payers, managed care organizations, and related commercial 
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industries. 
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(B) Policy Development. -
The DOH shall coordinate and collaborate on policy 
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development with the government and private entities enumerated in the preceding paragraph, 
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including the medical, suicide prevention advocacy groups, and other health and education 
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professional-based organizations, with respect to nationwide youth suicide early intervention 
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and prevention strategies. 
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SECTION 7. Rule o/Construction; Religious Accommodation. - Nothing in this Act shall 
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be construed to preempt any statnte that does not require the suicide early intervention for youth 
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whose parents or legal guardians o~ject to such early intervention based on the parents' or legal 
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guardians' religious beliefs. 
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SECTION 8. Evaluation. -
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(A) In General . .. The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation to analyze the dffectiveness 
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and efficacy of the activities conducted with grants under this Section. 
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(B) Report. - Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this section, the 
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Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of the Senate and House of Representatives 
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a report concerning the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (A). 
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SECTION 9. Guidelines and Measures. - Not later than ninety (90) days after the date of 
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the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate the necessary guidelines and measures 
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for the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act. 
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. SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
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with, the provisions ofthis Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 12. EffectiVity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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