THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF TEIE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Filipiiios coimiiittiug or attempting to commit suicide are getting younger over the years. A 
2001 WHO Report revealed that in 53 countries worldwide, "suicide is a leading cause of death for 
young adults." 
In the US, suicide is the third leading cause of death of young people aged 15-24. Studies 
show that more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from a combination of cancer, 
heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung diseases taken together. 
A 1993 World Health Organization (WHO) study on suicide prevention showed that out of 
the 848 suicides reported that year, an alarming 68.9% was committed by people aged 15 to 34. In 
the Philippines, unfortunately, no concrete steps have been taken to determine the causes of suicide 
among the Filipino youth. 
Psychiatrists point out that children and young adults are proue to depression which 
soinetiiiies leads to suicide. This is caused by the children's separation from their parents when the 
latter go to work; the restrictive, abusive, punitive, or highly critical parenting style their elders 
adopt; the breaking of close relationships, aiid the oppression of society. 
The govermient, tllrougli the Departinelit of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher 
Education (CHED), and the Technical Education aiid Skills Development Authority (TESDA), 
should take steps to raise awareness of student suicide as a serious public health program. 
Suicide is not a crime, as most media reports tend to portray it. It is a serious problem that 
must be addressed. 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Iiitroduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO EMPOWER THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DEPED), THE 
COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED), AND THE TECHNICAL 
EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) TO REQUIRE 
ALL THE SCHOOL HEADS TO REPORT ALL THE INCIDENTS OF STUDENT 
SUICIDE M THEIR RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS, WHETHER CONSUMMATED, 
FRUSTRATED, OR ATTEMPTED, AND TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM FOR STUDENT 
SUICIDE EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House ofRepresentatives of the Philippines in Congresu 
asseinbled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - Tlis Act shall be known as the “Student Suicide Prevention 
Act of 2005.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration ofPolicy. - It is recognized that student suicide is a public health 
tragedy linked to underlying academic oppression, and that early intervention and prevention 
programs relating to student suicide are national priorities 
SECTION 3. Definition ofTerins. - 
As used in this Act, the following terms: 
(1) “Student” - refers to any person enrolled in the primary, secondary, college or vocational 
levels; 
(2) “S~hool” -refers to any public or private educational institution that offers either 
primary, secondary, college or vocational education. 
(3) “School Head” - refers to the chief operating officer or the chief administrator of a 
sc1100l. 
(4) “DepEd” -refers to the Department of Education. 
(5) “CHED’ -refers to the Comn~ission on Higher Education. 
(6) “TESDA”- refers to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. 
(7) “Secretary” - refers to the DepEd Secretary. 


(8) “Chairperson” - refers to tlie CHED Chairperson. 
(9) “Director” - relers to the TESDA Director-General. 
(10) “Office” - refers either to DepEd, CHED, or TESDA. 
(1 1)”Task Force” -refers to the Task Force on Student Suicides. 
SECTION 4. Establishment ofTosk Force on Student Suicide. - 
(1) IN GENERAL. -The 
Secretary, the Chairperson, and tlie Director shall establish a Task 
Force within the DepEd, CHED, aiid TESDA to carry out the following: 
(a) Collect information from every school head regarding iiicidence of student suicides; 
(b) Study that infomation and malie findings, conclusions, and recommendations 
regarding that information; and 
(c) Subiiiit reports to Congress in accordance with this Section. 
(2) INFORMATION INCLUDED. - The infomation refelTed to in subsection (1) shall 
include the following: 
(a) The prevalence of incidents of student suicide; 
(b) The demographics of students who committed or attempted to commit suicide; 
(c) The factors that influence the decisioii of students to commit or attenipt to commit 
suicide; 
(d) The circumstaiices surrounding student suicide, including the age, sex, time, place, 
maimer or instruinelit used to commit suicide, and whether consummated, frustrated, and 
attempted; 
(e) Trends and variations in the matters set forth in paragraphs (a) though (d). 
SECTION 5. Student Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Strategies. - 
(1) IN GENERAL. - 
The DepEd, CHED, and TESDA, in coordination with the Department 
of Health (DOH), shall: 
(a) Develop and implement nationwide student suicide early interventioli and 
preveution strategies in various schools; 
(b) Collect and analyze data oii nationwide student suicide early intervention aiid 
preveiitioii services that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for 
research, technical assistance, and policy developmellt; 


(c) Assist the school heads through nationwide student suicide early intervention and 
prevention strategies, in achieving their targets for student suicide reductions. 
(d) Assist the school heads for the timely assessment of students who are at risk for 
emotional disorders which may lead to suicide; 
(e) Assist the school heads in providing timely referrals for appropriate community- 
based mental health care and treatment of students who are at risk of committing suicide; 
(f) Assist the school heads in providing immediate support and-information resources 
to families of students who are at risk of emotional behavioral disorders which may lead to 
suicide attempts; 
(8) Assist the school heads in offering equal access to services and care to youth with 
diverse social and economic backgrounds; 
(11) Assist the scliool heads in offering appropriate services, care, and information to 
families and friends of students who recently coinmitted suicide; 
(i) Provide coiitinuous and up-to-date information and awareness campaigns that 
target parents, family members, child care professionals, community care providers, and the 
general public and highlight the risk factors associated with student suicide and the life- 
saving health and care available from early intervention and prevention services; 
(i) Ensure that information and awareness campaigns on student suicide risk factors 
and early intervention and prevention services use effective communication mechaiiisms that 
are targeted to and reach the students, families, and schools; 
(k) Provide a timely response system to ensure that guidance counselors and teachers 
are properly trained in student suicide early intervention and prevention strategies and that 
guidance counselors and teachers involved in early intervention and prevention services are 
properly trained in effectively identifying students who are at a risk for suicide; 
SECTION 6. Mandatory Reports. - 
Not later than five (5) months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the DepEd, CHED, and TESDA shall require all the school heads to report all 
the incidents of student suicide, whether consummated, frustrated, or attempted, within their 
respective schools, from the date of the establishment of the school up to the present time. 


Subsequently, the school heads shall submit an annual report of student suicide incidence, 
whether consummated, frustrated, or attempted, if there is any, to the Task Force. 
Not later than one (1) year and annually thereafter, tlie Task Force shall subinit a report to the 
proper committees in tlie Senate and the House indicating the schools with the most and least 
number of student suicides, whether consummated, frustrated, or attempted. The Task Force shall 
further report its methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recorninendations in the assessment of 
student suicide. 
SECTION 7. Registration of Student Suicide. -Not 
later than one (1) year and annually 
thereafkr, the Task Force shall also submit to the Civil Registrar a database of incidence of student 
suicide. The Civil Registrar shall maintain the database of student suicide incidence according to 
age, sex, niaiuier or instrument used to commit the suicide, and whether consummated, frustrated, or 
attempted. 
SECTION 8. Failure of the School to Report. - In case the school failed to report any 
incident of student suicide, the DepEd, CHED, and TESDA are hereby authorized to fine the 
concertled school, without prejudice to the filing of the administrative and criminal charges against 
the school and/or the school head under existing laws. 
SECTION 9. Scholarship Fund. - The fine to be imposed by the DepED, CHED, and 
TESDA shall be constituted as a scholarship fund under a program to be established by their Office. 
SECTION 10. Autliorization of Appropriation. - 
To carry out the provisions of this Act, 
such sums as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
SECTION 11. Rules and Regulations. -Not 
later than ninety (90) days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, the Chairperson, and the Director shall establish within their 
Office the Task Force and issue such rules and regulatious as are necessary to cairy out the 
provisions of this Act. 


SECTION 12. Separabilig) Clause. - 
If any provisioii or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid 
and subsisting. 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - Any law, 'presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of iustruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with 
the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 14. Effectivity Cluiue. - This Act shall take effect fifteen days (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapas of general circulation. 
A p p r o v e d ,