Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1203

Introduced by Representative
ZIAUR-RAHMAN “ZIA” ALONTO ADIONG

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The mental health crisis among Filipino students has emerged as one of the most urgent
challenges faced by our education system today. Rising cases of anxiety, depression, self-
harm, and suicide among students underscore the need for sustained, institutional support in
promoting mental well-being within campuses, especially in State Universities and Colleges
(SUCs) where a significant portion of our youth are enrolled.

This proposed measure, the “State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) Mental Health
Service Act,” aims to establish dedicated Mental Health Offices in all SUC campuses to
provide appropriate and timely services to students, faculty, and school personnel. These
offices shall be staffed by trained professionals and equipped to offer preventive, promotive,
and responsive mental health care. Special emphasis is placed on crisis intervention, suicide
prevention, and the implementation of awareness and capacity-building programs that
promote psychological well-being in the academic environment.

The bill also ensures that SUCs are empowered to hire and train qualified mental health
service personnel and establish appropriate plantilla positions, with consideration for those
who may not yet meet full professional qualifications but can be trained and supervised. It
further outlines a comprehensive framework for professional development, fair compensation,
and long-term career progression for these mental health professionals. Additionally, it
encourages collaboration between CHED, SUCs, DOH, DSWD, and other agencies to maximize
available resources and expertise.

It must be emphasized that this same measure was passed on Third Reading by the House
of Representatives during the 19th Congress, reflecting the Legislature's recognition of
the critical need to institutionalize mental health support in higher education.

In view of the pressing mental health needs of our students and academic communities, the
immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

REP. ZIAUB-RAHMAN ALONTO ADIONG
1st District, Lanao del Sur


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL No, 1203

Introduced by Representative
ZIAUR-RAHMAN “ZIA” ALONTO ADIONG

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OF STATE
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

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 “State Universi
Colleges (SUCs) Mental Health Service Act.”

and

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
uphold the basic right of every Filipino to sound mental health and ensure access to
appropriate interventions, therapy, and treatment as needed. Pursuant to this
mandate, the State shall institute policies to promote the mental health and wellness
of students, faculty, teaching and non-teaching staff, and other personnel in the
campuses of SUCs through, among others, the establishment of a Mental Health
Office in all SUCs, and the hiring, deployment, and training of additional SUCs-based
mental health service personnel.

All SUCs shall ensure that proper and adequate mental health services are provided
to their students, faculty, non-teaching staff, and other personnel. In this regard, all
SUCs, through their Mental Health Offices, shall design programs and provide
services that shall assist students in resolving emotional, behavioral, and
psychosocial issues that are barriers to learning and enhance the preparedness of the
faculty, teaching, non-teaching staff, and other personnel to foster an enabling
environment for students to acquire knowledge and to develop intellectually.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

a) Guidance counselor refers to an individual who possesses a license or
certification granted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and holds at
the minimum a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, Guidance, or


Counseling, without prejudice to those registered under the grandfather's clause of
Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as the “Guidance and Counseling Act of
2004”, and is competent to perform guidance and counseling, career guidance and
implement mental health programs;

b) Mental health refers to a state of well-being in which the individual realizes one’s
own abilities and potentials, copes adequately with the normal stresses of life,
displays resilience in the face of extreme life events, works productively and fruitfully,
and is able to make a positive contribution to the community;

c) Mental health professional refers to a medical doctor, nurse, guidance
counselor, psychologist, or any other appropriately-trained and qualified person with
specific skills relevant to, and necessary for, the provision of mental health services;

d) Mental health services refer to the psychosocial, psychiatric, or neurologic
activities and programs along the whole range of the mental health support services
including promotion, prevention, treatment, and aftercare, which are provided by
mental health facilities and mental health professionals;

e) Psychologist refers to a natural person who has professional training and clinical
skills in psychotherapeutic intervention and assessment for mental health problems
and possesses a license or certification granted by the PRC and holds at the minimum.
a master’s degree in Psychology without prejudice to those granted licenses under
the grandfather’s clause of Republic Act No. 10029, otherwise known as the
“Philippine Psychology Act of 2009”;

f) SUCs-based mental health service personnel refers to any mental health
professional who is hired or deployed by, or has a contract with an SUC to render
mental health services in its campus.

SEC. 4. Establishment of Mental Health Offices in All SUCs Campuses. - The
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall, subject to the rules and regulations
of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), and the policies, standards, and guidelines of the CHED, require
all SUCs to establish a Mental Health Office in all their campuses.

The Mental Health Offices shall set up campus hotlines with dedicated and trained
guidance counselors to provide assistance to the whole SUC Community, especially
the students. Special attention shall be given to those identified to have mental health
problems or conditions, especially those at risk of committing suicide.

The CHED and the SUCs, through their Mental Health Offices, shall initiate and sustain
a heightened campaign to raise the collective consciousness about mental health.
The awareness campaign shall give special emphasis to the issues of suicide
prevention, stress handling, mental health and nutrition, and guidance and
counseling. The campaign shall ensure that the whole SUC community, especially the
students, is aware of in-campus mental health services.

The SUCs, through the Mental Health Offices, shall implement mental health
programs and projects designed to promote the mental health and well-being of
faculty, students, and personnel alike.

Each Mental Health Office shall be manned by trained mental health professionals
who shail serve as the mental health service personnel of the SUCs.

The SUCs-based mental health service personnel of the Mental Health Offices,
including those who shall be hired upon the effectivity of this Act, shall create a
mechanism for timely crisis intervention and suicide prevention and the appropriate
response strategies for the whole SUCs community, especially the students.


The CHED shall, in coordination with the SUCs, establish mechanisms to maximize
existing services offered by other executive departments such as the attached
agencies to the Department of Health (DOH) dealing with mental health and the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

SEC. 5. Hiring, Training and Deployment of Mental Health Professionals. —
Subject to the guidelines set by the CHED and the SUCs, CSC and DBM, the SUCs
shall hire, train and deploy mental health professionals, including a psychologist, to
the Mental Health Office to ensure that each SUC shall have mental health
professionals or mental health service providers within five (5) years from the
effectivity of this Act.

The SUCs shall, in coordination with the CHED, prepare the appropriate plantilla
positions to be submitted to the DBM for evaluation and approval for the additional
SUC-based mental health service personnel to be hired under this Act, subject to the
existing organizational, staffing, position classification and compensation policies,
rules, and regulations.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as the
“Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004”, SUCs may hire, as may be necessary, college
graduates who do not yet qualify as mental health professionals but who possess a
background in psychology or similar fields to provide mental health services:
Provided, That the CHED shall provide for the appropriate training and instruction of
such college graduates in order for them to gain and develop the necessary skills to
render counseling services to faculty, students and school personnel, and assist them
in managing mental health issues: Provided, further, That such services shall be
rendered under the supervision of qualified mental health professionals within the
schools division: Provided, finally, That a college graduate hired to work in a Mental
Health Office shall, within three (3) years from the date of employment in the SUC,
secure the appropriate license to practice as a mental health professional and meet
the relevant qualification requirements of their position.

The CHED and the SUCs, through the Mental Health Offices, shall formulate a scheme
for the continuous training of mental health service personnel, taking into
consideration the latest scientific studies, psycho-social approaches and know-how
on mental health and mental health services, in accordance with the provisions of
Republic Act No. 10912, otherwise known as the “Continuing Professional
Development Act of 2016”.

SEC. 6. Professional and Career Development of Mental Health Professionals.
- The CHED shall, in coordination with the DBM, CSC, DOH and the PRC:

a) Prepare a uniform career and personnel development plan that shall include
provisions on personal wellness, merit promotion, performance evaluation, in-service
training, graduate scholarships, research grants, and incentive award system;

b) Match the salary grades of mental health professionals with related plantilla items
under the provisions of Republic Act No. 6758, otherwise known as the
“Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989,” as amended;

c) Align the qualifications and standards for the qualification outcomes of Mental
Health Professionals to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10968, otherwise known as
the “Philippine Qualifications Framework Act”;

d) Revisit the organizational structure of the SUCs to provide competent and
professional personnel who shall provide supervision and technical assistance to the
guidance counselors;


e) Review, revise and develop the duties and responsibilities of mental health
professionals in accordance with laws governing their professions;

f) Prepare a performance evaluation plan that considers the improvement of the
efficiency and organizational effectiveness of each counselor: Provided, That each
employee shall be informed regularly by their immediate supervisor of the evaluation
of their performance; and

g) Provide periodic training, aimed at retooling and upgrading the skills of mental
health professionals.

SEC. 7. Salary Scale. - The career and salary scales of mental health professionals
in SUCs shall provide for a gradual progression from a minimum to a maximum salary
by means of regular increments, to be given regularly based on merit and
competencies.

The entry level of mental health professionals shall not be lower than Salary Grade
16. Mental health professionals hired by SUCs as Psychometricians shall be hired at
Salary Grade 11 at the entry level.

SEC. 8. Contractual Hiring of Mental Health Personnel. - In case of a scarcity
of mental health professionals who are available to work on a full-time basis in a
Mental Health Office, the concerned SUC may hire qualified professionals on a
contractual or part-time basis, subject to the evaluation and approval of the DBM.

SEC. 9. Benefits. - All mental health professionals employed in the various Mental
Health Offices shall enjoy the rights, privileges, and other benefits provided in
Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the “Magna Carta of Public Health
Workers”, Republic Act No. 11036, otherwise known as the “Mental Health Act”, and
other pertinent laws.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of
this Act shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the CHED shall, in coordination with the DOH, the Philippine
Association of State Universities and Colleges, and other concerned stakeholders,
issue rules and regulations to govern the hiring, training and deployment of guidance
counselors, psychologists and other mental health service personnel in SUCs, and for
the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 12. Suppletory Application. - The applicable provisions of Republic Act No.
11036, otherwise known as the “Mental Health Act”, insofar as they are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, shall apply suppletorily.

SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected, shall remain
in full force and effect.

SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is repealed, modified or amended
accordingly.

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

Approved,