TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
25 JUL 17 P3 58
SENATE
S. No. 703
Introduced by Senator MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID
AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OF STATE 
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It 
affects the way we think, feel, behave, and act. It is important since it impacts our 
decision making process and how we relate to others.
Mental health promotion and early intervention strategies may produce the 
greatest impact on people's health. It may allow for more effective healthcare 
pathways by acting on the problem before the same becomes worse. It minimizes the 
impact of any potentially serious health condition. Indeed, mental health promotion 
or early intervention in young people is an investment for the future.
The Philippine WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health revealed that at least 
3.6 million Filipinos suffer from one kind of mental, neurological, and substance use 
disorder. In fact, in the Philippines, mental illness is the third most common disability. 
The Philippines even ranked third highest rate of mental health problems in the West 
Pacific Region. Despite the alarming state of mental health, the ratio of mental health 
workers per population in the Philippines is at 2-3 per 100,000 population. Sadly, we 
fail to recognize that poor mental health can interfere with one's ability to think clearly 
and make healthy decisions. We neglect the fact that being emotionally healthy can 
promote productivity and efficiency.


Mental health problems are very common among college students. This may be 
due to the fact that attending coiiege corresponds to a chaiienging time for many 
traditional and non-traditional undergraduate students. Traditional college students 
start college after completing high school, are typically younger, depend on parents 
for financial support, and do not work or work part-time. Thus, in addition to stress 
related to academic load, these students may have to face the task of taking on more 
adult-like responsibilities without having yet mastered the skills and cognitive maturity 
of adulthood.1
In recognition of the right of all Filipinos to mental health and giving particular 
attention to higher education students, this bill seeks to supplement Republic Act No. 
11036, otherwise known as the Mental Health Act, by creating 24/7 hotlines that would 
provide assistance to individuals with mental health conditions in colleges and 
universities. This bill likewise aims to strengthen the mental health services of state 
universities and colleges (SUCS) by creating Mental Health Offices in all SUCs.
In view of the foregoing, early passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPia
Senator 
/o
1 Pedrelli, Paola, et. al. College Students: Mental Health Problems and Treatment Considerations (2014) 
Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527955/
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f*f; .•••• i-i' . ■
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
25 JUL 17 P3 58
S. No.
SENATE
O
i uo
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OF STATE 
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
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 "State Universities and 
Colleges (SUCs) Mental Health Service Act".
Section 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


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faculty, teaching, non-teaching staff, and other personnel to foster an enabling
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environment for students to acquire knowledge and to develop intellectually.
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Section 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
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1. 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 
component to perform guidance and counseling, career guidance and 
implement mental health programs;
2. Mental health refers to a state of well-being in which the individual 
realized one's own abilities and potentials, copers 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;
3. 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;
4. 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;
5. Psychologist refers to a natural person who has professional training and 
clinical skills in psychotherapeutic intervention and assessment for 
mental health programs 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


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clause of Republic Act No. 10029, otherwise known as the "Philippine
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Psychology Act of 2009";
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6. SUCs-based mental health service personnel refers to any mental health
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professional who is hired or deployed by, or has a contract with an SUC
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to render mental health services in its campus.
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Section 4. Establishment of Mental Health Offices in all SUCs Campuses. - The
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Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall, subject to the rules and regulations of
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the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and Management
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(DBM), and the policies, standards, and guidelines of the CHED, require all SUCs to
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establish a Mental Health Office in all their campuses.
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The Mental Health Offices shall set up campus hotlines using both traditional
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telephone and online messaging applications with dedicated and trained guidance
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counselors to provide assistance to the whole SUC Community, especially the students.
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Special attention shall be given to those identified to have mental health problems or
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conditions, especially those at risk of committing suicide.
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The CHED and the SUCs, through their Mental Health Offices, shall initiate and
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sustain a heightened campaign to raise the collective consciousness about mental
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health. The awareness campaign shall give special emphasis to the issues of suicide
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prevention, stress handling, mental health and nutrition, and guidance and counseling.
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The campaign shall ensure that the whole SUC community, especially the students, is
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aware of in-campus mental health services.
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The SUCs, through the Mental Health Offices, shall implement mental health
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programs and projects designed to promote the mental health and well-being of
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faculty, students, and personnel alike.
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Each Mental Health Office shall be manned by trained mental health
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professionals who shall serve as the mental health service personnel of the SUCs.
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The SUCs-based mental health service personnel of the Mental Health Offices,
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including those who shall be hired upon the effectivity of this Act, shall create a


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mechanism for timely crisis intervention and suicide prevention and the appropriate
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response strategies for the whole SUCs community, especially the students.
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The CHED shall, in coordination with the SUCs, establish mechanism to
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maximize existing services offered by other executive departments such as the
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attached agencies to the Department of Health (DOH) dealing with mental health and
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the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
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Section 5. Hiring, Training and Deployment of Mental Health Professionals. -
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Subject to the guidelines set by the CHED and the SUCs, CSC and DBM, the SUCs shall
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hire, train and deploy mental health professionals, including a psychologist, to the
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Mental Health Office to ensure that each SUC shall have mental health professionals
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or mental health service providers within five (5) years from the effectivity of this Act.
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The SUCs shall, in coordination with the CHED, prepare the appropriate plantilla
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positions to be submitted to the DBM for evaluation and approval for the additional
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SUC-based mental health service personnel to be hired under this Act, subject to the
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existing organizational, staffing, position classification and compensation policies,
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rules and regulations.
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Notwithstanding the provisions of Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as
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the "Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004", SUCs may hire, as may be necessary,
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college graduates who do not yet qualify as mental health professionals but who
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possess a background in psychology or similar fields to provide mental health services:
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Provided, That the CHED shall provide for the appropriate training and instruction of
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such college graduates in order for them to gain and develop the necessary skills to
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render counselling services to faculty, students and school personnel, and assist them
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in managing mental health issues: Provided, further. That such services shall be
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rendered under the supervision of qualified mental health professionals within the
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schools division: Provided, finally. That a college graduate hired to work in a Mental
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Health Office shall, within three (3) years from the date of employment in the SUC,
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secure the appropriate license to practice as a mental health professional and meet
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the relevant qualification requirements of their position.


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The CHED and the SUCs, through the Mental Health Offices, shall formulate a
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scheme for the continuous training of mental health service personnel, taking into
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consideration the latest scientific studies, psycho-social approaches and know-how on
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mental health and mental health services, in accordance with the provisions of
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Republic Act No. 10912, otherwise known as the "Continuing Professional
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Development Act of 2016".
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Section 6. Professional and Career Development of Mental Health Professionals.
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- The CHED shall, in coordination with the DBM, CSC, DOH and the PRC:
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Prepare a uniform career and personnel development plan that shall include
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provisions on personal wellness, merit promotion, performance evaluation, in-service
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training, graduate scholarships, research grants, and incentive award system;
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Match the salary grades of mental health professionals with related plantllla
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items under the provisions of Republic Act No. 6758, otherwise known as the
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"Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1898," as amended;
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Align the qualifications and standards for the quaiification outcomes of Mental
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Health Professionals to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10968, otherwise known as
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the "Philippine Qualifications Framework Act";
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Revisit the organizational structure of the SUCs to provide competent and
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professional personnel who shall provide supervision and technical assistance to the
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guidance counselors;
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Review, revise and develop the duties and responsibilities of mentai health
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professionals in accordance with laws governing their professions;
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Prepare a performance evaluation plan that considers the improvement of the
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efficiency and organizational effectiveness of each counselor: Provided, That each
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employee shall be informed regularly by their immediate supervisor of the evaluation
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of their performance; and
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Provide periodic training, aimed at retooling and upgrading the skills of mental
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health professionals.


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Section 7. Salary Scale. - The career and salary scales of mental health
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professionals in SUCs shall provide for a gradual progression from a minimum to a
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maximum salary by means of regular increments, to be given regularly based on merit
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and competencies.
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The entry level of mental health professionals shall not be lower than Salary
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Grade 16. Mental health professionals hired by SUCs as Psychometricians shall be
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hired at Salary Grade 11 at the entry level.
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Section 8. Contractual Hiring of Mental Health Personnel. - In case of a scarcity
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of mental health professionals who are available to work on a full-time basis in a
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Mental Health Office, the concerned SUC may hire qualified professionals on a
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contractual or part-time basis, subject to the evaluation and approval of the DBM.
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Section 9. Benehts. - All mental health professionals employed in the various
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Mental Health Officers shall enjoy the rights, privileges, and other benefits provided
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in Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the "Magna Carta of Public Health
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Workers", Republic Act No. 11036, otherwise known as the "Mental Health Act", and
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other pertinent laws.
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Section 10. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions
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of this Act shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.
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Section 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
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the effectivity of this Act, the CHED shall, in coordination with the DOH, the Philippine
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Association of State Universities and Colleges, and other concerned stakeholders, issue
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rules and regulations to govern the hiring, training, and deployment guidance
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counselors, psychologists, and other mental health service personnel in SUCs, and for
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the implementation of this Act.
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Section 12. Suppletory Application. - The applicable provisions of Republic Act
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No. 11036, otherwise known as the "Mental Health Act", insofar as they are not
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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, shall apply suppletorily.


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Section 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
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rules and regulations and other issuances contrary to or inconsistent with this Act shall
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be deemed repealed or modified accordingly.
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Section 14. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is subsequently
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declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected
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thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
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Section 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the
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date of publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
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Approved,