REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINE: RECEIVED
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE$ ——pare(8 AUG 2016
Quezon City i 77)
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS mm * ok
First Regular Session
geso REGISTRATION UNIT
House Bill Now °°" BILLS AND tNDEX SERVICE

“OLS IF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Honorable Luis Jose Angel N. Campos, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines may have the lowest number of suicides among
member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
and an estimated number of 2,558 suicides out of the estimated 804,000
suicide deaths worldwide reported by the World Health Organization
(WHO) in 2012. But our numbers may only be under reported due to the
complication or shame that families may feel.

Per report of WHO, it is estimated that 800,000 people commit suicide
every year (that is a rate of one person every forty seconds). In the same
report young people are the most affected and suicide is the second cause of
death for people between the ages of 15 and 29.

The rates of suicide are shocking, especially considering that majority
of those who commit it are young people, people who have their entire lives
ahead of them. It is a great tragedy to lose people too young and have all
their potential lost.

This bill seeks to establish an urgently needed youth suicide
prevention program that starts with schools in order to aid the youth in
their initial struggle of growing up and in other difficulties that overwhelm
them today.

Several forms of prevention will be undertaken by this bill in order to
ensure its success. Measures such as life planning education, employment
of a psychologist in every school, public education campaign, and youth
health centers will be utilized to prevent the premature and avoidable death
of our youth.

In the youth lies the future of our Nation. Our Constitution recognizes
this vital role and makes it public policy that all aspects of their well-being
be promoted and protected. We will fail this policy and endanger our


country's future if we cannot provide the youth with sufficient support that
would enable them to overcome the suicidal tendencies that seem to plague
the youth of today.

In view of the foregoing and in my belief for the sanctity of life, the
passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

,
LUIS JOSE ANGEL N- IPOS, JR.


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 200

Introduced by Honorable Luis Jose Angel N. Campos, Jr.

AN ACT
TO PROVIDE YOUTH SUICIDE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION

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’.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Under Section 13, Article II of the 1987
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 self-image, self-respect, critical thinking and
moral responsibility to enable them to become principle-centered and
values-driven individuals.

SEC. 3. Formulation of Life Planning Education. The Department of
Education (DEPED) is mandated to formulate and include in the
elementary and secondary education curriculum a course on Life Planning.
Life Planning Education (LPE) shall require lectures and discussions on self
and identity; personal, family, community values; communication and
interrelationship with others; sexuality and gender roles; community
participation; health; psychological thinking and employment, among
others. The DEPED is mandated to ensure that LPE is integrated in all
schools. Training shall be provided to school administrators, teachers,
guidance counselors and other school personnel responsible for delivering
LPE.

The DEPED is likewise mandated to formulate a mechanism for
sustaining peer counseling and peer education programs.


SEC. 4, Employment of Psychologist in Every School Guidance
Counsellor's Office. - The DEPED is mandated to require all schools to
employ at least one (1) psychologist in every guidance counselor's office.
Said psychologist must be licensed to practice the profession in accordance
with existing laws and rules and regulations. The duties and responsibilities
of the school psychologist are, but not limited to the following:

a. Gain up-to-date scientific knowledge about effective
screening and crisis intervention strategies to identify
symptoms of suicidal behavior;

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

c Provide consultation and assist students in seeking 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;

e. Conduct screening procedures or assessments twice in
each school year for every grade level starting from Grade
3 until fourth year high school;

f. Other duties and responsibilities which DEPED may
identify as necessary to fulfill the above mandate.

The Department of Health (DOH) is hereby mandated to provide
technical assistance to schools with respect to training psychologists in
schools. It shall implement the best practices in the identification and
treatment of youth who are at risk for committing suicide.

SEC. 5. Implementation of Public Education Campaign. - The DOH,
in coordination with the DEPED 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 behaviors;

b. — Recognize common warning signs of suicidal thoughts
and intent;

c. Learn how to respond to youth who exhibit such signs;
and

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


SEC. 6. Provision of Technical Assistance and Data Management. -
The DOH is mandated to assist the DEPED in:

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

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

c. 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
effectiveness of new and existing youth suicide prevention strategies,
techniques, technology, including clinical studies and evaluations of such
strategies and related research aimed at reducing youth suicide and
providing support for emotional and behavioral disorders which may lead
to suicide attempts.

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:

Include information on the incidence of suicide attempts;

b. Include demographic information on the persons who
attempted suicide; and

c. Explore prevention strategies to reduce the number of

attempted suicides and suicides.

Ld

SEC. 7. Establishment of Youth Health Centers. - The DOH may
establish a linkage with national government agencies. Local Government
Units (LGUs) and non-governmental institutions to establish a network of
health facilities and teen centers catering especially to young people in
order to address their identified youth issues.

These health facilities and teen centers shall provide family services,
peer counseling and other related services and may collaborate with
parents, schools, religious groups and youth-serving organizations to
successfully implement youth suicide prevention strategies.

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 suicide, shall issue the Implementing Rules and Regulations
within 90 days from the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the
provisions of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act
of the year following its enactment into law and thereafter. An initial
amount of Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) shall be allocated for the first
year of its implementation. Such sum shall be included in the special project
allocation of DEPED and DOH.

SEC. 10. Repealing 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. 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held
invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected hereby shall
remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved