Wazzup Pilipinas!
A day after the Senate's passage of the country's first ever mental health law, celebrities and mental health advocates joined Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros in celebrating what they describe as an historic victory for mental health rights.
In a press conference in Quezon City, advocates led by Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa, Be Healed Foundation’s Jerika Ejercito and actress Antoinette Taus, lauded the passage of Senate Bill No. 1354, otherwise known as the Philippine Mental Health Law. The bill, which was sponsored and authored by Hontiveros, seeks to integrate mental health services and programs in the public health system by setting up basic mental health services at the community level and psychiatric, psychosocial and neurologic services in all regional, provincial and tertiary hospitals.
"We would like to thank the Senate, particularly Senator Hontiveros for passing this important measure. This bill brings our country one step closer to realizing a national mental health policy that will respond to the Filipinos' mental health needs and erase our record as one of few countries left in Asia without a clear mental health measure," Verzosa said.
Taus said that she hoped that the Senate's passage of the Mental health law will mainstream mental healthcare and remove the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health illnesses. "There is nothing really shameful or embarrassing in talking about one's mental health issues and finding the appropriate healthcare services to address them. Seeing a psychiatrist is no different from visiting your OBGYNE or your ophthalmologist," the actress said.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
