Robredo open to working with gov't for mental health services

MANILA — Former Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday said she was open to working with government agencies to help address demands for mental healthcare and intervention.

She noted that her foundation, Angat Buhay, was looking into reviving the Bayanihan e-Konsulta to bring mental health services “to as many communities as possible.”

“We acknowledge the difficulties of responding to the growing demand for free and accessible assistance in this area especially because mental health concerns require longer and more focused interventions,” Robredo said at a mental health symposium in Pasay City.

These services are being eyed for launch in the second quarter of 2024, she said.

“As we make this shift, we are looking to collaborate with more groups and volunteers. This will provide for us a bigger network and a bigger platform where we can collaborate our efforts with you,” Robredo added. 

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At the same event, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) highlighted the importance of research and development in the promotion of mental health awareness and interventions to achieve health for all.

Dr. Jaime Montoya, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) said while many Filipinos are now more aware of mental health partly as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still a need to mainstream the concept so that awareness becomes even more far reaching.

“Our barangay health workers don’t even know what mental health is. That is part of our objective: we’re developing the modules that will be adopted. We have separate projects on that that can be used by our healthcare workers. To be able to detect early ‘yung (the) problem ng mental health and therefore make the appropriate intervention,” he said. 

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Montoya said one of the ways to “mainstream” mental health is to have influential advocates who would not work towards providing the right resources and intervention to those who need mental health services. 

He acknowledged Robredo’s involvement in programs related to mental health and said her influence could help “advocate to mainstream mental health.”

PHILHEALTH MENTAL HEALTH PACKAGE

The DOST-PCHRD is conducting studies that will furnish state health insurer PhilHealth with possible packages for mental health patients. This is so that healthcare workers would be paid justly for their work.

“Hindi naman puwedeng puro charity. Hindi sila mabubuhay. May mga pamilya rin yan so we are working on that. It will be packaged as a mental health package ng PhilHealth para mabayaran sila at ma-reimburse. That’s also part of the mainstreaming para even our healthcare workers can be compensated for the work that they do,” Montoya said.

(It can’t always be for charity. They won’t survive like that. They also have families. So we are working on that. It will be packaged as a mental health package from PhilHealth so that they will get paid. That’s also part of mainstreaming so that our healthcare workers can be compensated for the work that they do.)

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