Where do we go next?

by Alysa Ciene Alcantara

The battle for mental health awareness is a long journey and look where we are now.

It has been more than three years since the first mental health act legislation in the Philippines was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, and became Republic Act No. 11036 on the 21st of June. It states:

“An Act establishing a National Mental Health Policy to enhance the delivery of Integrated Mental Health Services, promote and protect the rights of persons utilizing Psychosocial Health Services, appropriating funds therefore and other purposes.”

That was authored and principally sponsored by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros, along with different advocates.

Sequentially, we have been suffering from the impact of the pandemic on ourselves for more than two years; having our ‘normal’ routines disrupted by the implemented health protocols, shifting from the traditional workplace to an improvised home-made one; diving into the virtual dimension of our lives and of course, living with the constant fear of the unknown. Our humanity has been exploited by these unseen effects of what we are going through right now. So there’s this lingering question,

“The law is there, campaigns are there, so where do we go from here?”.

A lot hinders a person in voicing out what he truly feels. According to Tanaka et. Al (2018), it is because when brought to the public’s eyes, it leads to: 1) familial problems, 2) unrealistic pessimism, and optimism, and 3) oversimplified chronic course. In addition, breaking out of the established norms in the society is difficult because unhealthy comparisons from relative experiences in the past may arise and bury the heart of the change that is needed to be done. Yes, there have been lengthy posts on different online platforms, seminars/webinars that were conducted, prominent figures are speaking up but are we really going forward, or are we just covering the holes with publicity?

Marikina 2nd District Representative Stella Quimbo called out the presented 2021 National Budget last September 18, 2020 due to an estimate of Php 5.69 per head to several more than 108 million Filipinos of mental health assistance which appears to be lower than the 2017 National Budget. It is not enough, in any sense. The fact that a psychological consultation always comes with a stigma and is undeniably expensive, will never be enough for us to pursue the first step to treatment.

A happy economy brings out happy people.

This is a saying I have stumbled upon on the internet. And I can’t help but wonder why don’t we reverse it? Perhaps we could go from there and pay attention to continuing the journey because the law is only a stepping stone for what needs to be accomplished.

There is already a voice. A continuous one. A never-ending war cry for help.

There is already a platform. A wide one. With unlimited arms to reach out to others who happen to not be in the know.

We need action. A strong one. A rock-hard hand to build concrete plans. Isn’t it amazing to draw visions and realize them? It will take time but let’s go beyond the state of being aware. Let’s act on it and stop asking,

“The law is there, campaigns are there, so where do we go from here?”.