Suicide, depression cases rising in Baguio, Benguet

By Gaby Keith

BAGUIO CITY -- A comprehensive mental health care and wellness system will soon be implemented here to address “alarming cases of depression and suicides in the city and neighboring Benguet municipalities.” 

Councilor Joel Alangsab bared this last week. Mayor Benjamin Magalong is reportedly set to sign a city council ordinance, which he co-authored with Sangguniang Kabataan councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales to establish a mental health program that aims to provide cheap if not free medicines and access to amenities for the affected sector.
    Records from the City Health Services Office, under Dr. Rowena Galpo, showed that the city had a total of 30 suicide cases in 2020 and 28 in 2019.

Both figures were almost double of the number of cases in 2018 at 16 cases.

This year, two cases had already been recorded.

“We had 14 confirmed cases of suicide from January to August 2020 alone — 12 adults and two minors.

One case involved a 64-year old man, who believed he had contracted the coronavirus disease but was found to be negative,” Alangsab said, adding two of the cases involved a prominent person and a youth leader.

Alangsab said through the ordinance, the city government wants people with mental problems to realize that they are not helpless.

The measure, which had been approved on final reading by the city council, is one of the very few statutes its kind, enacted in the country pursuant to Republic Act No. 11036 or the “Mental Health Act.”

Under the measure, a Baguio Mental Health Council will be created to serve as advisory body to the city council and as policymaking body for the crafting of a comprehensive mental health care and wellness system.

The ordinance also seeks protect and to promote the right to health of the people and to be given sufficient, adequate, proper and timely mental illness prevention and treatment. It is also to maintain the psychological, psychiatric and neurological stability of citizens.

It will apply to all persons regardless of age, sex, religion and such other distinctions who are in need of psychiatric, neurologic and psychosocial health services.