In line with the celebration of the 30th National Children's Month, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna on Monday, Nov. 7, sounded the alarm on the growing number of cases of children with mental health problems in the country.

“Ang isang buwang selebrasyon ay naglalayon na maitanim sa kamalayan ng bawat isang Pilipino at mapanatili ang pagtataguyod at proteksyon ng mga karapatan ng bata (The month-long celebration aims to instill in the consciousness of every Filipino and sustain the promotion and protection of children's rights),” the city mayor said.

“Nakaka-alarma ang patuloy na lumalaking bilang ng mga kaso ng mga batang may problema sa mental health (The rising cases of children with mental health problems are alarming),” she added.

Lacuna noted that suicide was the main cause of death among the 15 to 29 years old even before the pandemic.

She added that many cases of depression among high school youth are related to their exposure to social media.

“Maging ang Covid ay nakakaapekto sa mental health ng mga kabataan... Dahil sa paulit ulit na lockdown, nawalan ng pagkakataon ang maraming kabataan na lumabas sa kanilang tahanan, makihalubilo sa kanilang kapwa, at magkaroon ng iba't-ibang mga gawain (Even Covid has affected the mental health of young people... Due to the repeated lockdown, many young people lost the opportunity to go out of their homes, socialize with others, and do various activities),” Lacuna pointed out.

As the country gradually returns to normal, Lacuna emphasized that now is the time to focus on the children.

There are at least 24,297 children studying in daycare centers while 2,308 were given educational assistance in the city, the local chief executive noted.

The city government also helped a total of 3,374 victims of child abuse, she added.

Lacuna also encouraged the public to help in protecting the youth.

She assured that the Manila Council for the Protection of Children is working hard to create concrete programs that will help grow, nurture, and protect the children of Manila.