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Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas underscored on Sunday, Oct. 8 the importance of launching interventions at campuses in a bid to promote mental health among Filipino youth. 

“We must be part of a society which aims to reduce the entrenched stigma and discrimination on people with mental health problems," Vargas, a neophyte solon in the 19th Congress, said. 

"One way to effectively do this is to start with the young minds that we are shaping in universities, wherein pressures and influences are coming from all sorts,” he noted. 

The House of Representatives has just approved on third reading House Bill (HB) No.6416 or the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) Mental Health Service Act. 

Vargas initially filed HB No.5925 or the Campus Mental Health Act, which primarily aims to increase access to mental health services among college students. 

It shall provide students with the necessary support they need to successfully complete their studies. This efforts includes the establishment of the College Campus Task Force to discuss mental and behavioral health concerns in campuses. 

This version of the bill was first filed by his brother and predecessor, former Quezon City congressman and councilor Alfred Vargas during the 18th Congress. 

The Department of Health (DOH) estimates that there are over three million Filipinos facing mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. 

Meanwhile, data from the Department of Education (DepEd) showed 404 cases of student suicide plus a staggering 2,147 suicide attempts in school year 2021-2022 alone. 

Vargas is also pushing for additional measures addressing mental health and well-being in the country. These include HB No.2789, or an Act Granting Immediate Compensation Benefits for Mental Health Service Users Amending Republic Act (RA) No. 11036; and HB No.6574 or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act.