As part of the Mental Health Week celebration, the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will unveil the Philippine Council for Mental Health (PCMH) Strategic Framework 2024-2028 on Thursday, Oct. 12.
DOH said the framework represents a significant step in the Philippines' campaign to address the growing mental health challenges facing the nation.
It is designed to serve as a “guiding document” for the development and implementation of comprehensive mental health policies, programs, and services in the Philippines over the next five years.
DOH will also unveil the PhilHealth Mental Health Benefit Package during the launch as part of its commitment to improving access to mental health care.
This package will encompass mental health benefits for outpatient and community-based services, bolstering the provisions of the Mental Health Act, it said.
Under the theme "Inspire, Involve, Illuminate," the event will serve as a platform to advance the national mental health agenda, foster collaboration across multiple sectors, and inspire action toward establishing a responsive and compassionate healthcare system that prioritizes the well-being of all Filipinos.
DOH emphasized that the initiative is in line with the health sector's new eight-point action agenda, with a focus on "Ginhawa ng Isip at Damdamin" (Relief for the mind and emotions) as a core objective.
DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa and WHO Philippines representative Dr. Rui Paolo De Jesus will lead the launch of the PCMH Strategic Framework 2024–2028.
Other expected guests include representatives from various government agencies, including the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Education. (Zekinah Elize Espina)