CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The city government is stepping up assistance to people dealing with mental issues. The City Social Welfare and Development Office is currently hiring people who can help the Psychosocial Division with its mental helpline, said Ivy Guantero, head of the City Information Office.
CAGAYAN de Oro City Police Office chief Aaron Mandia, together with religious groups, offer a prayer during a prayer crusade on the Maharlika Bridge on Sunday night, May 7. (Photo courtesy of COCPO) People who are experiencing mental health problems may contact the helpline by sending a message through 09700392709 (Smart). This service is available on weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Apart from the mental helpline at CSWDO, they may also call 911 for help. Jaymee Leonen-Pagaspas, head of the Psychosocial Division of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, has stressed the importance of family support to an individual dealing with mental health problems. Pagaspas said that a strong support system from the family is significant to fighting and solving the depression of an individual, stressing that every family must know how to support a member who experiences mental health problems. "I think kana ang ato kinahanglan tun-an. Kulang gihapon atong pamaagi sa pagpaminaw, pagsabot, paggahin og panahon sa atong kapamilya (that’s what we need to learn. We still lack in our ways of listening, understanding, and giving time to our family)," Pagaspas said in an interview over iFM Cagayan de Oro. The city psychosocial division has been campaigning about mental health since 2017, but could not cater to all people seeking help. Thus, Leonen asked for the public’s help to learn the importance of a strong support system. Meanwhile, the city government has deployed police and barangay tanods or watchmen to secure bridges here following a series of depression-related incidents recently. This was implemented following an emergency meeting held by the Psychosocial Division on Saturday, May 6. The meeting was also attended by some city hall departments. Nick Jabagat, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD), said he is still awaiting the schedule of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) to finalize the force that will guard the bridges. In the meantime, the local government, through the Office of Community Affairs, tapped barangays tanods from Barangays 17, Kauswagan, and Consolacion to man the Maharlika Bridge (popularly known as Marcos Bridge), where most of these incidents took place. "Since Saturday night, we already have personnel who conducted a roving there (Maharlika Bridge) just in case there would be another attempt. But our target is that there should be personnel who will man, especially after school hours," Jabagat said in the vernacular in an interview on Monday, May 8. Police Lt. Col. Evan Viñas, COCPO spokesperson, on the other hand, said they have ensured their intervention by conducting police visibility and mobile patrolling in various areas here. On Sunday night, May 7, some religious groups here, together with the police, conducted a prayer crusade on the Maharlika Bridge as part of their initiative in providing intervention.