ComPASSION: VM Bebot Rodriguez shares passion and compassion on #MentalHealthMatters

MENTAL health is an integral part of our overall well-being. It is a complex and serious issue that remains to be less spoken about, stigmatized, and the worst – disregarded. So the questions lie: How can we resolve it when care is replaced by scare? What do we do next when taking the first step forward is the hardest?

In 2019, the Philippine Mental Health Association, Inc. in Cagayan de Oro revealed alarming statistics: 1 out of 4 suicides in our city involved individuals below the age of 18, 33% were within the age range of 20 to 29, and 21% were between 30 and 39 years old. In the first four months of 2023 alone, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDDRRMD) documented a surge in self-inflicted deaths with 47 recorded cases or 162% increase compared to 2022.

Photo credits: VM Bebot Rodriguez official Facebook page

Heeding the call to confront this pressing issue, Vice Mayor Jocelyn “Bebot” Rodriguez, a dedicated psychiatric nurse and mental health advocate, spearheaded the filing of the Mental Health Code of the City of Cagayan de Oro when she assumed office in 2019 as City Councilor. This groundbreaking legislation, with Councilor Joyleen Mercedes L. Balaba and Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane as its co-principal authors, was unanimously enacted on June 6, 2022.

The Mental Health Code introduces a comprehensive approach to the development of the City Mental Health Care Delivery System, emphasizing community-based care that encompasses preventive, curative, and reintegration services for all affected individuals. By transitioning from predominantly hospital-based mental care to community-based care, the ordinance seeks to facilitate improved, efficient, and easily accessible mental health services.

Among its key provisions is the access to effective, culturally appropriate, and gender-sensitive mental health care and treatment. The Mental Health Code also mandates that all educational institutions in Cagayan de Oro incorporate mental health education into their curriculum, with the establishment of teen centers designed to enhance guidance and counseling services for young, developing teens. 

Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez is optimistic that, with the passage of relevant legislations and the right approach and mechanisms, more Kagay-anons will stop suffering in silence.

Now more than ever, it is crucial to address this issue with a clear message that mental health is not just an individual concern but a collective responsibility. The wrath it brings spares no one, affecting individuals from all walks of life. 

Guided by the tenets of the Mental Health Code, our city can lead the way in creating a future where nobody faces their challenges alone, and that we can slowly break down the barriers that hinder individuals from seeking help, with strong passion and gentle compassion.