Mental health in our country is stigmatized, made worse by a meager annual budget. Mental health is one of our country\u2019s under-resourced sectors. The appropriation earmarked by the Department of Health worth 2.1 billion pesos for next year could possibly change this.<\/p>\n
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\u201dThis ANAKALUSUGAN Party-list Representative Ray Florence Reyes said as he commended the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for setting aside P2.1 billion under the annual appropriations of the Department of Health specifically for mental health programs.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe allocation is a huge mark-up from last year\u2019s P568.04 million budget. With this amount for 2023 we can improve, create, and provide more services for Filipinos suffering from mental health issues,\u201d Rep. Reyes stated.<\/p>\n
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A study conducted on the Philippines\u2019 mental health situation by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine showed that government hospitals and the state health insurer only cover in-patient services. This means that outpatient cases suffering from mental health illnesses still cover 100% of treatment cost from their own pockets.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt is greatly hoped that this budget increase can lessen the financial burden on our countrymen. This is surely a positive step towards the drive to break the stigma associated with mental illness, as it creates opportunities for improvement in officially funded health- centric priorities,\u201d Rep. Reyes stated.<\/p>\n
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DOH indicated that around 3.6 million Filipinos suffered mental disorders at the height of the pandemic. It is also the third most common disability in the country. Further, the country recorded the third highest rate of mental disorders per capita in the Western Pacific region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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