As part of its resolute effort and commitment toward a 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴, the Department of Health (DOH), in collaboration with partner agencies and organizations, is presently spearheading a 17-𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘨 𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘯, a nationwide initiative celebrating various health events, in which more than 200 SorSUeño students actively took part in its various engaging mental health education activities, held at SorSU Covered Court, Sorsogon City Campus, on October 11, 2023.
With the theme: “𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺”, the nationwide event, particularly in the Bicol Region, is centered on championing mental well-being (in observance of 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩), which includes four different stations, namely: 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶; 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴; 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦, 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦; and 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘬, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘶𝘣 that the students proactively engaged in.
Prior to the highlight of the Biyaheng Kalusugan, a short program was held, wherein DOH officials, as well as partner agencies and private organizations, extended their messages of support in the undertaking.
As introduced by Dr. Ernie V. Vera (Regional Director, DOH CHD-Bicol), Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire, MPH, CESO II (Undersecretary of Health, Public Health and Services Team) also graced the event at SorSU and delivered an inspirational speech, highlighting the DOH initiative to fulfill the universal healthcare promise in delivering quality and affordable healthcare to every Filipino, which now places mental health at the forefront.
𝘼𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙝𝙖𝙩 — “𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝. 𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯, 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘶𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘰𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘥.”
Meanwhile, SUC President III, Dr. Geraldine F. De Jesus, emphasized that the alarming increase of cases related to mental health among Filipinos is a call for action not just for the DOH, but rather all agencies and sectors of society must join hands to address the issue that affects everyone and promote the general welfare of the Filipino nation.
“𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥. 𝙄𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨. 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙜𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚ñ𝙤𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡-𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣-𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
Further, Ms. Nicole Bejo (MHPH Mental Health Ambassador) asserted, as she shared her own struggles with mental health, being diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 2017, that the effort to communicate and promote mental health awareness purposely was only in its infancy and there is an urgent need to put mental health on the public health policy law.
In addition, Hon. Ma. Ester E. Hamor (Mayor, City Government of Sorsogon), in her speech, likewise assured the DOH of strong support of the City of Sorsogon to the former’s mental health initiatives. Similarly, Dr. Maria Priscilla Fajardo (PHO I, Provincial Health Office) Dr. Camille Therese Yusay, RPsy, RPm (USAID Social Behavior Change Technical Team Lead) reiterated that they are one with the advocacies of the department.
As a response to the messages of support from the guests and ambassadors, Dr. Gladys Demdam-Escote (Provincial DOH Officer, PGS) expressed her deep appreciation for the open lines of communication that were fostered, enabling them to exchange ideas, provide feedback, and resolve any issues promptly and effectively as well as conveyed her positive outlook toward many more years of shared success with its partner agencies.
A pledge of commitment among the invited partner agencies and guests subsequently ensued, which sealed the dedication of the aforementioned agencies in prioritizing everyone’s mental well-being. Moreover, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official inauguration of the various health activities for the afternoon session. Present also during the event were Dr. Alfonso Miguel Regala (Chief, Behavior Change and Social Mobilization Division), Dr. Rolando Dealca (City Health Officer), and other DOH Central Office staff & other key officials.
Relatively, Biyaheng Kalusugan is one of the Healthy Pilipinas campaign initiatives to foster and strengthen health literacy and empower Filipinos to effectively practice the Seven (7) Healthy Habits: (1) Move more, eat right; (2) Be clean, live sustainably; (3) Get vaccinated; (4) Don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol, say no to drugs; (5) Care for yourself, care for others; (6) Practice safe sex; (7) Do no harm, put safety first.
𝘼𝙨 𝙖 𝙋𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙮 𝙋𝙪𝙨𝙤, 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙎𝙐𝙚ñ𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙, 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙙 — 𝙛𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. (SorSU PIO)
