CEBU, Philippines — Aside from boosting tourism and resolving crimes, local chief executives, especially in Metro Cebu, should create programs or improve existing services that attend to people with mental disorders.
Dr. Renato “Rene”' Obra, head of the Center for Behavioral Sciences (CBS) at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, said local officials should be reminded of their responsibility to care for people who could not help themselves.
He pointed out that mayors should formulate programs and initiate projects that address their respective mental health issues and concerns, especially now that Republic Act 11036 or the Philippine Mental Health Act has been enacted.
Obra said he is one of those elated of this law's passage but he underscored that policies will be useless if the government fails to implement them.
He also asked how a local government unit can promote to tourists a place where mentally ill people are all over wandering the streets.
"Mag-unsa man ng sige'g paugmad sa turismo pero pwerting daghanang naglaroy-laroy sa kadalanan. Tutokan pud unta na sa mga opisyal ang maong problema," he told The FREEMAN over a phone interview.
Obra said this situation is even more evident in progressing localities in Metro Cebu that have several destination sites frequently visited both by locals and foreigners.
The problem is, he said, the VSMMC facility could hardly accommodate many patients as much as the management wanted to due to limited resources.
Obra said one of the important roles of mayors is to push for substantial budget to fund mental health-related programs and initiatives that alleviate the problem and address them at the grassroots level.
Aside from focusing much on tourism, opening programs for mental health can somehow help in preventing crimes or any unfavorable incident.
Obra said some people with severe mental disorder have a tendency to become violent.
Just like the recent case of Jeffrey Cañedo, who came desperate to seek an archbishop's counsel over a "troubled" marriage. But the July 10 visit to the Archbishop's residence in Cebu City went bloody after he reportedly refused to surrender his gun to the policemen. Cañedo was later on killed in an alleged encounter.
The following day, Cebu archdiocese spokesperson Msgr. Joseph Tan disclosed to reporters that Cañedo was believed to have suffered from depression according to his family.
Tan said Cañedo's family shared that the man was already hearing voices. Before seeking the archbishop's help, Cañedo has reportedly visited several priests to ask for spiritual guidance.
Tan said people could not directly conclude that Cañedo had intentions to kill the archbishop but one thing he is sure of, Cañedo is not the main culprit but it is depression.
Obra said if depression is not treated, things could go the hard way.
He said becoming violent is one of the manifestations of people with depression, aside from resorting to suicide.
These incidents can be regarded as extreme reactions of people with depression.
He advised people, who suspect of falling to depression, to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist.
People should overcome the stigma that gives an impression of a person as insane if one sees a psychiatrist. (FREEMAN)