08/10/2025
Senator B**g Go on National Mental Health Week: Cultivate a compassionate, understanding, and supportive society
Senator Christopher “B**g” Go urged Filipinos to cultivate a compassionate, understanding, and supportive society during the start of the National Mental Health Week.
“It is our shared responsibility to cultivate a society that is compassionate, understanding, and supportive to those who may be silently struggling,” Go said in a video message sent to Southern Philippines Medical Center Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (SPMC- IPBM) on October 6.
Go added that it is important to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and ensure that every Filipino has access to proper mental health services.
The senator then lauded SPMC for serving as a “strong foundation in building a healthier and more inclusive community.”
As Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Go vowed to push for initiatives to improve the quality and accessibility of mental health programs in the country.
“Mental health is just as vital as physical health,” Go underscored.
Under Go’s prodding as former Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) pledged to include mental health care as part of its expanded benefit offerings.
Senator Go likewise co-authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 12080, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, to help alleviate the growing mental health challenges among students.
In addition, the proposed establishment of mental health offices in state universities and colleges is one of the senator’s priority measures in the 20th Congress. This hopes to institutionalize stronger, more responsive, and accessible mental health services for students, faculty, and personnel across all campuses.
In the explanatory note of the bill, Go stressed that the initiative responds to a disturbing rise in cases of depression, anxiety, stress, and su***de among students in SUCs.
“Strengthening mental health services in SUCs will ensure that students are not only academically supported but also emotionally and psychologically equipped to face the demands of higher education and life beyond graduation,” Go emphasized.
With depression and other mental health concerns continuing to rise among young Filipinos, Go reaffirmed his health reforms crusade, urging his fellow lawmakers and government agencies to institutionalize long-term, community-based solutions that place mental wellness at the center of national health policy.