The city council during its regular session on April 20 discussed key issues regarding the mental health status of frontliners and the youth during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Authorities in professional counseling briefed the council on the urgent need for an intervention to address mental health challenges experienced by frontliners as the entire Luzon area enters its sixth week under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
Christine Camsol, Chapter Executive Manager of the Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA Baguio-Benguet Chapter) and Angeli Bustillo, Vice Chairman of Integrated Professional Counselors Association of the Philippines said health care providers and other essential workers in the city need “psychosocial debriefing” to help them ward off anxiety disorders and clinical depression.
Camsol suggested a weekly debriefing session for the frontliners including the barangay officials. However, with the amount of responsibility placed on the frontliners which hinders the conduct of a face-to-face debriefing session, she said a good alternative would be to call the PMHA’s hotlines.
Councilor Michael Lawana said he had observed a drastic change in the temperament of barangay officials since the onset of the ECQ due to the multitude of problems they encounter.
“May hindi na natutulog at naliligo. And if you talk to them, parang palagi silang galit,” Lawana explained.
The ABC president said he will support whatever necessary action the city will undertake to protect the mental health of barangay frontliners during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Ricky Ducas, Founder of Anxiety and Depression Support Group- Baguio, said he is currently working with Councilors Levy Lloyd Orcales and Joel Alangsab to push for the conduct of a debriefing program for the city’s frontliners.
Levy Lloyd Orcales, Chairperson of the Committee on Youth and Welfare Development, earlier expressed concern on the youth in the city as many of them are suffering from isolation and fear brought about by the imposed Luzon-wide community quarantine.
The young legislator also reported there are hundreds of students in the city who cannot return to their hometowns or provinces due to the travel ban. Restriction on mobility and other challenges faced by the youth take a toll on their mental well-being, he said.
Orcales also narrated an incident involving a 20-year-old female resident of Aurora Hill who attempted to commit suicide but was stopped by relatives. He said such incident is not isolated as many reports had reached his office about stranded students wanting to go home to their hometowns/provinces which resulted in high levels of loneliness and isolation.
“There are some students and individuals who are now experiencing depression, distress, anxiety, and uncertainty because of the current situation,” Orcales stressed.
In light of the foregoing discussion, the council passed a resolution requesting all academic institutions, the PMHA, and other organizations focusing on mental health to provide online psychological support services for distressed students and other individuals in the city amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The resolution calls for the provision of social media platforms in order to intensify the promotion of mental health especially among the youth while the community quarantine continues .
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, Councilors Joel Alangsab and Benny Bomogao, in their version of the same resolution, echoed the call of the youth council representative saying there is a need to “popularize” online support services to reach out to those in need on a larger scale.
They mentioned social media, vlogs, teleconference, and blogs as other means to provide psychological support to distressed individuals aside from text messaging and the traditional tri-media.
Furthermore, Orcales and Alangsab announced they are planning to collaborate with the City Health Services Office and concerned individuals for the crafting of an ordinance that will address mental health issues and will promote the wellbeing of people in the City of Baguio.
Meanwhile, Councilor Isabelo Cosalan, through a resolution, requested the chief executive to activate the Baguio City Character Council in order to provide services to the government employees in order to boost their mental, psychological, and spiritual wellness for the duration of the ECQ. **Jordan G. Habbiling
