Network for mental health pushed

A LAWMAKER on Tuesday called for the formulation of a regional rapid response network for mental health and child protection following the shooting in Tacloban City, which killed three students and injured at least 20 others.

In a statement, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said he met with officials from the Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Commission on Higher Education to discuss immediate measures for those affected by the incident and long-term reforms to prevent similar tragedies.

Among the proposals tabled are the creation of a network of volunteer psychologists, psychiatrists, guidance counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals who can be immediately deployed to areas experiencing incidents of school violence.

Determining the root cause of the incident should not be rushed while the investigation is ongoing because there may be various factors that contributed to what happened, Mr. Romualdez said.

“We should not rush the investigation. There are many possible factors that could be contributing to such incidents — mental health, family environment, bullying, social media, access to counseling, and so on,” he said in the statement in mixed English and Filipino.

He emphasized that the safety of students is not just the responsibility of one agency but of the entire government, schools, parents, and community. — Pexcel John Bacon