Bacolod City Approves Ordinance to Enhance Barangay-Based Mental Health Services

The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod approved on first reading an ordinance aimed at institutionalizing a barangay-based mental health program to bolster mental health services across the city. Authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., the "Mental Health Care Ordinance of Bacolod City" designates the City Health Department, via the Bacolod City Mental Health Center, as the leading agency for this initiative. An initial budget of P1 million has been allocated to launch this integrated and comprehensive program.

Councilor Gamboa emphasized that the ordinance is grounded in international human rights frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It recognizes the rights of individuals with mental disabilities to equality, dignity, privacy, autonomy, and active participation.

The ordinance underscores Bacolod City’s commitment to safeguarding the fundamental right to mental health by equipping barangay frontline workers with the necessary training and resources to provide appropriate interventions. These interventions span prevention, protection, care, treatment, and rehabilitation stages.

Moreover, the ordinance proposes the transformation of the existing 2015 Bacolod City Mental Health Committee into the Bacolod City Mental Health Council (BCMHC). This Council will act as the central body for policy development, planning, and program implementation.

The BCMHC will be chaired by the city Mayor, with the Vice Mayor serving as vice-chair and the City Health Department acting as secretariat. Its members will include representatives from key city departments, Sangguniang Panlungsod committees, and diverse sectors such as youth, education, labor, legal affairs, planning, gender and development, as well as barangay officials.

The Council will also include two representatives from private organizations or NGOs, members from the General Parents Teachers Community Association, the Philippine Psychological Association, the Philippine Psychiatric Association, and academic or health research institutions.

The BCMHC is tasked with drafting, periodically reviewing, and executing the Bacolod City Mental Health Action Plan. It will also be responsible for updating the plan as necessary and submitting annual progress reports to the Mayor's Office, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and council members.

Councilor Gamboa highlighted that once enacted, the ordinance will pave the way for a more responsive and readily accessible mental health care system in Bacolod City. It aims to strengthen services across all barangays by integrating mental health care into the city’s broader public health and social support frameworks.