Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEEN CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 12345

Introduced by Glomarie M. Gonayon

AN ACT MAKING MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION COMPULSORY IN PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

SECTION 1. Short Title. – This act shall be known as the “Mental Health Education Act
of 2018”.
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes the role of the youth in
nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and
social well-being.
The State commits itself to promoting the well-being of the youth, particularly, on
aspects that concerns their mental health. Educating the youth about the importance of
mental health will have a long-lasting, positive effect on our society. The youth must be taught
that maintaining good mental health is an absolute life skill and that it is just as important as
a tool in understanding the body as physical education and biology.
The State shall tackle the burning injustice of mental health problems so that future
generations can develop into resilient, confident adults, equipped to go as far as their talents
will take them.
 SECTION 3. Objectives. – The objectives of this Act are as follows:
(a) Implement a statewide educational program that would explain the brain science
behind mental illness, help students learn how to improve their own mental well-being, and
reduce the stigma around mental health;
(b) Intended to help students understand more about emotional and mental wellness,
and help them understand when to seek help for themselves or others;
(c) Educate children of all ages about mental health so that they will learn how to
recognize early symptoms in themselves and their friends and seek help before a crisis
develops;
(d) Tackle the burning injustice of mental health problems so that future generations
can develop into resilient, confident adults, equipped to go as far as their talents will take
them;
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the following terms are
hereby defined as follows:
(a) Mental Health is conventionally defined as a hybrid of absence of a mental disorder
and presence of well-being. It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It
affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to
others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood
and adolescence through adulthood.
(b) Mental Illness is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or
impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting,
or occur as a single episode.
(c) Mental Health Education refers to a variety of necessary and vital education and
services created and designed to educate, equip, empower, train and provide students in a
school with the ability, awareness, experience, knowledge, skills, solutions, tools, technology
and wisdom to change, improve, manage, monitor and maintain their mental health and to
raise awareness of the value of the mental health of a person and when action is required.
(d) Curriculum refers to the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college.

CHAPTER II
MANDATORY MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
SECTION 5. Compulsory Mental Health Instruction in Primary and Secondary Schools. –
The state shall require all primary and secondary schools to include mental health education
in its curriculum. This shall be made mandatory.
Mental health classes shall be incorporated in a proposed New Curriculum dedicated
to promote mental health awareness in schools.
 CHAPTER III
NEW MENTAL HEALTH CURRICULUM
SECTION 6. Promoting a greater understanding of the various mental health conditions
– The new mental health curriculum aims to empower students to understand the crucial links
between mental and physical health., and how to get help when it is needed.
SECTION 7. Mental Health Education forming part of the health class curriculum –
Schools will teach about mental health as part of health education classes. Guidelines as to
how mental health instruction shall be taught are as follows:
(a) Not only does the new curriculum promote greater understanding of various
mental health conditions, but classes also include exercises in describing feelings, and
developing increased emotional intelligence over time.

(b) New mental health education classes shall not be the same as the typical
introduction to psychology courses. Students shall be taught valuable life skills that they can
apply in practical ways. Learning to practice self-care is an important part of the new
curriculum, as is addressing stigmas as barriers to treatment.

(c) Students shall be taught how to access resources if they or someone close to them
is experiencing a mental health crisis.

(d) Students hall be given tools they need to navigate any mental health problems they
might encounter, and learn to recognize when a friend or loved one might be struggling.
When young people learn about mental health, and that it is an important aspect of overall
health and well-being, the likelihood increases that they will be able to effectively recognize
signs and symptoms in themselves and others and will know where to turn for help. This will
decrease the stigma that attaches to help-seeking.
SECTION 8. Role of School Teachers – School teachers will be encouraged to
incorporate the topic of mental illness into subjects such as science, literature, history and
social studies whenever possible. Health teachers will be called on to develop lesson plans
that describe the disease of mental illness, methods of treating it, and healthy coping
techniques students can use to protect themselves and their friends from the mounting
pressures of school life.
 CHAPTER IV
MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS
RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

SECTION 9. Mandatory Requirement – Every teacher qualified to teach shall comply

with the provisions of the mandatory continuing education requirements of this section.
Teachers who do not satisfy the mandatory continuing education requirements shall not
teach until they have met such requirements and have been issued a certificate of
completion.
SECTION 10. Training for teachers -. The continuing education program shall train
teachers to accomplish safe de-escalation of crisis situations, recognition of the signs and
symptoms of mental illness, and timely referral to mental health services, the early stages of
developing mental disorders. The program shall also provide additional resources necessary
for teachers to assist 20 students in crisis to connect with appropriate mental health care
services, training on mental health resources, including the location of community mental
health centers in the local community and training on action plans and protocols for referral
to such resources.

CHAPTER IV
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SECTION 11. Duties and Responsibilities of the Department of Education (DepEd) – the
DepEd shall:
(a) Integrate age-appropriate content pertaining to mental health curriculum at
all primary and secondary levels both in all public and private schools;
(b) Develop guidelines and standards on age-appropriate and evidenced-based
mental health programs both in public and private institutions;
(c) Pursue strategies that promote the realization of mental health and well-
being in educational institutions; and
(d) Ensure that mental health promotions in public and private educational
institutions shall be adequately complemented with qualified mental health professionals.
(e) Initiate and provide trainings, seminars or conventions tackling issues about
mental health
(f) Accredit agencies or entities conducting trainings or seminar pursuant to the
continuing education program
 CHAPTER V
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 12. Penalty Clause – Any person who commits any of the following acts shall
upon conviction by final judgement, be punished by imprisonment of not less than six (6)
months, but not more than two (2) years or a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos
(P50,000.00), but not more than Five hundred thousand pesos, (P500,000.00), or both, at
the discretion of the court:
(a) Non-compliance of the required mental health instruction as provided under
Section 7 of this Act;
(b) Non-completion of the continuing education required for teachers as
indicated under Section 9 and 10 of this Act
(c) Discrimination against a person with a mental health condition
If the violation is committed by a juridical person, the penalty provided for in this Act
shall be imposed upon the directors, officers, employees or other officials or persons therein
responsible for the offense.
If the violation is committed by an alien, the alien offender shall be immediately
deported after service of sentence without need of further proceedings.
These penalties shall be without prejudice to the administrative or civil liability of the
offender, or the facility where such violation occurred.
SECTION 13. Appropriations – The amount needed for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the 2019 appropriations of the DepEd for the following:
maintenance and other operating expenses of the mental health education program, capital
outlays for the development of mental health educational facilities in schools.
SECTION 14. Separability Clause – If any provisions of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions
shall not be affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
SECTION 15. Repealing Clause – All laws, decrees, executive orders, department or
memorandum orders and other administrative issuances or parts thereof which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby modified, superseded of repealed
accordingly.