Novilla, Vince Dominic D.

Sunga, Mary Anttoneth S.

Topic: Floods in Hagonoy Bulacan

Problem:

Flooding is one of the most common natural hazards that communities in Bulacan
face. This is commonly linked to heavy rains, typhoons, storm surges, overflowing water
bodies, and subsidence. These floods have caused disastrous outcomes. According to
the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA), an average of 20 typhoons a year visit the Philippines, and one of the
significant repercussions of typhoons is flooding. Due to worsening and intensifying
typhoons, the flooding problem is also getting worse, and two of the main reasons for
this are land subsidence and sea-level rise. Hagonoy, Bulacan, is one of the Philippines'
municipalities experiencing worsening flood levels.

Hagonoy is a coastal municipality of Bulacan with a total land area of 10,272.83

hectares. The population of Hagonoy is 133,448 in 2020 (Philippine Statistics Authority
2021). The poverty incidence is 6.1% in 2015 (PSA n.d.). Most of the villages (22 out of
26) experience flooding, affecting more than 20,000 households (Municipal Government
of Hagonoy n.d.). Tidal flooding causes damages to fishpond dikes, disruptions in
transport and trading, damage to infrastructures, and the occurrence of health problems
that can ultimately lead to death.

Topic: Substance Abuse among Youth in Metro Manila

Problem:

In the 2021, a total of only sixty-three (63) treatment and rehabilitation facilities
reported to the Treatment and Rehabilitation Admission Information System (TRAIS). Of
this, fifty-eight (58) are residential, and five (5) are outpatient. The center admissions
consist of ninety percent (90.47%) males, around nine percent (8.83%) females, and
one percent (0.70%) LGBT. The ratio of male to female is 10:1 with a computed mean
and median age of 33 years old. The youngest admission for the year under review is
13 years old while the eldest is 66. Majority of the admissions belong to the 40 years old
and above age group with twenty-eight percent (28.40%) cases. Almost thirty-seven
percent (36.60%) admitted to having taken drugs 2 to 5 times a week while
twenty-seven percent (26.77%) used drugs monthly and nineteen percent (18.91%) on
a weekly basis.

According to the Dangerous Drugs Board (2019), most drug users develop their
substance abuse in their teens. In the Philippines alone, nearly 50% of drug abuse
cases reportedly start from 15 to 19 years old. As a result, the youths who persistently
abuse substances often experience an array of problems, including academic
difficulties, health-related problems (including mental health), poor peer relationships,
and involvement with the juvenile justice system. Additionally, there are consequences
for family members, the community, and the entire society.

Topic: Literacy Rate among the youth

Problem:

The Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA is a triennial

survey of 15-year-old students around the world in three subjects: reading, mathematics
and science. The results are dismal for the Philippines. In addition, the education
system became more problematic during the pandemic which led to a drastic drop of
enrollees last 2020.

There are an estimated 315,000 public libraries in the world, 73 percent of them
in developing and transitioning countries, 1260 of which are located here in the
Philippines. The institutional land use plan intends to declare and preserve existing
institutional lands according to current use. One land use-related problem identified
under socio-economic studies is the deficiency of school facilities and school grounds
for the next decade. All public school compounds, for this reason, will remain under
institutional area. Public libraries are gateways to knowledge, providing free access to
books, educational resources, and information for all – no matter wealth, status, or
affiliation. Education itself should not be limited to formal institutions alone. It is with this
sort of educational support that Senator Angara filed Senate Bill 1879, which aims to
strengthen the Philippine public library system through continuous technological
updates, and the use of the latest in electronic library technology. The proposed bill
amends Republic Act 7743, which provides for the establishment of libraries and
barangay reading centers throughout the country.
Topic: Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center in Therapeutic Approach

Problem:

Mental illness is now the third-most common disability in the Philippines. As of

2021, six million Filipinos live with depression and anxiety. There is a rapid growth of
those who suffer mental health after the pandemic started. Poor mental health
conditions are exacerbated by a loss of job security, selective social amelioration
programs, and the overwhelmed healthcare system.

The Philippines has the third-highest rate of

mental disorders in the Western Pacific. The
mental health system has different types of
mental health facilities, and some need to be
strengthened and developed. At present, mental
hospitals are working within their capacity (in
terms of number of beds/patient), even though
there has been no increase in number of beds in
the last 5 years. Some facilities are devoted to
children and adolescents. Access to mental
health facilities is uneven across the country,
favoring those living in or near the National
Capital Region.

A person with a mental health condition

may still be in need of hospitalization even
though the majority of them won't need to
spend much time there. This is so that they
can be accurately diagnosed, have their
medication adjusted or stabilized, or undergo
surveillance during a severe episode when
their mental illness temporarily worsens.

Incorporating therapeutic architecture as an approach to hospitals or any

establishments asserts that architecture has the power to heal when utilized on its own,
but that spatial modification by architects may operate as an agent to create a
therapeutic environment that may change the patient's physical and psychological state.
According to a study by Professor Irving Biermann of the University of Southern
California, when people view scenes that are universally recognized as being calming to
the mind and eyes, such as lovely panoramas, sunsets, or groves of trees, the brain's
nerve cells become active and the brain's natural painkillers begin to flow, which lowers
the patient's stress levels and promotes calmness.

It is critical to recognize that mental health does not just refer to the presence or
absence of a mental disorder. Understanding the critical nature of mental health
treatment is critical, and now more than ever, it must be a priority.

References
Angara, S. M. (2020, November 5). Upgrading our public libraries for the next
normal | Sonny M. Angara. Retrieved from
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/11/05/upgrading-our-public-libraries-for-the-n
ext-normal/
Arevalo, M. V. (2022, April). Addressing the Gaps in the Philippine Public Mental
Health Strategy. Retrieved from
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(22)00040-2/full
text
Dev-site. (2019, November 22). The scary facts about teenage drug abuse.
Retrieved from
https://www.makatimed.net.ph/blogs/the-scary-facts-about-teenage-drug-abuse/
Flooding and Subsidence Research. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369742698_Flooding_and_Subsidence
_Research_Bulacan_Province_Northern_Manila_Bay_Area_Philippines
Hospitalization. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.mhanational.org/hospitalization
Therapeutic architecture: Role of architecture in healing process. (2022,
February 1). Retrieved from
https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a597-therapeutic-arc
hitecture-role-of-architecture-in-healing-process/
Why it's time to care about your mental health. (2021, November 15). Retrieved
from
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