Makati City, Philippines – Children are among the most vulnerable population groups in society. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 16.8 percent of Filipinos students aged 13 to 17 have attempted suicide at least once within a year. Moreover, around 10 to 15 percent of children aged 5 to 10 are affected by mental health problems. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to worsen these numbers due to the quarantine setup, online learning, and health care services unavailability in addressing children’s mental health.
As part of its advocacy on mental health and in line with the World Mental Health Day celebration, Virlanie Foundation celebrated Mental Health Day last October 16, 2021, with the theme: “E-Connect: Physically Apart, Emotionally Connected”.
The virtual celebration was organized by the Health Services Program, in collaboration with the Independent Living Program (ILP), that aims to achieve the following objectives:
1. To increase the awareness of what is mental health and its importance
2. To promote taking care of one’s health
3. To promote supporting others especially in this time of pandemic
