The Philippine Mental Health Community Manifesto (2021)

We, the Philippine Mental Health Community, believe that there is no universal health without mental health. We also believe that mental health is an essential and fundamental human right.

Our community is composed of individuals, families, communities and organizations that share a vision of a Filipino nation where everyone is seen, heard and enabled to achieve a high level of mental health and well-being. With us are people with lived experience; their carers and supporters; advocates; mental health workers; and other members of society who continue to experience stigma and discrimination such as those who live with HIV/AIDS, have disability, live in armed conflict areas, identify as LGBTQIA+, belong to ethnolinguistic groups, or are economically disadvantaged.

We aspire for a world where:

• mental health is valued, promoted, and protected as an integral part of the Filipino value system;
• consciousness for mental health and well-being is evident in every Filipino household, sector, and institution;
• there is no stigma, shame nor discrimination for people diagnosed with mental illness;
• quality mental health services are available, affordable, and  accessible to every Filipino;
• people with lived experience are seen, heard,  empowered, and treated with dignity as members of society;
• self-care to promote one’s mental health and well-being is normalized;
• death, disability, and loss of productivity are associated with mental illness decline.

Together, we have achieved milestones and made significant strides to turn our plans into actions. Collaborations among organizations have been fostered. Conversations surrounding mental health were initiated and welcomed in communities, schools, workplaces, and other settings.

Meaningful conversations have strengthened advocacies and call for policy reforms. Our collective movement made history and resulted in positive changes in the Philippine mental health landscape. The historic passage of the Mental Health Act is a testament to the power of this collective action. 

We affirm our commitment to actively participate in promoting and protecting the mental health of every Filipino. 

We call on our policymakers and implementers to prioritize mental health in their leadership agenda.

We call on business leaders and companies to invest in mental health and create an enabling environment where people’s mental health is taken care of. 

We call on the media and creative industry to communicate mental health concepts that are easier to understand, improve mental health literacy, reduce stigma on mental health, mental illnesses, and suicide.

We call on all members of the Philippine Mental Health Community to come together and sustain the collective movement in championing mental health across self, society, and systems.

We call on family members and peers to start talking about mental health in the households and whenever possible.

We call on the Filipino youth voters to take the lead in engaging our future candidates in the coming 2022 national elections and encourage them to include mental health in their plans and agenda.

Now, more than ever, we need to put mental health at the front and center of our programs, plans, and value system. 

By coming together, we advance our vision to reality. 

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