2019 School Mental Health Program, Projects and Activities 

2019 School Mental Health Activities 

Recognizing the importance of instilling the value of overall health and wellness among learners, teachers and other personnel, the Department of Education (DepEd) lauded the Oplan Kalusugan (OK) sa DepEd Program for School Year 2019-2020. Launched in 2018, OK sa DepEd is a “convergence of DepEd’s health programs, plans, policies, and activities for effective and efficient implementation at the school level, in partnership with various stakeholders.” This program effectively acclaims five major school health initiatives such as the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), National Drug Education Program (NDEP), Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) Education, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools (WinS), and Medical, Dental, and Nursing Services. However, according to BLSS Director Rizalino Jose Rosales, “One cannot overemphasize how our learners’ health is key to helping us realize our vision for them. There is no health when there is no mental health.” Thus, to ensure a holistic moulding of the learners, mental health has been added to the existing initiatives resulting now to a six flagship programs to attain the learners’ full education potential.

The School Mental Health Program was added as the sixth flagship program focusing on the fulfillment of the DepEd’s mandate under Republic Act No. 11036 or the Mental Health Act. Thus, with the mandate on Mental Health initiatives, the City Schools Division of Cabuyao participated by encouraging Schools to perform different activities related to the flagship program. As a consequence, activities focusing on mental health like:

• Film showing of various type of mental health/ psychological problems encountered by the learners;

• Poster Making which vividly exposed how the learners view the mental health problem;

• Posting of materials related to the program such that it could serve as a medium to make other learners aware of the condition or the mental health care itself;

• Mental Health Awareness delivered thru Discussion/ Symposium/ Lecture which could immediately pass the information to the focus of the program which is the basic concern of DepEd’s mandate;

• Positive Mind Setting thru Laughing exercise, Zumba or wellness dance exercise, I.e., different activities which could serve to stimulate positive energy among learners and school personnel as well; and the last but not the least among the activities carried out in the school level

• Monitoring & counselling of learners with behavioral problems which is performed by the guidance counsellor of the school participating.