The day after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Mental Health Law into force on 21 June, the #HelpIsHere hashtag circulated quickly across different social media platforms in the Philippines. For many Filipinos, it had been a long time coming.
Cedric Hodreal is among those celebrating the passage of the law. He’s been living with post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and major depression for a year now and has been undertaking medication and cognitive behavioural therapy.
“I think the biggest benefit of the law, at least for me, is society as a whole acknowledging that it’s a legitimate problem, that people with mental health sickness are sick and not just acting out,” he says.
Members only
Log in or
Join New Naratif as a member to continue reading
We are independent, ad-free and pro-democracy. Our operations are member-funded. Membership starts from just US$5/month! Alternatively, write to sponsorship@newnaratif.com to request a free sponsored membership. As a member, you are supporting fair payment of freelancers, and a movement for democracy and transnational community building in Southeast Asia.
