Pampanga First District Congressman Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. filed House Bill No. 8084 on February 25, 2026, seeking to require all provinces, cities, and municipalities in the Philippines to establish 24/7 mental health and suicide crisis hotlines.
Under the proposed measure, each local government unit (LGU) would operate the hotline through trained personnel, including social workers, registered guidance counselors, and qualified mental health professionals. The hotlines would coordinate with local hospitals, health facilities, and educational institutions to ensure crisis intervention, emergency response, and continuity of care.
“The growing mental health crisis affects individuals regardless of age, environment, social status, race, or gender,” Lazatin said, emphasizing the need for accessible, immediate assistance.
HB 8084 also encourages LGUs to collaborate with local colleges and universities to provide free and timely support for those in need.
Lazatin cited alarming statistics: during the 2021-2022 school year, 404 students committed suicide while 2,147 attempted suicide, according to the Department of Education. Meanwhile, the Department of Health’s National Center for Mental Health hotline received 961 calls between December 21, 2025 and January 2, 2026.
“There is an urgent need to expand mental health resources in the country and make substantial government investments in this sector,” Lazatin said.
The lawmaker has a long history of advocating for mental health programs. As Angeles City Mayor, Lazatin led rescue missions for mentally-challenged individuals found in public spaces, sending them to partner rehabilitation institutions and providing counseling for their families. By January 2025, the Angeles LGU had funded the rehabilitation of 208 individuals, with 109 successfully discharged and reunited with their families.
(𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝐿𝐺𝑈 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦-𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦.)
