President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday signed into law the “Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act”.
The law aims to institutionalize the mental health and well-being programs for both basic education learners and teaching and non-teaching personnel in public and private schools.
This is to ensure that students and teachers are emotionally and mentally “equipped to excel” amid facing modern challenges.
“Today, we renew our promise to every Filipino: that they will not only succeed academically but thrive holistically. Together, we envision a Philippines where mental health is prioritized alongside education, fostering a generation equipped to lead with resilience, compassion, and with purpose,” Marcos Jr. said in his speech during the ceremonial signing at the Malacañan Palace.
“When our learners and school personnel are mentally healthy, academic performance improves, absenteeism decreases, and a culture of compassion and understanding flourishes. Beyond being a safeguard to our youth and school personnel, this law is also an investment in the intellectual, emotional, and social future and development of our nation,” he added.
According to the President, this law allows schools to become “sanctuaries of learning and of well-being.”
Care Centers will be established in every public basic education school, headed by a School Counselor, and assisted by School Counselor Associates that will provide counseling and stress management workshops and implement programs that will help reduce stigma on mental health.
Marcos Jr. also tagged the legislation as urgent and undeniable, citing how mental health challenges could cost 16 trillion in losses by 2030 globally.
“Locally, the toll is evident in decreased academic outcomes, burnout, and turnover rates among students and school personnel,” he said, adding the Act’s role is to reduce the said losses by making our students more productive and ready to contribute to nation building.
In the same event, the Chief Executive also signed two more laws including the Value Added Tax (VAT) Refund for Non-Resident Tourists and Amendments to Agricultural Tariffication Act (ATA).
Before concluding his speech, Marcos Jr. called on Filipinos to support and drive all three initiatives forward.
“Let us safeguard and empower our farmers, uplift our tourism industry, and provide mental health support. Together, let us create a future where every Filipino has the opportunity to succeed, to live a balanced life, to contribute to the collective prosperity of the nation,” he said.
“These three laws are not just policies— they are commitments. Commitments to the Filipino farmer, commitment to the Filipino worker, the Filipino entrepreneur, the Filipino learner, and to every single citizen who dreams of a brighter, more resilient, and more progressive Bagong Pilipinas.”
