Public Health = Human Rights • A human rights-based health legislation takes a more holistic approach than one that focuses only on implementation of the law. It pays equal attention to the process (making sure that people’s rights are respected within the health system) and the outcome (ensuring an improvement on patients’ health). To prioritize one over the other is to violate the concept and principle of a human rights-based approach. Setting the duties of primary government agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH), CHR, Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Education (DepEd) • Putting up a complaint and investigation mechanism against abuse, led by CHR and DOJ • “Protecting human rights is synergistic with improving public health,” says the World Health Organization (WHO). “Human rights are for everyone without discrimination. There should be no contradiction between public health and the goals of human rights.” Including mental health education in grade school, high school, and college currirula • Supporting research, especially on alternative forms of mental health therapy The Humane Approach • Creating a Philippine Mental Health Council to guarantee the implementation of the law • Appropriating funds for the implementation of the law Lopez is one of the experts who, along with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other agencies and organizations, worked on the draft of the Philippine Mental Health Law, which is also known as Republic Act No. 11036. In their proposal, Lopez and her colleagues pushed for the government to commit to the following under the human rights-based Mental Health Act: • • Ensuring the protection of people who have mental disorders and their family from any form of discrimination and cruel treatment Properly defining the term “mental disorder” to include other disorders, such as drug addiction • Identifying and upholding the rights or mental health service users, their carers, and other mental health professionals • Pushing for the establishment of a national mental health service to incorporate clinical services, community-based prevention programs, and mental health services 21 On 20 June 2018, the Philippine Mental Health Law was signed by then President Rodrigo Duterte. The Law includes most of the points in the proposal drafted by Lopez and her colleagues. It is a significant step towards a Philippines where all Filipinos living with mental health disorders, and those who love them and care for them, are treated with dignity. Quick read: • Human rights and mental health are synergistic with one another. • The Philippine Mental Health Act takes a human rights-based approach because of proposals from concerned organizations and agencies. According to them, the Mental Health Act must make sure of the following: 22