DAVAO DEL NORTE, Oct. 21 (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is among the first to implement the RA 11036 or the Mental Health Law signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on June 21, 2018

In a radio program Pamana ng Pagbabago Series,  DSWD Home for the Aged – Psychological Services Unit Head, Viel Jan W. Apog, RPm, cited the DSWD Administrative Order No. 5, Series of 2021 implementing the provisions of the Mental Health Law  covering its personnel nationwide.

“Aduna tay Administrative Order No. 5, s. of 2021, kana sya nga AO gikan sa national or the central office nagapromote ni sya for the mental health programs of the DSWD personnel. So naa ddto ang mga mandate unsa ang dapat buhaton, unsa ang mga activities, programs nga pwede mabuhat sa agency para mapromote ang mental health, (We have the Administrative Order No. 5 s. of 2021 from the central office promoting the mental health programs for the DSWD personnel. It contains the mandates for the activities and programs that the agency could deliver to promote the mental health),” Apog explained.

Employees suffering from mental health conditions with the proper clinical diagnosis are also protected from being immediately relieved from their job, he added.

“Sa amoa naa na tay example, dili ka pwede tanggalon deretso sa trabaho kung nagsuffer ka ug mga mental health-related conditions. Dili ka pwede tanggalon deretso kay ginaprotektahan nana karon sa atoang gobyerno nga dili ta pwede madiscriminate tungod lang kay naa tay mental health concern, (For example, you must not be relieved from duty automatically if you are suffering from mental health conditions. It is prohibited to relieve you from office immediately because the government protects us from being discriminated just because we have mental health concerns),” Apog said.

Meanwhile, he also gave tips to foster a good work-life balance habit.

“Kasi daghang mga problem nga mag-arise sa trabaho nga wala sa pamilya. So, make sure na ma-achieve nimo ang imong mga target output sa kana nga day. Then as much as possible, likayan nimo ang mag-overtime meaning, kung ting-out na, mag-out naka. Kung ting time-in, kung kaya nimo magsayo kaayo, pagsayo, kung gaan ra sa imoha magsayo, (There are a lot of problems arising in the workplace that are not present in the family. So, make sure that you’ll achieve your target outputs for that day and as much as possible avoid doing overtime. If it’s time to go home, then go home. If you can get too early to work and if it’s easy for you then be early),” he said. (PIA XI Davao del Norte/jmda/Ezri M. Coda, Jr.)