ILOILO City — Teachers and parents will be equipped to spot early warning signs of mental health problems among students under an expanded city government program aimed at ensuring troubled children get help before their condition worsens.
Mayor Raisa Treñas said the city is developing a school-community support and referral system that will train teachers and parents to recognize behavioral and emotional red flags and guide them on what to do, where to seek professional assistance and how families can participate in interventions.
“Indi lang ang students ang tutukan naton. We also have to take care of the mental health of our teachers,” Treñas said.
“At the same time, tudluan man naton sila how to spot the red flags sa aton kabataan para temprano pa lang, makahimo na kita sang dapat nga bulig,” she added.
The expanded approach broadens the city’s mental health initiative beyond direct assistance to students by recognizing teachers and parents as crucial partners in detecting problems at an early stage.
Treñas said teachers are particularly important because they regularly interact with students and may notice changes in their behavior, emotions or overall well-being.
The city plans to provide teachers with appropriate training to identify possible warning signs and determine the proper steps when a student needs assistance.
“We need to make sure that our teachers are also taken care of because they are the ones who are constantly with our children in school,” Treñas said.
Parents will likewise be brought into the program through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), extending the support system from classrooms into students’ homes.
Treñas stressed that parents have a critical role in understanding what their children may be experiencing and in providing support once concerns are detected in school.
Under the proposed mechanism, schools and families will be linked to a clear referral and support network so teachers and parents know where to seek assistance and what interventions are available.
“We want to have a system where, when a teacher sees a warning sign, they know what to do, where to refer the child and how the parents can be involved,” she said.
The mayor has directed the preparation of guidelines that will serve as the basis for finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city government and participating schools.
Representatives of St. Robert’s International College, St. Therese-MTC Colleges, Hope Baptist Academy of Iloilo Inc., Bo. Obrero Elementary School and Bo. Obrero National High School have already discussed the proposed program with the city government.
The initiative follows the signing of an MOU between the Iloilo City Government and Sagrado Corazon de Jesus as part of efforts to expand mental health support in schools./PN
