Since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic which took everyone by surprise last March 2020, cases of mental health concerns and suicide have increased in Iloilo Province. According to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office, the Western Visayas Region has recorded a total of 215 suicide cases from the months of January to August 2020 of which 59 cases come from the Iloilo Province.

In line with other work the Iloilo Hub has been doing to campaign for Mental Health Awareness, the hub is partnering with the office of Board Member Jason Gonzales of the 3rd District of Iloilo Province and Synergeia Foundation to deliver a capacity building workshop around mental health awareness and peer counseling support called “Isip Kalasag: Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Training”.

The goals of the project are to: 1. Train at least 15 participants from each Philippine municipality on Active Listening skills and build support groups in the community 2. Conduct one training per month in 2021

See a training session: https://fb.watch/2j-d10jVfB/