Peace 911 caravan delivers services to Pquibato Dist.

The City Government of Davao, through the Peace 911 Service Caravan on Tuesday delivered public services to the residents of Barangay Pañalum, Paquibato on Tuesday.

The Peace 911 initiative was established on May 10, 2018 to counter insurgent forces, particularly in Paquibato District, by strengthening community rela- tions and delivering government services in the area. It has since expanded to cover Marilog District and four other barangays in Calinan.

Residents in the area were able to avail themselves of services from national government agencies the likes of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Pag-

IBIG Fund, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, National Bureau of Investigation, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Public Employment Service Office.

The local offices of the City Mayor’s Office, Office of the Vice

City gov’t of Davao to strengthen suicide awareness in schools

The City Government of Davao, in partnership with the Philippine Mental Health Association and the Department of Education (DepEd), conducted a seminar last week with the theme “Closer Look at Suicide: From Awareness to Action.”

Its main objective is to give additional knowledge and guidance to DepEd personnel in case they will face suicide problems with their students. Present during the seminar are health section personnel and mental health coordinator of the DepEd Division of Davao City,

“Ang objective ani is awareness, especially to those who are in the frontlines og kani nga mga frontliners kaning naa sa DepEd (The objective is awareness, especially those who are in the frontlines and these frontliners are those who are from the DepEd),” PMHA Chapter Executive Manager Teofilo Lumikid said in an interview with the Madayaw Dabaw team.

Data from the City Health Office bared that in 2022, 53 cases of suicide were recorded in Davao City with a nine- year-old as the youngest. Meanwhile, from January until April of 2023, 29 cases have already been recorded with 13 years old as the youngest case.

Dr. Luis Antonio Flores, the head of the Mental Wellness Center, said most of the suicide cases in Davao City experienced mental health problems like severe depression and anxiety and these had not been given immediate attention.

“Pag depressed man gud ang individual down ang tanan nilang system, ang emotions nila down pati ang ilang mood is unstable. Ang severe depression maka-cause pud og psychosis, pag naay psychosis naa na’y command nga hallucination naa nay musugo naa nay mohunghung, tendency ana mukusog jud ang kuan sa depression nga mu-suicide, mo self-harm (Once an individual is depressed, all of their systems are down, their emotions are down, even their mood is unstable. Severe depression can also cause psyschosis, once there is psychosis there is that command, the halluncination that whispers on their ears, there is a high tendency that the depression will lead to suicide, self-harm),” Flores said in an interview with Madayaw Dabaw.

The Davao City LGU, in partnership with the PMHA Davao Chapter, continues to cater to clients with mental health problems.

In 2022, the City Government of Davao opened the Mental Wellness Center for the Homeless. It is not only a facility for mentally challenged homeless individuals but also functions as an outpa-