No Ilonggo should face emotional distress alone. Whether you need a listening ear or a professional intervention, help is now just a phone call away.
The Iloilo provincial government launched a round-the-clock helpline that will offer Ilonggos with compassionate support for any mental or emotional challenges.
The PRIME Helpline is a dedicated 24/7 hotline designed to provide immediate psychosocial support, crisis intervention, and referral services for mental health concerns.
It will be manned by dedicated social workers and psychometricians ready to provide care and guidance to those in need.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. emphasized that this initiative is a step toward reducing mental health struggles and directly address the prevailing cases of suicide, particularly among the youth.
“We are attending to a very serious problem. And this is even more serious than the oil price hike and other crisis,” he said.
Defensor also revealed that the provincial government has future plans to regulate the exposure of teenagers to cellphones and social media, which are one of the causes of mental distress.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐘
According to the Provincial Health Office, there are 4,875 service users in the province or those individuals living with mental health conditions registered under the Department of Health. The data show that 2,495 are male (51.2 percent) and 2,349 are female (48.2 percent).
Data also reveal that the 17 to 30-year-old demographic remains the most affected.
And the five most common mental health and neurologic conditions affecting this group are psychosis, epilepsy, general anxiety disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Meanwhile, Iloilo recorded a decline in the cases of suicide - from 76 cases in 2024 to 63 cases in 2025.
The PRIME Helpline officially kicked off today with its launching at the Grand Social Hall, Casa Real de Iloilo. It was also graced by Vice Governor Lee Ann Debuque, Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC-6) Director Ann Rapunzel Ganzon, and other stakeholders.
The PRIME Helpline is aligned with a broader vision of Governor Defensor under “MoReProGRes Iloilo” for an established mental health framework in the province.
It is an offshoot of the provincial government’s psychosocial welfare initiative PRIME or Program for Resilience of Iloilo in Mind and Emotion.
The program is spearheaded by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, in collaboration with the Provincial Health Office and Provincial Population Office.
Through accessible and compassionate care, the province of Iloilo ensures that mental health support is a reality for every citizen.
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