Through the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), the local government of Iloilo City is revitalizing its mental health and resilience project amid reports of suicide cases.

The program is modeled after "Ginhawa," which promoted a culture of breathing during difficult times and advocated mindfulness exercise during the height of the health pandemic.

Psychiatrists, artists, academics, and city government offices were all involved in the program.

They have proposed to Mayor Jerry Treñas the establishment of a hotline and a radio program in collaboration with local radio stations as part of the response mechanism.

The prevention and mitigation mechanism will provide activities for families to strengthen their relationships, such as playing board games and Zumba in public plazas, where they will not have to spend money to bond; peer-to-peer training in schools for students; and film screenings, among other things.

The team hoped to finalize the proposal when Treñas returned from his foreign trip.

According to local DRRM officer Eman Palmejar, 28 suicides occurred last year, with the majority of victims being males in their 20s to mid-30s.