Department of Health

Receiving Officer 01:06 PM, Oct 19, 2023

October 19, 2023

Dear John Nichoel,

Thank you for your request dated Oct 19, 2023 under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch, for CUMULATIVE DATA OF PERSONS WITH LEARNING, INTELLECTUAL, MENTAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DISABILITIES IN CEN.

We received your request on Oct 19, 2023 and will respond on or before Nov 09, 2023 12:22:01 PM, in accordance with the Executive Order's implementing rules and regulations.

Should you have any questions regarding your request, kindly contact me using the reply function on the eFOI portal at https://www.foi.gov.ph/requests/aglzfmVmb2ktcGhyHQsSB0NvbnRlbnQiEERPSC00MTI5OTQ0NjAxMTAM, for request with ticket number #DOH-412994460110.

Thank you.

Respectfully,

FOI Receiving Officer
FOI Officer

Maker 01:34 PM, Oct 19, 2023

Dear John,

Please be informed that we are endorsing your request to the DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) for action. Kindly await for their response, thank you.

All the best and God bless!

Maker 04:17 PM, Jan 30, 2024

January 30, 2024

Dear John Nichoel Dagal,

Greetings!

Thank you for your request dated Oct 19, 2023 12:22:01 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch.

Your Request

You asked for CUMULATIVE DATA OF PERSONS WITH LEARNING, INTELLECTUAL, MENTAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DISABILITIES IN CEN.

Response to Request

Your FOI request is approved. 

Thank you for your interest in mental health. We hope to address your request as best as possible. Please refer to the Mental Health Program for an overview of the services we provide and some materials we readily share.  Rest assured that the Specialty Care Division looks into these conditions in compliance with RA11036, otherwise known as the Mental Health Act, which encompasses mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders.

This is in response to your eFOI request (#DOH-412994460110) regarding your request on the cumulative data of persons with learning, intellectual, mental and psychosocial disabilities in Central Luzon in 2023. - We refrain from using the word "disabled/disability" as some of our end-users are very much able and are functioning as individuals. Based on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. Hence, not all with mental health conditions are considered disabled. You may visit the National Council on Disability Affairs website at https://ncda.gov.ph/ for additional information on the categorization of disability and the reforms.

As for the number of people with mental health conditions, we are still developing the Mental Health Information System (MHIS). The MHIS (to be managed by the National Center for Mental Health) should integrate and consolidate mental health related data including cases on mental health conditions. Although this may also be through the improvement of the iClinicSys of the DOH Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service (KMITS). As stated, not all listed cases would have data in our surveys and we are yet to improve hospital data through the establishment of electronic medical records.

You may access the directory of Centers for Health Development for your reference and you may ask in these offices for specific data you need in the region. You also also check the Philippine Registry for Persons with Disability for specific data sets. 

Thank you

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to the Central Appeals and Review Committee, at foi@doh.gov.ph. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 15 calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within 30 calendar days from the date when we receive your review request.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011).

Thank you.

Respectfully,

FOI Decision Maker
FOI Receiving Officer