The Apayao Provincial Health Office has enhanced its mental health response program by training 150 high school students to act as peer support responders for their classmates facing mental health challenges.
According to Loremia Pareja from the Apayao provincial government information office, the student-responders hail from four secondary schools: Apayao National Agro-Industrial High School in Calanasan, Conner Central National High School, Sipa-Imelda National High School in Sta. Marcela, and Bacda National High School in Luna. “A total of 150 students from four secondary schools in the province have stepped up to serve as mental health peer supporters who will respond to peers suffering from mental health issues,” Pareja stated in an interview on Thursday.
The students participated in a five-day training program under the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Program (MHPSS) initiated by the Provincial Health Office. The training included real-life scenarios, role-playing exercises, and open discussions to equip them as frontliners in providing basic peer intervention and emotional first response. “These peer supporters will be the first line of assistance for classmates dealing with stress, anxiety, or personal difficulties,” Pareja noted.
This initiative is part of Apayao’s commitment to improving access to mental health support among youth through school-based, peer-led programs.