Guv to parents: ready for what a cellphone brings?

By Mariela Angella Oladive

“If you give your 15-year-old child a cellphone, are you prepared to give him/her everything that comes with it?”

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. posed the question on Wednesday, June 24, as he explained the provincial government’s response to growing concerns over youth mental health following the recent school shooting in Tacloban City, Leyte.

The June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School left three students dead and 20 others injured after two students allegedly opened fire inside the campus.

Citing initial findings, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla described the incident as a case of “bullying gone wrong,” saying the suspects had reportedly endured prolonged bullying and were allegedly influenced by violent video games.

The attack, one of the rare school shootings recorded in the Philippines, has reopened national debates over juvenile justice and the online radicalization of minors, with senators calling for hearings and tighter rules on violent gaming and social media platforms.

While noting that incidents involving young people stem from various factors, Defensor said the tragedy underscores the need for stronger mental health and psychosocial interventions, particularly as children and adolescents navigate an increasingly digital world.

The concerns prompted the provincial government to expand its Program for the Resilience of Iloilo in Mind and Emotion (PRIME) into public schools, where it will provide mental health and psychosocial interventions, including responsible social media use, digital citizenship, and counseling, among other services.

“Young people are helpless on social media — they are bullied and bashed,” Defensor said.

Although smartphones have revolutionized communication and access to information, the governor stressed that they have also exposed children to risks that society must address.

“Cellphones are one of the best things that have happened to information and communication. But they also carry lies, misinformation, and fake news, and we have to protect our children and our people from that,” he explained.

Expected to be launched next week, the school-based program will be implemented in partnership with the Department of Education, Department of Health, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Philippine National Police, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Provincial Legal Office, and other stakeholders.

“We want to assure students that if they have a problem, they can tell us and we will help. We have lawyers, the police and other partners,” Defensor said.

PRIME also forms part of the province’s broader effort to address suicide among young people.

“Yearly, there is an average of 70 suicide cases, and 40 percent are teenagers. For us, that is already a national emergency,” Defensor stressed.

PRIME began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a psychosocial response program for overseas Filipino workers and Ilonggos affected by the effects of prolonged quarantine.

It has since evolved into a comprehensive program that includes the PRIME Helpline, a 24-hour crisis hotline launched in April.

Staffed by trained social workers and psychometricians, the service provides counseling, psychological first aid, and referral services for Ilonggos experiencing emotional distress and mental health crises.

Provincial Health Office data show there are 4,875 registered mental health service users in Iloilo under the DOH monitoring system.

Residents aged 17 to 30 make up the largest affected age group, while the most commonly recorded mental health and neurologic conditions are psychosis, epilepsy, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder.

The province also recorded a decline in suicide cases, from 76 in 2024 to 63 in 2025.

The governor added that the province is also working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to explore measures that could help limit children’s exposure to harmful online content while promoting responsible digital behavior.