New Iloilo centers aim to give struggling teens somewhere to turn

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo Provincial Government has allocated PHP 42.5 million to construct 10 facilities aimed at expanding mental health and psychosocial support services for young people and families across the province.

Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque led the turnover of checks for the construction of five Teen Centers 2.0 and five Family and Youth Development Centers, or FYDCs.

The facilities will serve as the primary venues for PRIMETIME, a community- and school-based component of the province’s Program for Resilience of Iloilo in Mind and Emotion, or PRIME.

Defensor said the initiative will complement the PRIME Helpline by bringing mental health services closer to schools and communities.

The helpline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing counseling, psychological first aid, and referral services to Ilonggos experiencing emotional distress, mental health concerns, or crises through trained social workers and psychometricians.

The provincial government launched the PRIME Helpline on April 23 at the Grand Social Hall of Casa Real de Iloilo, positioning it as part of a broader mental health framework under Defensor’s “MoReProGRes Iloilo” agenda.

Demand for mental health services has also climbed regionwide. The Western Visayas Medical Center recorded an average of 200 psychiatric cases a day at its Iloilo City facility as of December 2025, according to Daily Guardian.

Five Teen Centers, each costing PHP 3.5 million, will be built at Dapdap National High School in Tigbauan, De La Paz National High School in Batad, Rufino G. Palabrica Sr. National High School in Dingle, Anilao National High School, and Barotac Viejo National High School.

Five FYDCs, each worth PHP 5 million, will be established in the municipalities of Miag-ao, Alimodian, Maasin, Anilao, and Barotac Viejo.

Once operational, the centers will provide counseling, mental health support, adolescent health services, responsible parenthood education, life skills training, and other youth and family development programs.

Provincial officials said the facilities are expected to strengthen early intervention by making mental health services more accessible to adolescents and families while promoting emotional well-being at the grassroots level.

The Teen Centers and FYDCs are among the flagship programs of the Iloilo Provincial Government through the Iloilo Provincial Population Office.

The province has expanded its mental health initiatives in recent years through PRIME, which integrates community-based interventions, crisis response, and preventive programs to improve access to mental health care, particularly for children, adolescents, and families.