FORMER House Speaker Martin Romualdez is pushing for the creation of a regional mental health rapid-response network following the recent school shooting in Tacloban City.

Romualdez held discussions with officials from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to formulate policies aimed at preventing similar tragedies and strengthening mental health interventions in schools.

According to Romualdez, the initiative will focus on three key areas.

The first is the establishment of a regional network of volunteer psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals who can be immediately deployed to schools and communities affected by critical incidents.

The second is the conduct of regular seminars for students, parents, and teachers on mental wellness, child protection, and violence prevention to raise awareness and encourage early intervention.

The third is strengthening coordination among government agencies to ensure a faster, more effective response for children and young people in need of mental health and psychosocial support.

Romualdez said the proposed measures are intended to provide immediate assistance to victims of traumatic incidents while reinforcing long-term mental health and child protection programs in schools and communities.

The proposal comes in the wake of the Tacloban City school shooting, which has renewed calls for stronger school safety measures, expanded mental health services, and closer inter-agency coordination to help prevent similar incidents in the future.