DOH points to low pay for lack of psychiatrists, psychologists in PH

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday attributed the lack of psychiatrists and psychologists in the Philippines to the low salaries for the professionals.

“Although we’ve adjusted from Salary Grade 18 to Salary Grade 20, it’s still not substantial,” DOH Secretary Edwin Mercado told lawmakers at the House of Representatives appropriations committee hearing on his department’s 2027 budget.

The salary schedule for civilian government personnel in 2026 shows that SG 18 is between P53,818 to P57,842, while SG 20 is between P66,052 to P72,671, according to Executive Order No. 64 issued in 2024.

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For comparison, in the United States, according to data from its Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual pay for psychologists is at $99,110, which translates to roughly $8,259 per month — the equivalent of P516,410.49.

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The Philippines, a nation of over 110 million people, only has 548 psychiatrists and 133 psychologists as of a 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) report.

However, Mercado noted, “For the psychiatrists, psychologists and developmental pediatricians, we’ll engage on a practice-based utilization, not facility-based, so that our professionals also have an income stream coming from PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation).”

Furthermore, as part of a bid to improve conditions for mental health professionals, the DOH chief said the agency aimed to expand mhGAP certifications by tapping PhilHealth and academic institutions to offer the program.

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The Mental Health Gap Action Program or mhGAP is a training course to equip professionals and non-professionals with skills to properly address mental health issues.

During the deliberation, Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co flagged cuts to the DOH’s budget for mental health items, particularly P311.49 million to the maintenance and other operating expenses for the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH).

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Mercado explained that funding for DOH programs may have only increased in 2026 after Congress reallocated some of the budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways into other items amid the flood control corruption scandal.

“That’s why in 2027, it’s back to normal,” he added.

He also touted that the NCMH’s crisis hotline maintained eight dedicated lines with calltakers 24/7, handling an increase of calls from around 3,000 in 2019; to 23,000 in 2024.

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The DOH chief said their 2027 budget will still maintain its access program for mental health medicines in 1,296 sites, or roughly 64 percent of the cities and municipalities across the country. /das