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December 26, 2025 | 5:41pm
Stock image of people using their mobile phone.
Pixabay
MANILA, Philippines — While families often spend Christmas with joy and laughter, others struggle through the holidays. The Department of Health (DOH) reported Friday that a total of 451 calls were made to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMD) over the past week.
In a message to reporters, DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said the calls were made through the NCMH hotline 1553 from December 21 to 26. Most came on December 23, just before Christmas Eve, and were primarily from young adults aged 18 to 30. The majority of callers were also female.
Among the main reasons why callers reached out to NCMH include anxiety and depressive symptoms, followed by issues related to love and relationships and then family problems.
The surge in calls is not new to the NCMH. In the first nine months of this year, the hotline received 7,189 suicide-related calls, averaging 798 per month, with the highest volume recorded in August and September, when calls exceeded 1,000.
The primary reason for the calls was also related to anxiety and depressive symptoms, followed by issues related to love and relationships and then family problems. Some callers also reached out simply because they needed someone to talk to.
Most calls since 2019 have come from Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon.
Those seeking support can reach the NCMH hotline at 1553 or via mobile numbers 0919-057-1553 and 0917-899-8727.
