TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 13 -- The Department of Health (DOH) has called on the public to be more sensitive to the feelings of individuals with suicidal thoughts to help curb the rising suicide cases in the Eastern Visayas region.

Reports reaching rural health units revealed that 95 people in the region committed suicide in 2023, higher than the 49 cases in 2022.

Police stations in six provinces also logged 204 suicide cases from January to December 2023.

In a press briefing Tuesday, Dr. Arleen Grace Rosal, senior medical officer at the DOH-managed Eastern Visayas Medical Center Department of Psychiatry, said the number of cases has been rising and alarming.

"In the Philippines, one in 10 students seriously attempted to commit suicide. To ...