BAGUIO CITY—In 2020, Nanay Calteya was taken off the streets of the country’s summer capital, which she had been roaming for years. 

Through the initiative of the local chapter of the Anxiety and Depression Support Group (ADSG) led by Ricky Ducas Jr., a team of emergency service, social work, and health service personnel conducted the compassionate rescue.  

It was the time of the pandemic. Nanay Calteya was taken to a transient house where she was cleaned up and cared for while awaiting the result of her Covid-19 test to return negative before she was admitted to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC). She stayed there for a month of treatment. 

Meanwhile, the team was able to locate Nanay Calteya’s family members in Baguio. She was reintegrated with them upon her release from hospital. Today, she keeps busy by growing herbs and vegetables for sale.  

In March 2021, Julian, who regularly stationed himself outside a Catholic church and the nearby school, was observed acting aggressively. Again, an ADSG-led team conducted a compassionate rescue and he was taken through the process of preliminary treatment and medication. 

But efforts to find any of Julian’s relatives yielded nothing. After a few weeks he was back outside the same church; within months, with no one monitoring his medication, he was again exhibiting aggressive behavior. 

In April 2022, he was rescued by a team again, and he was admitted to the BGHMC. After more than a month, with still no family member found, he returned to the church. But by then he had been taking his medicines religiously. He was employed there as a marshal. 

Julian has since died but, as Ducas says, he passed away fully aware of reality. He was accepted by the people around him, even if not by his own family. Everyone deserves such dignity.

Ongoing efforts

Since 2020, supported by financial contributions from private persons and groups, the ADSG has led efforts to rescue 63 vagrants with mental health challenges. The team conducting the rescues is composed of members of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, Baguio City Police Office, BGHMC Department of Psychiatry, Baguio City Health Services Office, and Baguio City Emergency Medical Service. 

The ADSG received the Bronze Award from the Department of Health’s Healthy Pilipinas Awards 2023. Ducas, a registered nurse in the field of mental health and a PhD holder, established the group motivated by a desire to link people with psychosocial needs to mental health professionals, especially those in the remote areas of Benguet and Mountain Province.

In 2023, Ducas joined Baguio’s Health Services Office as its mental health and wellness unit coordinator. The office has since adapted the compassionate community approach so that the street people commonly referred to as “taong grasa” can have a chance at living a life with dignity.

“Our mantra is: We don’t judge the past. Otherwise, we cannot help them. We focus on what we can do now,” Ducas says. 

No medication or restraint

What Ducas calls the compassionate rescue of vagrants in Baguio entails no medication or restraint. A number of those rescued by the team have been reintegrated with their families in provinces as far as Cavite.

The rescue of each person is the result of a collaborative and concerted effort. Each team is composed of a representative of the barangay, a member of the Baguio City Emergency Medical Service, a social worker, Ducas, and police officers.

The team members initially observe the persons potentially to be rescued. After the rescue, the persons’ hygiene is prioritized, and then they are referred to the social welfare office. They undergo assessment and medical checkup. Efforts are made to find their relatives. Appropriate treatment and medication are given for free, as mandated by law. 

Then, if the persons’ relatives are found, steps are taken to prepare them to be reintegrated. This includes case conferences to orient family members on how to manage their loved one’s care. Follow-up consultations and medicines are available for free at the city’s health services clinic.

Long-term facility

Not all cases end in successful recovery and reintegration. This is why Ducas hopes for the establishment of a long-term facility in the city or region where people who have nowhere to go can stay. At present, the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City is the only long-term facility accessible to the public. Other facilities are privately owned and, thus, are expensive to get into.

Compassionate rescue addresses people’s psychosocial needs with empathy, solidarity, and proactive engagement using nontraumatic practices.

The local government of Baguio has adopted the project. Ducas says it is proof that “with proper treatment and social support, plus good governance, people with mental health challenges can be nurtured back to health, can live with dignity, and can be reintegrated into the community.”

Those needing help may call 911 for emergencies (Smart City Command Center) or the Mental Health Helpline at 0919 069 6361.

National Center for Mental Health Hotlines: 0917 899 8727, 0966 351 4518, or 0919 057 1553.

If you know someone in need, the Philippine Mental Health Association is offering free online psychosocial services Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., until Aug. 15, 2025. Visit https://www.facebook.com/PMHARMHPSS2025.

Read more: Tackling mental health at the community level