Philippines Hosts World’s Largest Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum, Uniting Civil Society Leaders Worldwide

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

Iloilo City, Philippines / Online – February 2

nd 2026 — The 4th Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum, convened by the Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN), is bringing together more than 500 advocates, people with lived experience, policymakers, researchers, grassroots leaders, UN agencies and donors from over 70 countries to advance mental health policy and systems change worldwide.

GMHAN, whose Secretariat is hosted by United for Global Mental Health, is co-hosting the Forum with #MentalHealthPH in Iloilo City, Philippines, marking the first time the global Forum is being held in Asia. It is the largest civil society led mental health advocacy event of its kind globally.

Held under the theme “Reimagining Global Mental Health: No Voice Left Behind,” the Forum has been recognised as one of the leading mental health nonprofit events of 2026, named by the Segal Family Foundation among its Top 30 Nonprofit Events of the Year, and by nest as one of the events shaping what’s next in mental health. Beyond these acknowledgements, the Forum provides a critical space where the future of mental health policy, financing and rights is being shaped by those most directly affected.

“This Forum comes at a pivotal moment for the global mental health sector following the UN High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health in September 2025. GMHAN led the mental health community in its successful advocacy effort to secure meaningful commitments from governments at the Meeting. Now we are bringing together GMHAN members and partners from around the world to accelerate progress at the national and global levels. Amidst funding pressures and risks to multilateralism, mental health remains strongly on the agenda for hundreds of governments around the world. By placing people with lived experience, young leaders, and grassroots advocates at the centre of decision-making, the Forum ensures that no voice is left behind in shaping inclusive and responsive mental health systems,” said Dr. Antonis Kousoulis, Director of Partnerships and GMHAN Secretariat Lead.

Several topics will be discussed at the forum including:

● Nothing about us without us: Building a meaningful movement of people dedicated to reforming mental health services away from institutions and into community-based care, led by those who have most affected by institutional mental health care

● Experiencing Life in a Criminalised World: Suicide Prevention and how reforming legislation so that suicide is no longer a crime can help save lives

● Rebuilding how mental health systems are financed and resourced at a national level, and how civil society organisations can build their fundraising, at a time of international aid cuts.

● Understanding and acting on the mental health experiences of climate-concerned young people in the Philippines, co-produced with Filipino youth and global research partners

● Youth mental health in a changing world: exploring how young people are shaping advocacy and systems reform

Mental health underpins education, resilience and opportunity. This is why we are proud to support United for Global Mental Health and the Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum. Investing in children and young people is critical, because early support changes lives. By breaking stigma early and expanding access to care, we can help build a generation that speaks openly about mental health and has the resources needed to live healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.” Kate Cavelle, global Head of Social Impact A&O Shearman.

Nearly one billion people worldwide are currently living with a mental health condition, many facing stigma, discrimination and violations of their human rights. As mental health conditions and non-communicable diseases

continue to rise in every country, the Forum underscores that mental health is not only a public health issue, but also central to social cohesion, productivity and sustainable economic growth.

Through shared learning, partnership and advocacy, the Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum will enable the more than 500 participants, joined by over 2000 participants online, to learn from one another and be inspired in their work to achieve rights-based mental health systems that leave no one behind.

The Forum continues through February 4th, 2026, taking place at the Iloilo City Convention Center and online.

“Hosting this Forum in the Philippines is a powerful recognition of the leadership emerging from communities across Asia. In the Philippines, 3.6 million Filipinos are living with mental health conditions, neurological and substance use disorders, access to services is limited with the majority of professionals located in Metro Manila.

This forum will create space for local experiences to inform global solutions and for global solidarity to strengthen national and community-level action.” said Roy O. Dahildahil, co-founder & executive director, MentalHealthPH.

Warning Out on Fluorescent Green and Yellow Spray Paints with High Lead Content

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

(EcoWaste Coalition flags another case of lead paint dumping)

4 February 2026, Quezon City. The EcoWaste Coalition has again discovered a highly leaded spray paint brand with no manufacturer information, which is unlawfully sold on e-commerce platforms Lazada and Shopee.

In a press statement, the group warned the public against buying and using Driveone Off Ultra Bright Fluorescent Night Light Spray Paint, which is being sold online for less than P100 per 620 mL aerosol can.

Using a portable Olympus Vanta M Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyser, the group detected and measured the lead content of the two Driveone Off paint samples purchased.

As per XRF screening, the fluorescent green paint contains 63,100 parts per million (ppm), while the fluorescent yellow paint contains 59,510 ppm. Both paints exceed the maximum 90 ppm lead limit in paint.

Despite the extremely high lead content, the product label does not provide any lead content information or lead paint hazard warning to inform and guide consumers. The label also does not offer any clues about the product manufacturer, importer or distributor.

DENR Administrative Order No. 2013-24 established a strict 90 ppm for lead in all paint types, including spray paints. The regulation, also known as the Chemical Control Order (CCO), phased out lead-containing paints during the 2013-2019 transition period.

Specifically, decorative paints containing lead were phased out from 2013 to 2016. Lead-containing industrial paints were phased out from 2013 to 2019.

The analyzed Driveone Off paints were both manufactured in 2025, or several years after the ban on lead-containing paints took effect in the Philippines, making their importation and distribution brazenly illegal.

Spray paints generally fall under the decorative type because they are marketed for consumer use. Driveone Off, for example, is recommended to be “used for motorcycles, car wheels, bicycles, metals, plastics, etc.”

“Paints containing lead pose risks both in their application phase (as new paint) and once applied, giving rise to legacy issues that extend beyond the life of the painted surface due to chipping and deterioration or demolition of the painted surface,” according to the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (Lead Paint Alliance), which is co-led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Exposure to lead can result in serious health effects, including permanent damage to the brain and the nervous system, renal impairment, chronic hypertension, and reproductive disorders for both women and men. It can affect the brain development of a child, causing lower intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment,” according to the WHO.

“There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects,” the WHO has stated.

To uphold the country’s lead paint ban from lead paint dumping, the EcoWaste Coalition and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) are pushing for stronger measures to control the global trade of lead chromates, the most common lead-based pigments used in paint manufacturing, and finished products containing such pigments.

The DENR, Philippine Paint & Coatings Association, Inc. (PPCAI), IPEN, and the EcoWaste Coalition are partners of the Lead Paint Alliance.

UP Scientists Apply Green Method to Produce Silver Nanoparticles for Antibacterial Applications

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

Scientists from the University of the Philippines–Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) have advanced a greener approach to silver nanoparticle (AgNP) synthesis by using gamma irradiation in combination with the natural seaweed-derived biopolymer ι-carrageenan. While gamma-radiolytic routes for AgNP formation have been reported previously, the specific role of ι-carrageenan in stabilizing and influencing nanoparticle formation during radiolysis has remained largely underexplored.

Colloidal silver nanoparticles produced using gamma irradiation at different doses, showing a visible color change from colorless to yellow to brown as silver ions are converted into antibacterial silver nanoparticles. Darker colors indicate higher nanoparticle concentrations. (Photo credit: Gili et. al., 2025)

Instead of using harsh chemicals, researchers Mon Bryan Gili, Wendell Manuel, and Dr. Marienette Vega of the UPD-CS Materials Science and Engineering Program (MSEP); Dr. Marlon Conato of the UPD-CS Institute of Chemistry (IC); and Rakshith Gowda Shankaregowda and Dr. Manh-Huong Phan of the University of South Florida used gamma radiation and a natural seaweed-derived substance called carrageenan to create the nanoparticles.

“In simple terms, we let radiation do the “work” of forming the particles, while the seaweed extract keeps them stable and safe. We then tested how effective these particles are against common bacteria,” Gili explained. Compared to traditional chemical methods, the researchers’ approach is much greener. 

Chemical synthesis often requires strong reducing agents and stabilizers, which can be toxic and difficult to dispose of safely. In their method, gamma radiation completely replaces these chemicals. It also sterilizes the nanoparticles as they form, which is a major advantage for medical applications. “Overall, this means fewer processing steps, less chemical waste, and a safer product for both people and the environment,” Gili added.

As a researcher in nuclear science, Gili was excited to apply radiation technology in a way that directly benefits health and sustainability. Concern for environmental safety and the growing issue of antibiotic resistance motivated him and his team to explore alternative methods for producing silver nanoparticles. Many conventional approaches use toxic chemicals that can harm people and the environment. 

“The next steps include improving their long-term stability, testing them in real-world products, and evaluating their safety for human use.” Gili said. “Ultimately, we hope this technology can lead to affordable, locally produced antibacterial materials using Philippine natural resources and nuclear science expertise.”

Their paper, “Antibacterial evaluation of radiolytically synthesized silver nanoparticles with ι-carrageenan stabilizers,” was published in Radiation Physics and Chemistry, a journal featuring studies which focus on research and developments involving ionizing radiation in radiation physics, radiation chemistry, and radiation processing.