HISTORICAL

DEVELOPMENT OF
PSYCHIATRY IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 Distribution of Diagnosis across mental
health facilities in the Phil.
DISORDERS OUT-PATIENT COMMUNICTY IN- MENTAL
FACILITIES PATIENT HOSPITAL

Schizophrenia 57% 63% 71%

Mood 19% 24% 18%

Disorder
Substance Abuse
8% 6% 5%
Neurotic disorder
6% 1% 2%
Personality 3%
disorder
2% 0%
others 7% 4% 4%
 PRE-SPANISH REGIME
Filipinos believed in a world that was
equally material and spiritual.
Thus, the concept of illness during this
period was based on the belief in such
materials and spiritual.
Treatment: authentic rituals and
ceremonies
Babaylan (shaman) and sorcerer healing
 The SPANISH RULE
Filipinos accepted that mental illness was
caused by an act of sorcery.
Mangkukulam (witches) and the
manggagaway (devil men)
Treatment: herbolarios (herbmen)
EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY
Hospicio de San Jose – organized care
and treatment for individuals with mental
illness
Doctors and nuns
Was made possible when the Spanish
naval authorities requested for a place of
confinement for their mentally ill sailors
 THE AMERICAN ERA
Two American physicians who provided
treatment for mentally ill patients of the
Civil Hospital located in Calle Iris
1904- Insane Department was opened at
San Lazaro Hospital
Dr. Elias Domingo – headed the unit
1918 – City Sanitarium was constructed
for patients residing in Manila
 JAPANESE OCCUPATION
World War II
National Psychopath Hospital- continued
to operate
Japanese Imperial Army – donated an
electroshock apparatus to the hospital
THE LIBERATION PERIOD AND
THE ERA OF THE REPUBLIC
End of World War II and Japanese Rule
Americans helped in immediate needs for
the rehabilitation of patients and the
expansion of psychiatric facilities and
training of hospital personnel.
National Psychopathic Hospital was
renamed National Mental Hospital
Dr. Jose A. Fernandez - head
OTHER PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES
1946- V. Luna General Hospital established a
neuropsychiatric service.
Treatment: ECT, insulin therapy and
narcoanalysis
1947 – hypnosis and group therapy
- prefrontal lobotomy (the destruction of
the white matter of the frontal lobe of
the brain)
1949 – transorbital lobotomy
1947 – University of Santo Tomas opened
its Neuro-Psychiatry Section with Dr.
Leopoldo Pardo as its chief.
1949 – Philippine Mental Health
Association (PMHA) was founded by Dr.
Eduardo Krapf, Toribio Joson and Manuel
Arguelles.
1956 – University of the East Ramon
Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center
(UERMMMC) established a department of
psychiatry headed by Dr. Jaime Zaguirre.
1958 – Philippine General Hospital of the
University of the Philippines opened its
own neuropsychiatry section headed by
Dr. Baltazar Reyes, Jr.
NCMH – 4,200 bed capacity
- 3,400 in-patients daily average