REFLEXIVITY

(Photo from Pagtiilan, A., 2021)

A memorable quote from a TV series says: “What is grief if not love persevering?” In the series of interviews conducted with the surviving families affected by EJK, I think no other quote can best describe the situation they live in.

It is from the love they received from their lost family and that which they still hold for their deceased loved ones, that these survivors are able to extend the same kind of love to other survivors as well. All of them lost a part of their hearts when their family died, yet they were able to receive small pieces of hearts from other survivors in return.

Like the sun which never stops rising, their love continues—from the past, to the present, until the future.

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(Drawing by Briana, K., 2021)

“Time heals,” they said. “All will be alright in time,” they said. However, hearing from the narratives of the survivors, time alone cannot heal wounds, time alone cannot restore what has been damaged. It takes intentionality and a trustworthy community for a person to recover from adversities, more so from tragedies brought by the War on Drugs.

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(Photo from Morillo, R., 2016)

Despite the uniqueness of each precious life, there are themes within our individual and collective narratives that tie us together. I’m sharing one of my favorite photographs, taken while I was figuratively lost navigating my life – and almost lost in a literal desert – in a foreign land while our nation was yet to realize the staggering cost of WoD to our collective sense as a nation and as a human family. Like light-giving lampposts, surviving family members have no other option but to muster the energy to give light to their fellow family members. Otherwise, how else would they literally survive? Yet, despite all the chaos we share and almost paralyzed with, we find ourselves, at least from time to time, basking in “Something” greater than our individual frailties and the systemic injustices we face. And despite it all, we find ourselves firm in the truth – Good will win. Learning from these families, I am certain about this.

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(Drawing by De Leon, C., 2021)

STOP THE KILLINGS!

“As long as there is love there will be grief because grief is love’s natural continuation. Love was here. In the finer print, love still is.” - Heidi Priebe

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(Digital Art by Balana, C., 2021)

“In the midst of darkness, light persists.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Throughout this research, we have met individuals who have suffered immense pain and suffering. If there is something that they have in common, it is that despite all the pain and grief that they are going through, they are not alone and they are still hopeful that one day the light will shine through.