8 minute read
Gulong sa Palad ng Batikang Mandurugas 6 Beyond Motivation
GULONG SA PALAD NG BATIKANG MANDURUGAS
BY NEIL ANDREW FORMALEJO GRAPHICS BY ROSE CLAVANO PAGE DESIGN BY CHRISTIAN REGANIT
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Walang imposible! Ika nga ni Kuya Kim, ang buhay ay “weather weather lang”. Panapanahon lang ang mga ganap gaya ng pag usbong at pagbagsak, lalo na dito sa pinakamamahal nating bansang Pinas. Sa bayan ni Juan, pwede mong gawin ang nais mo kung alam mo lusutan ang mga butas sa ating sistema.
Akalain mo, isang macho-gwapito na leading man, nakakuha ng upuan sa pagka-senador, nakulong dahil sa korapsyon, nakalaya, pinili ulit ng mga tao at nakabalik sa upuan. Isang madam na may magarang koleksyon ng isang daang mamahaling sapatos, may hatol na guilty sa salang graft, nakatakbo ulit bilang gobernador ng kanyang balwarte. Dating presidente ng Pilipinas, sangkot sa korapsyon, na-wheelchair, nanalo ulit ng pwesto sa kongreso. Narinig mo na ba ang awiting ganito? Paulitulit na lamang na tinig.
Kahit sino mapapa taas-kilay sa ganitong sistema. Isang gulong, nakadesineyo upang laging iikot sa itaas ang mga may kapangyarihan kahit sila ay bumagsak nang malalim. ‘Wag ka nang ma sorpresa. Ganito ang kalakaran dito sa ating bansa. Ayon sa Commission on Elections (COMELEC), pwede pa rin makatakbo ang may hatol basta’t ito ay may sentensyang hanggang labingwalong buwan lamang. Isang salik din dito ay dapat ang krimeng kinasangkutan ng isang kandidato ay may timbang ng moral turpitude upang ma-diskwalipika. Ang moral turpitude ay tinutukoy ng mga aksyong may layuning makasama, mapaminsala at taliwas sa hustisya at katotohanan. Hindi ba maituturing na masama ang pagnanasa ng korapsyon? Gaya na lamang ni Imelda Marcos na may pitong hatol ng graft ng Sandiganbayan. Malabong intindihin ang lohika na ganito lamang ang pamantayan sa pagiging serbidor ng lipunan, isa sa may pinakamataas na antas ng responsibilidad. Kung tutuusin ay dapat mas salain ang mga uupo dahil kailangan ang may pino at mataas na karakter lamang ang maaaring magsilbi sa lipunan. Sa trabaho nga napakaistrikto ang aplikasyon, kaya nararapat lamang na mas maigting ang kwalipikasyon at pageksamin sa mga nagnanais kumandidato.
Mahirap paniwalaan na marami pa rin ang sumusuporta sa mga kandidatong sangkot sa mga hindi kanais-nais na gawain. Ngunit gaano man ito nakakalungkot, ito ang realidad sa ating bansa. Sa ganitong mga pangyayari hindi mo mapigilang magtanong kung kailan nga ba matututo ang ating mga kababayan. Marcos pa rin! Solid mga kabisig kahit anong mangyari. Kahit sila’y nagnakaw. Kahit sila pa ay pumatay. Solid na solid. Siguro, dahil na rin sa kadalasan ng ganitong senaryo sa ating bansa, manhid na ang mga tao. Parang naging parte na ito sa kung ano ang maituturing na normal. Ika nga ng iba, lahat naman daw ng nakaupo ay may bahid ng mali dahil walang perpekto. Ito ang lohika ng ibang tao kapag sila’y tinatanong kung bakit napili nila ang isang kandidatong hindi maganda ang rekord. Ayos lang na may ninakaw basta may nagawa. Ayos lang kung may nilabag basta iyon ang napupusuan nila. Kahit sandamakmak na libro ang isampal at mga papel na patunay ng mga hatol sa napili nilang kandidato, sadyang makunat ang mukha ng iba. Kahit isinuka na ng bansa, pipiliin pa ring muli.
Isa pang salik dito ay ang noon pa mang tipikal na pagkamkam ng balwarte bilang teritoryo. Solid na suporta daw ang hakot ng mga nasasakupan. Bakit pa nga naman magsasayang ng oras ang mga tao para kilalanin ang mga bagong mukha? Mas sanay sila sa pamilyar na karikatura ng ibang pagpipilian. Basta kung sino ang may matunog na apelyido, siya na ang karapat dapat. Solid North!
Dahil sa ganitong sistema, parang walang takot nang gumawa ng karumaldumal na krimen ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno. Nasa kanila pa rin ang huling halakhak. Kapag ikaw ay magsaliksik sa mga listahan ng bansang pinakakorap, asahan mo nang makikita mo ang Pinas. Sagarang inaabuso naman ang gulong ng palad dito sa bansa ni Juan. Kung ikaw ay nagsasawa na, makialam ka. Walang ibang solusyon sa ganitong malubhang sakit ng Pilipinas kundi putulin ang sigalot na siklong lumalason sa ating bansa. Malabong intindhin ang lohika na ganito lamang ang pamantayan sa pagiging serbidor ng lipunan
These expressions are wonderfully crafted in just a few sets of words, and they are able to make so much impact on people’s mood. That is right, social media is so rich with these kind words of affirmation from loved ones and even strangers wishing for you to hold on and keep going. And fairly enough, they seem to have spoken to you in a way that helps you face the brighter side of your life–in an instant, it was like those words pushed you further than you have ever been. It’s splendid, isn’t it?
But with too much of these affirmations and less concrete actions, could we find ourselves pushed rather to the edge than where we should be?
It is important to note that mental health is like physical health that also finds moderation as an essential part of growth; like too much salt damages the liver, but ridiculously less of it can raise bad cholesterol. With that being said, you can cover your health well if you are informed enough of what is good for you and what is not.
The World Health Organization defines mental health as the “foundation for the well-being and effective functioning of individuals.” It is central to the brain, which is technically one organ but is the center of all human functioning. Mental health goes beyond the lines of extrinsic experiences and subjective philosophies–it is more than just the things that make people emotional. It is altogether psychological, neurological, and physiological.
This is a more than enough reason for people to be educated about how mental health works, and how it should be managed. However, everything surrounding talks on mental health varies due to difference in perspective; but the worst of it is the stigma which is a result of lack of proper education. Sadly, the Philippines is blatantly one of the countries with several stigmas on such an aspect.
In this country, Mental Health was only recognized legally as a basic human right in 2018 through Republic Act 110361 also known as the Mental Health Act. According to a 2019 review published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, the Philippines was one of the few countries without any mental health legislation prior to the passing of the law. There was a lack of education and guidance on the ethical practice of healthcare workers in the field, and patients’ rights were not clearly defined nor recognized. The government, which should have been taking the lead in bringing the subject to the table, had only recently paid attention to this essential part of human life. Until then, it has been the most neglected aspect of healthcare, as the same review had stated.
Psychology was not too popular in the advent of practical upskilling–with people looking for highly demanded jobs nationally and internationally. The same criticism of older generations regarding how unprofitable the job is–thus impractical–still exists to date. There are also confusions regarding the specializations in this field, and simply what their functions really are. Take for example the stigma on Guidance Counselors; students would rather fear than feel at ease with them because of how poorly defined the job description is–at least to the students and how they were used to scare those “in need of disciplinary actions”. Students, teachers, and parents think their role is primarily to scold students to correct their behaviors. So, what their offices do is initiate conversations and approach stakeholders themselves to specify to them what their service really is about; after all, recipients of such service should be the first ones to know what they are in for.
While our mental health professionals are gradually getting the recognition they need and such a health aspect is gaining more attention and is initiating constructive conversations, the complications and its overlap to other societal aspects are still like an unsolved riddle. The Philippines has just started its journey towards a mental health-friendly country as the law mandates sufficient support in prioritizing mental health, as well as decentralizing its functions (e.g., community-based mental health care centers). However, let us not forget to mention how inaccessible they are as of now–its expensiveness and strong stigma being the top obvious reasons.
Mentally ill Filipinos need more medical attention than ever. Apparently, exposition of symptoms without diagnosis would make the bearer vulnerable to discrimination. It shows as if making fun of or judging someone for it is an easier way to interact than trying to understand them. This has built up a stigma, which is sadly all over social media; but in response, there are people who choose to do otherwise–to pause, think, and understand.
But despite this, there had been barely any education about how mental health works. As early as elementary, it could have been covered, considering of course the appropriate lessons as levels progress. People should know that they do not have to deal with their psychological/mental problems on their own, and that starts with proper education on the basic aspects of mental health; just as simple as emotions, what they are, and how they are managed would do for a start. It is high time we broaden our mental health vocabulary, as it is not just all about the mentally ill, but it simply is all about you, literally all of us as individuals and as one community.
Filipinos, in a collective culture, love the feeling of pakikisama, and social affirmation is a great part of our being. And it is understandable that we have reached the point of having affirmations from almost everywhere. While these are of great help in going through the day, mental health care does not boil down to motivations, to just checking on our loved ones, and to sending them mental help lines. It is time to step up the system with broader perspectives, education, facilities, and science.
Motivations might be enough to fuel many individuals at once, but stable mental health care systems can boost communities and help individuals function better.
