Nearly 3 in 4 Filipinos turn to AI for mental health support

 

By Derco Rosal

Published Oct 16, 2026 04:00 pm | Updated Oct 16, 2026 01:08 pm

At A Glance

• As half of Filipinos cite cost as a barrier to accessing mental health care, nearly three in four would resort to using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to manage their mental health, according to AXA Global Healthcare.

With half of Filipinos citing cost as a barrier to professional mental health care, nearly three in four are resorting to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to manage their condition, according to AXA Global Healthcare.

AXA’s 2026 Mind Health Report, published on Wednesday, Oct. 14, shows that where formal care is costly, people routinely forgo professional support, relying instead on digital self-management. AXA noted that this reliance is most pronounced in the Philippines.

“This relationship is playing out most strongly in the Philippines, where respondents are the second most likely to cite cost as a barrier to mental health care, and the most likely to self-manage a current condition,” the global health insurer stated.

“[Filipinos] are also regular users of digital self-help tools,” AXA added. “This picture is consistent with the correlation that where cost barriers are high, people are more likely to lean on self-directed or tech-enabled management of their mental health rather than seek professional support.”

Of the 18 countries surveyed, the Philippines ranked among the highest for cost-driven care avoidance. Mexico led at 50 percent, closely followed by the Philippines at 49 percent, Brazil at 39 percent, and the United States at 38 percent. By contrast, significantly fewer respondents cited cost in Turkey (17 percent), the United Kingdom (16 percent), and Germany (15 percent).

The steep financial barrier facing Filipinos reflects a broader downturn in global psychological well-being. Alain Zweibrucker, Chief Executive Officer of AXA Health Business and Health International, noted that global mental health metrics have fallen to their lowest point in over five years.

“Almost half of the population in our latest Mind Health Study are not doing well mentally, and for the second consecutive year, almost a third are living with a mental health condition,” Zweibrucker said.

With professional consultations financially out of reach for many, AI has stepped into the breach. Dr. Anne Lepetit, Chief Medical Officer at AXA Health Business, observed that digital adoption has reached critical momentum, particularly across Asian markets where AI usage for mental health concerns has crossed 80 percent in certain regions.

“This is no longer an emerging trend. It is a healthcare reality,” Lepetit noted.

However, the report warns of an “accessibility paradox,” where continuous digital access can breed misplaced trust and lead individuals to replace qualified medical care with automated outputs.

“While AI offers an always-on avenue to mental health support, these findings highlight how its limitless accessibility could actually be more problematic than helpful,” AXA stated.

AXA found that frequent AI users were 2.5 times more likely to trust chatbots over licensed mental health professionals, with nearly three in 10 reporting that chatbot advice led them to harmful behaviors.

Workplace strain remains a major driver of this crisis. Seventy-two percent of employees reported experiencing daily effects from work-related stress, including sleep disruptions, mood shifts, and physical health issues.

The survey was conducted jointly with Ipsos France in the first quarter of 2026, sampling 19,000 respondents across 18 countries, including the Philippines, Mexico, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, and the United States.

The comfort of faith we no longer hold

 

by  Elyana Pauline Aniero

|October 17, 2026

For years, I have lived without conforming to the religious practices of my upbringing. The only promise I kept was to indulge my mother by attending church once a year at Christmas. Strangely enough, despite my aversion to religion, Christmas has never lost its place in my heart. I still find comfort in the church songs I grew up listening to, and I genuinely love attending Christmas Mass.

I think that’s what can happen when you are raised in faith. You may eventually walk away from the beliefs. Still, you cannot easily strip away the pieces that have already formed part of your way of thinking, your memories, and the places your mind instinctively returns to when it seeks comfort.

Religion also has a unique way of weaponizing guilt. As Tam said in “Young Sheldon,” “That’s how you know it’s working.” Whether meant as a joke or not, there is truth to it. Religion has long been treated as the measure of morality, and I think that is precisely what many young people reject today. Rejecting religion does not mean rejecting morality. One can choose not to practice faith and still strive to be kind, honest, and compassionate. Our capacity to do good should not be measured solely by our devotion to a religion.

Weeks ago, while waiting for the final grade that would determine whether I had passed my first year of law school, I found myself back in church, even though it had long ceased to be part of my life. There I was, engulfed by the heavy, silent air of the sanctuary, watching the flickering orange glow of the votive candles. I lit five and prayed—not only for myself but also for my friends who shared the same agonizing anxiety. As I quietly mumbled my prayers, a jarring thought surfaced: “I don’t even know why I am here.”

Maybe it was because I already knew I no longer believed. Why would I seek comfort from something I had long walked away from?

And yet, I did.

When my cousin found out, she was upset. She told me my faith was conditional—that I only turned to the Lord when I needed something. But I don’t think that’s what happened.

It wasn’t faith that brought me there.

It was the instinct to reach for something familiar. It was the last place my mind knew to run to when nothing else could quiet the anxiety. I don’t think there is anything wrong with turning to something that once brought you comfort simply because everything else has failed to do so.

I think this impulse to return to abandoned beliefs is deeply human. We all look for something to hold on to when uncertainty becomes unbearable. But perhaps what we return to is not belief itself, but the comfort we once associated with it. Prayer does not always require faith. Sometimes, it is simply an act of hope and a quiet conversation with yourself when there is no one else to speak to. You do not have to be certain that someone is listening for the act itself to bring peace. Like a bandage over a wound, prayer may not heal what hurts, but it can make the weight of it easier to carry until you can move forward.

That is why I have never fully accepted the notion that prayer only matters when it comes from unwavering faith. If faith is expected to be unconditional before prayer can be considered sincere, then I cannot help but question that expectation.

If there truly is a higher being, why is suffering so often described as the path to grace? Why should hardship become the price of living a life that is not extraordinary, but simply enough? If morality is what we are called to pursue, shouldn’t happiness, peace, and dignity be basic conditions of human existence rather than rewards reserved for those who have first endured pain?

Some might call it hypocrisy to question religion while still finding myself praying when everything else falls short.

I see it differently.

Nonbelief is not mutually exclusive with prayer. To me, prayer is not necessarily an affirmation of belief in a higher being.

I believe prayer can exist even in the absence of faith. Sometimes it is less about believing that someone is listening and more about finding a place for your fears to rest. When tangible things are no longer enough, prayer becomes no different from talking to yourself, gathering scattered thoughts, or whispering hope into the silence.

I may never know if anyone up there is listening, and maybe that has never been the point. Whether anyone is listening becomes secondary to the comfort the act itself provides.

Maybe that is because the imprint of the religion I was raised in will always remain somewhere within my consciousness—not necessarily as belief, but as memory. As a habit. As a deeply human response to fear and uncertainty.

It is not faith that calls me back.

It is the part of me that remembers what comfort once felt like.

And perhaps there is nothing wrong with that.

What is your biggest secret?

 

It’s not something I ever spoke of with anyone in my immediate family circle. But I have a lot more biological children than my parents are aware of. These include some children fathered as a sperm donor, as well as an out-of-wedlock son. I didn’t want to burden my relatives with this knowledge. I mean, why should I, and why would I? They know I was married, they know I have three children with my ex-wife and they’re close to them. What none of them knew until today is about… the others.

Ah, the what-ifs of life...

She saw a picture of my son and she immediately knew. No hesitation, no uncertainty. She just knew, on the spot. “He has your ears,” she said, “no DNA test needed. This boy is family.” Those ears she refers to, they’re not just my ears, they’re the ears of my mother’s father, too. My brother has them. My uncles have them. He has my eyes, too — a little small, squinted, like Clint Eastwood on a sunny day staring into the distance as bandits approach with ill intent. His hair is somewhat wavy, slightly curly, and the color is inbetween light brown and dark blond. Which is funny because his mother is very Hispanic-looking. It appears my genes won out, in the end.

At first, I was mortified. Now, I am at peace with it. Secrets weigh heavily on the soul. I have compartmentalized my life quite effectively, but the truth tends to come out one way or another, whether we like it or not. My biggest secret is the fact that I have fathered far more children than people close to me are aware of. Well, it used to be. Now, it’s out. In a way, it feels like a relief. At the same time, it doesn’t — this out-of-wedlock son in particular is a tricky case, as his mother effectively ghosted me years ago. I’d rather have kept it hidden until I at least fixed that matter, or hidden it forever if I hadn’t.

6 Unspoken rules for men

1. NEVER SHAKE A HAND SITTING DOWN.

Always shake hands standing up - it's a sign of respect and confidence.

2. PROTECT WHO IS BEHIND YOU, AND RESPECT WHO IS BESIDE YOU.

True strength lies in protecting and respecting others.

3. NEVER INSULT THE COOKING WHEN YOU ARE THE GUEST.

It's not just about the meal, it's about the effort and hospitality.

4. DON'T BEG FOR A RELATIONSHIP.

Relationships are built, not begged for - let connections grow organically.

5. NEVER EAT THE LAST PIECE OF SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T BUY.

Resist the temptation: Never devour the last piece if it wasn't your purchase.

6. DRESS WELL NO MATTER WHAT THE OCCASION.

Because style isn't just a statement, it's a reflection of respect.

This shows you are a part of 1% who actually finish what they start.

THANK YOU FOR READING ☺️

Aggression’s hotbed

 

ABOUT US

The Daily Guardian is a renascent Iloilo-based publishing firm and media outfit with bureaus across Western Visayas and beyond. Led by Iloilo's most respected journalists, we pledge to tell the Ilonggo story as seen through the various lenses of society so that every side may be told.

BUREAUS:KaliboBoracayRoxasBacolodAntiqueGuimarasManila

By Klaus Döring

October 17, 2026

Aggression’s hotbed can refer to both a metaphorical concept in psychology and a specific linguistic commentary: In neuroscience and psychology, the amygdala is often described as the brain’s hotbed for reactive aggression. It processes fear, threat, and anger, triggering immediate, impulsive aggressive responses before the prefrontal cortex can regulate them.

Empirically, extreme heat serves as a literal and situational hotbed for violence. The “heat-aggression hypothesis” suggests that rising temperatures can increase irritability, hostile thoughts, and physical assaults.

In societal commentary, journalists and columnists often refer to the unregulated media environment, or a “wicked pen,” as a hotbed that shapes public anger and societal conflict.

Honestly, it’s rarely a pleasure, joy, amusement, fun, or whatever to read and look closely at different daily papers here in the Philippines and elsewhere around the globe. Only bad and negative headlines seem to help increase a paper’s circulation. Yes, sure, our world has not become better.

The three “C’s” are the fundamental factors: catastrophes, crime, and crisis! Surely, television and other news media are not much better.

Sensible suggestions and negotiations, failed compromises, disclosures from prominent figures’ bedrooms, double standards, the church in deep crisis, calumny suits, and sometimes reports, editorials, and columns that drip with bad taste and spitefulness.

For more than 65 years, I have learned that a journalist can — of course — mentally form and shape public opinion, characters, life, communities, and the way things go. That’s why I have also learned that a journalist should always remember self-discipline, responsibility, care, inquisitiveness, and respect.

Of course, empathy and sound judgment, along with self-assurance, common sense, and human dignity, also belong, whether the topic is politics, economics, commerce, culture, sports, or special topics such as police reports or war correspondence.

Chasing rumors, revealing embarrassing and mostly untrue things, producing sensational reports to make money and increase circulation or viewership, and pursuing personal prestige are harmful to the public and especially to journalists themselves.

Writing with a wicked pen and having a sharp tongue don’t mean that a journalist, host, or commentator should walk disrespectfully through life, so to speak, like an elephant in a china shop. Likewise, it is the journalist’s duty to uncover, disclose, or reveal what the public should know, but without getting personal. Yes, eternal vigilance matters, even without a wicked pen and a sharp tongue.

+++

Email: doringklaus@gmail or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter), or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.

 

Mindanao politician tagged as financier of foiled smuggling of 520 kilos of shabu seized in Laos

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has identified the financier of the more than 500 kilos of shabu that were supposed to be smuggled into the country using a private jet but was busted in Laos prior to the departure early this month. PDEA spokesman Joseph Frederick Calulut said that financier is a politician based in Mindanao. Read more

Expect this will breach a 65 Php to a dollar before Christmas 26

May be an image of money and text

Can you provide an example of a primitive fine dining cuisine, such as raw meat?

 

Volker Eichener

 · 

Professor at Hochschule Düsseldorf

The most primitive fine dining experience that comes into my mind is eating a raw oyster. I prefer it without any condiments, maybe with just a drop of lemon juice.

Another simple dish is caviar. I eat it the Russian way, on blinis with loads of butter.

Steak tartare is another favourite. For us, it is a regular breakfast dish. We also order it at restaurants.

The Italian version is carpaccio:

You can do the same with fish.

Or air-dried ham from Parma, Serrano, Bayonne…

How did you fix your life?

 Feeling stuck ? The worst thing you can do is overthink the next action ,

1. Real life is not a movie . You don’t get the girl , get jacked , and start a million-dollar company in 2 hours . Instead, these things happen over large chunks of time ,
2. Normalize consistency , effort , and long-term thinking if you want to achieve your goals ,
3. Even with all the hard work you may not achieve what you want or it might take longer than you’d like but hard work is guaranteed to grow you as a person every day ,
4. Acquiring all knowledge isn’t the ultimate goal . Applying that knowledge is ,
5. Gotta learn to put the past behind you. The past must die either way , that’s its purpose . Make sure you don’t die along with it ,
6. Watch your mental diet . Most people consume clickbait , conspiracy, propaganda , and high doses of generalized fear and wonder why they feel anxious , depressed , and unmotivated ,
7. Worry is a woeful misuse of our imagination . When we worry , all we do is pollute our emotional experience ,
8. Watch your thoughts carefully and see if they serve you . Are they about growing yourself financially , physically , mentally , and spiritually ? We need to discard any other thoughts that are dragging us down ,
9. You can’t be a quitter and a winner at the same time . Keep grinding . Stay patient,
10. Chillax.!!

Bewirkt Handystrahlung Krebs und andere Krankheiten?

Nein. Handystrahlung ist weitgehend harmlos, solange man nicht mit einem Sender kuschelt. Dieser kann genug Energie abstrahlen, dass sich der Körper auf ein Maß erhitzt, das dem Leben abträglich wäre.

Aber Handystrahlung kann deine Zellen nicht verändern und das wäre nötig, für die Entstehung von Krebs.

Sowas kann nur ionisierte Strahlung, also Radioaktivität.

Das bedeutet, du solltest deinen Tee nicht mit Radium erhitzen, wie es Marie Curie tat.

Die Behauptungen, dass Handystrahlung schädlich sei, gehört in den Bereich des Geschäftsfelds mit medizinischen Mythen und ist eng mit Elektrosmog-Legenden verknüpft.

Das ist gezielte Angstmacherei, mit der Menschen dann das Geld aus der Tasche gezogen wird.