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Sunday, October 8, 2023
Preventing a mental health crisis
Quote card for EDITORIAL: Preventing a mental health crisis
The mass shooting in a Bangkok mall a few days ago involving a minor with a history of mental illness has cast a spotlight on young people and the growing trend of mental health problems among them. The incident, which resulted in two deaths, may have happened in a neighboring country but it does not make it any less relevant to the Philippine setting, especially as we mark National Mental Health Month.
Of specific concern is the number of mental health cases reported among young Filipino students. Per the Department of Education (DepEd), 404 students took their own lives while 2,147 others attempted suicide during Academic Year 2021-2022. In addition, 775,962, out of the country’s 28 million young learners in public schools, sought the assistance of guidance counselors for the same period.
This number is certainly more than what the country’s guidance counselors could handle: as of 2021, DepEd reported, there were only 2,093 of them or a ratio of one mental health professional to nearly 13,400 learners.
Last June, Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel urged President Marcos to declare a mental health emergency because the country “cannot afford to keep turning a blind eye on the hundreds of young lives that have been taken by academic and economic pressures of today’s society.” He added that it was high time the government paid attention to the prevailing mental health crisis and crafted a national course of action.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that unaddressed mental health issues will put a huge burden on future generations. As of 2021, WHO estimated that one in seven, or 13 percent, of 10–19-year-olds globally experience mental health conditions and that half of all mental health disorders in adulthood start by age 14 but most of the cases are undetected and untreated.
“If these disorders are left untreated, they can extend into adult life, thus impacting educational attainment, employment, relationships, and even parenting,” said Tarun Dua, a mental health adviser at the WHO.
It’s not only young people; adults who belong to generations that barely acknowledged and considered mental illness a taboo suffer from at least one type of mental, neurological, or substance use disorder. The National Mental Health Program said 1,145,871 Filipinos suffered from depression and 213,422 from schizophrenia in 2020.
No doubt that the Philippines has made breakthroughs in pushing mental health into the national agenda and society has become more open to discussing it. But the figures quoted above and the reality on the ground bear out the fact that there is still so much more that needs to be done in terms of lawmaking, and institutional and budget support.
For one, treatment for mental disorders remains costly and inaccessible, especially for those who need it most: the poor and vulnerable sectors whose living conditions can have adverse effects on their mental well-being.
The landmark passage of Republic Act No. 11306 or the Mental Health Act (MHA) in 2018 was supposed to make mental health services more accessible to the public. But the truth is that the minimal budget that goes into the government’s mental health program — P1.9 billion for both the awareness campaign and medicines for this year — reflects its low priority.
The state of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) — ”tragic” and in “poor condition” in the words of a senator — is also emblematic of the kind of mental health service available in the country.
At least two proposals meant to complement the MHA and ensure the accessibility of mental health services in schools and communities have been put forward: for local governments to enact ordinances that will integrate mental health service into basic health service; and for Congress to pass a new law, the proposed Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, that will task the DepEd to establish “care centers” in schools and create plantilla positions for trained personnel to manage the program.
The recent case of a Grade 5 student who allegedly died from a brain hemorrhage after being slapped by a teacher only underscores the importance of providing professional mental health training to educators and guidance counselors. But all these — the localization of mental health services as well as training and additional positions for mental health professionals — require a budget, which the sector already has very little of.
The government cannot continue to handle the mental health issue the way previous generations have handled mental illness: ignored, denied, untreated. It must take concrete action now or it will have a full-blown mental health crisis in its hands.
Read more: https://opinion.inquirer.net/166970/preventing-a-mental-health-crisis#ixzz8FWQGDmbt
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Mindanao study finds microplastics in ‘bangus’
Newly harvested bangus from island barangays in Dagupan City are brought to Magsaysay Fish Market. From the boat they are classified according to sizes and placed into tubs.PHOTO BY WILLIE LOMIBAO
By: Jane Bautista - Reporter / @janebautistaINQPhilippine Daily Inquirer / 05:34 AM October 08, 2023
MANILA, Philippines — A team of researchers has found the prevalence of microplastics (MPs) in the gastrointestinal tracts of adult milkfish (“bangus”), one of the predominant species developed in the country’s aquaculture industry. But because microplastic research in the country is still in its infancy, the full extent of its health risks has yet to be established, according to the team.
Researcher Kaye Similitan of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) said their study found that 97 percent, or 29 out of 30 milkfish samples, were contaminated with MPs.
These samples were taken from fish cages in the portion of the Masao River in Butuan City and in the area of Butuan Bay in Nasipit town, Agusan del Norte province.
The research, funded by the Department of Science and Technology, was conducted last year and published in September in the “Marine Pollution Bulletin” of the Dutch academic publishing company Elsevier.
Earlier scientific studies by other groups had also detected MPs in Metro Manila’s air and in the waters of Laguna de Bay, the country’s largest freshwater lake.
Based on the findings of MSU-IIT, an average of 5 MPs was found from milkfish samples in Nasipit while the MP content of milkfish in Butuan City reached an average of 10 MPs, or two times higher.
In an interview with the Inquirer, Similitan attributed the MP ingestion in Butuan to economic activity in the city, a leading tourist and investment destination in the Caraga region in northeastern Mindanao.
Team member Hernando Bacosa, an environmental scientist who has been working on microplastics research, explained that the higher amount of MPs in milkfish may be attributed as well to the higher MP concentration in the water since the species tend to mistake waste as food.
“Butuan has high industrial [and] commercial activities and high population, and that is also tantamount to high plastic consumption and disposal that go to canals, esteros, and the sea,” he said. On average, the water in the Masao River has 1 MP per liter, five times higher than that of Butuan Bay in Nasipit which has 0.2 MP per liter.
The Agusan River, another waterway alongside Butuan City, also has so many plastics coming from other parts of Mindanao, Bacosa said.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) also has ongoing research on microplastic levels in different bodies of water around the country.
The DENR’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau said there are “no global or local thresholds [yet] on microplastics.”
At any rate, “we don’t have to wait for it (the concentration of microplastics) to reach 100 [MPs per liter] in 10 years or after 20 years,” Bacosa said.
‘Nanoplastics’
He noted further that MPs could be broken down into smaller compounds called “nanoplastics,” which could penetrate the lungs, liver, and blood.
“If the fish ingests a small amount of MP, it won’t affect the fish. But later on, when the amount increases to as much as 100 MPs in 20 to 30 years, it could affect the fish,” he said.
While the guts are usually removed from milkfish bought in the markets, “we don’t know what percent of the microplastics are nanoplastics that could have entered the meat or the edible part of the bangus,” he added.
Bacosa said microplastics in fish could also be carriers of bacteria, viruses, and harmful chemicals. The team also analyzed the polymer type of MPs and found the most dominant to be ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), which Similitan said is mostly used in paint and thinner.
Apart from EVA, other polymers detected were low-density polyethylene (9 percent), the material used for packaging foils; polyethylene terephthalate or PET (8 percent), which comes from PET-made bottles and other containers used for carbonated drinks; the polyvinyl chloride (7 percent) used in pipes; and polyamide (7 percent) used for clothing and fishing gear.
“From that we have an idea: MP is not formed overnight,” Bacosa said. “These MPs could come from 10 or 20 years ago. The MP could be from PET bottles disposed [of] 10 to 20 years ago because it takes time [for these plastics to disintegrate].”
Bacosa said there is no immediate solution to this problem, but certain laws like the Extended Producers Responsibility Act of 2022 (Republic Act No. 11898) can make companies liable for their plastic production.
The law requires, in particular, large enterprises with total assets of more than P1 billion to establish a system to recover, treat, and recycle or dispose of their plastic packaging after the consumption of their products.
“Plastic pollution is not just an issue of the scientists, but we have to work with the national and local governments, businesses that are responsible for the manufacture of plastics, international organizations, and regional alliances,” Bacosa said.
Similitan said local governments like Butuan City could also regulate plastic usage in its tourist spots and implement policies like banning single-use plastics.
Ultimately, proper waste disposal should be observed in households.
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1842557/mindanao-study-finds-microplastics-in-bangus#ixzz8FW8wwfB0
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Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Take time to learn how to be safe in the digital world
Cybersecurity is everyone’s concern. It is not only for professionals in the office who are involved in information technology and cybersecurity. No one is a minor player in ensuring a safe digital world.
Being aware of cybersecurity should be taken as a personal duty that comes with the use of technology that’s now deeply intertwined with our lives. Think of the rise in the use of smartphones, connected home devices, mobility gadgets, leisure and sports devices – technology is informing, guiding, entertaining, and helping make decisions for us.
A person using a smart phone or gadget should take time to know about cybersecurity because of the danger cybercrime can bring not only to the user but also to family and friends. A smart phone, for example, does not only function as a gadget to communicate to people but it also holds personal information like names, addresses, and contact information of family members and friends, bank account and credit card numbers, and other data. That information can be used by cybercriminals to ruin a person’s finances, businesses, or even status in the community. In short, a cybercrime can ruin a person’s life.
The importance of a safe digital world has led many countries to observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month every October since 2004. This global initiative to promote cybersecurity is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, private organizations, and communities.
“Secure Our World,” the theme of global Cybersecurity Awareness Month, aims to educate people on the new ways to secure the digital world from new threats. Companies behind this global movement provide the public with information to stay safer and more secure online.
President Marcos has seen the importance of supporting this initiative and has signed a proclamation moving our observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month from September to October of every year. Proclamation No. 353, signed on Oct. 2, 2023, cites the need to amend the original Proclamation No. 2054 issued in 2010 “in order to synchronize the Philippines with the international observance of the 'Cybersecurity Awareness Month' in October and to further signify the country's unwavering commitment toward a unified approach in the digital era of governance.”
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has been tasked to lead the observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Its theme for the observance is “Sama-sama para sa Cybersecuridad,” to emphasize “our collective role in improving our country’s cybersecurity posture and enabling a digitally safer Philippines.”
According to President Marcos, one of the strategies under his Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 is to ensure safety and security in cyber and physical spaces and adopt a legal framework to strengthen cybersecurity and policies on minimum information security standards.
Individuals, families, organizations, businesses, companies should take time to educate themselves on how to be safe in the digital world. It starts with a few simple things, one of them, a secure password. Take the step to learn about multifactor authentication on personal devices and business networks. Then learn how to recognize phishing, a scheme still used by cybercriminals today because many people fall for it.
Remember, a smart gadget is not only to call or text a friend. It holds valuable information about you and your loved ones. Protect them by getting to know how to be secure in this digital world.
LPA may enter PAR within 24 to 48 hours — PAGASA
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Sunday, Oct. 8 said the low pressure area (LPA) east of Visayas may enter the country’s area of responsibility within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Weather specialist Daniel James Villamil said the LPA was last spotted 1,845 kilometers east of Visayas.
While the likelihood of the weather disturbance developing into a tropical depression remains low, Villamil said the trough or extension of the LPA may bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to some parts of Southern Luzon, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas as early as Tuesday, Oct. 10.
As of Sunday, the LPA still has no direct effect on any part of the country.
PAGASA said the entire archipelago may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to the southwest monsoon and localized thunderstorms in the next 24 hours.
The public is advised to be vigilant against possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms, which are often accompanied by sudden heavy rains, lightning, thunder, gusts of wind, and sometimes hail.
12 things about award-winning Gen Z actress Heaven Peralejo
AT A GLANCE
"Dahil sa 'Nanahimik Ang Gabi,' nagbago ang takbo ng buhay ko. Noong time na yun, I was losing confidencein myself, I wanted to stop na. Akala ko hindi na ako gustong makita ng mga tao. Grateful ako kay Direk Lauren (Dyogi) because he encouraged me to take on the project, Binigay ko na lang ang lahat ng kaya kong ibigay. I didn't know it would all lead to this beautiful moment," Heaven said in an interview at the office of her management outfit, Viva Artists Agency.
Only 23, Gen Z actress Heaven Peralejo is on top of the world, juggling several film projects and earning accolades for acting. But it wasn't always this way. She remembers that dark moment last year when she was promoting "Nanahimik Ang Gabi," the movie that would eventually lead her to the cusp of recognition and stardom.
"Dahil sa 'Nanahimik Ang Gabi,' nagbago ang takbo ng buhay ko. Noong time na yun, I was losing confidence in myself, I wanted to stop na. Akala ko hindi na ako gustong makita ng mga tao. Grateful ako kay Direk Lauren (Dyogi) because he encouraged me to take on the project, Binigay ko na lang ang lahat ng kaya kong ibigay. I didn't know it would all lead to this beautiful moment," Heaven said in an interview at the office of her management outfit, Viva Artists Agency.
Heaven's hands are full at present. She is part of the upcoming Philippine adaptation of the hit South Korean movie Sunny. She will also return for the second season of The University Series, the follow-up to The Rain in Espana - Safe Skies, Archer. In December, she will go to Singapore to compete with other best actresses in the region for the Asian Academy Creative Awards. Speaking articulately about her plans, Heaven remains level-headed and is careful not to let the success get into her head. But definitely, what stands out now is her new-found confidence to conquer the world.
"I see myself as a chameleon who blends in, who doesn't want to be placed in a box. I don't want to be limited, I want to be limitless. Sabi nga nila, the sky's the limit. If the sky's the limit, then I'm Heaven," she remarks happily.
Here are 10 things worth knowing about the former PBB housemate and award-winning actress who is set to become one of the big stars of her generation:
1. She has seven small tattoos, mostly on her arms, with different meanings. The designs include a heart, a moon, a lotus, and a Morse code. The first tattoo she got was a couple of birds representing her and her mom, Luanne, whom she is very close to.
2. Heaven finished her business management college degree from Southville International School two years ago. Still, only this coming November will she receive her diploma in a proper graduation ceremony.
3. She is thrilled to be pitted with top Korean actress Song Hye-kyo in the forthcoming Asian Academy Creative Awards. "To be nominated alongside her, sobrang laking step na yun kasi pinapanood ko lang sya sa The Glory. Isa ako sa mga fans nya," Heaven says with excitement.
4. She revealed that a spy is one role she would like to portray. This is something she has been dreaming of since she was a kid. Heaven said that she practices Muay Thai and regularly goes to the gym to prepare for the role, even if there is no formal project yet. It's her way of manifesting things to happen.
5. She speaks fondly of her ka-loveteam Marco Gallo, her former housemate in Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7. They (MarVen) are going to work together on another project soon! " We have this understanding na kahit hindi kami magkasama sa work, we're there to support and respect each other; we're going to help each other. I'm grateful that I found this person in showbiz who cares for me."
6. She describes her heart right now as "happy and content. I'm no longer trying to control where my life leads me, it's more of surrendering into the moment and just enjoying what God gives me." She assures her fans, "if I found the right person to love, I'll shout it to the whole world. Maririnig nyo yan."
7. Heaven is kept grounded by her two pets, a Yorkie (dog) and a British shorthair (cat). "Every day, they remind me to clean up after their mess! They bring out my feminine, motherly side."
8 . The actress enjoys simple pleasures like pottery-making, arranging flowers, and walking her dog in the park. She says it's important "not to lose myself in all this extravagance, always to be humble, always to be a good friend, a good person, a good daughter, a good actor."
9 . Her one mantra in life is to keep calm and chill. " Kalma lang sa lahat ng bagay. Doon mo makikita kung ano ang ibibigay sa iyo ng universe."
10. Even though Heaven has approximately 15 million combined followers on her social media, she prefers to keep some things under wraps. For example, she's now learning how to dance, but she's not posting about it. "I like to give surprises."
11. At the age of 16, Heaven knew she wanted to be an actress. "First, I wanted to help my mom. And when I started doing workshops, I knew this was the job I wanted to pursue. I want to move people with my emotions and make them feel less lonely."
12. Heaven would instead pursue authenticity rather than perfection. "What you see is what you get. I don't want to have this persona of being a perfect woman. I'm imperfect, but I try to be authentic because it's harder to rise from your mistakes to become a better person. Siguro nakikita ng mga kabataan ngayon na it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from it."
Why is the German language so hard?
I studied German at uni for 3 years, took a summer course in it during that time, and have travelled extensively in germany and austria. I should also say that german is closer related to my native norwegian than english, so I had an advantage there.
The only time I actually learned german with any kind of high efficiency was when I worked one summer - travelling alone - as a volunteer farmer in the austrian countryside. Why? Because in the Austrian countryside the english skills were rudimentary or non-existent, so I had to speak German. I couldn`t support myself using English as a crutch. Neither could I seek “refuge” in co-students or friends who spoke my native Norwegian because I went to Austria by myself.
Granted, all the technical grammar and getting used to placing verbs at the end etc, had come into place in large part during my studying. But after 7 weeks soaked in the language every waking moment I went from speaking with a large degree of hesitation to almost not having to think about it.
If you`re not forced to speak the language in order to perform your daily tasks succesfully the learning process will be slow, no matter what language you`re learning.
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Teachers are the heroes of our times
If you’ve been following the columns in our opinion section, several of our columnists have expressed their respect, appreciation, and admiration for teachers. They have reflected on their teachers from their formative years, those who challenged them to excel, those who uncovered their talents, to teachers who supported them through their doctoral studies.
The power of a teacher, often regarded as a “second parent,” stems from the profound influence they exert in our lives, so much so that even if one is already a professional, one can’t help but recall the numerous lessons imparted inside a classroom.
As we conclude National Teachers’ Month, which formally started on Sept. 5, 2023, and culminated on Oct. 5, or the National Teachers’ Day and World Teachers’ Day, we find ourselves highlighting the indispensable role of teachers in our society, particularly now in the ongoing battle against the learning crisis that plagued our nation due to the health pandemic.
During those challenging years, teachers have displayed unwavering resilience and grit, adapting to new circumstances, and going above and beyond to ensure that students continue to learn. Despite their own personal trials at home, teachers have presented a brave face — fully aware that they are looked upon by young minds for inspiration and hope. It is, for these reasons, that they are considered the heroes of our times.
On National Teachers’ Day, the President assured teachers of his administration’s unwavering support, acknowledging the “immeasurable debt” the country owes them. “We recognize your sacrifices for our youth and assure you that we will prioritize your welfare and that of your families,” Marcos said.
At the start of National Teachers’ Month, Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte committed to improve the welfare of teachers, anchored on the MATATAG Agenda.
“The DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda is not just a slogan. It is our roadmap to institutionalize reforms within the department. This includes the protection of your rights and the promotion of your welfare,” Duterte said.
For one, to improve teachers’ financial capacity, Duterte said that the department is coordinating with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to address concerns over accrued interests or arrears of teachers’ loans. Add to that, she also announced that after the current school year, DepEd will give 30 days of uninterrupted rest to teachers to recover from school tasks.
On the part of the Senate, there are efforts underway to update Republic Act No. 4670 or the “Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Committee on Basic Education, said that it has been 57 years since the law was passed, “yet some of its provisions have not been fully realized.”
“It is high time that the Magna Carta should respond to the needs and challenges being encountered by our teachers,” the Senator said, noting that he also seeks provisions “protecting teachers from out-of-pocket expenses and non-teaching tasks, and provisions for teachers’ basic rights and longevity pay.”
While National Teachers' Month may conclude, our consideration for teachers' welfare must remain constant. Their work is not only during teaching hours, since for them, the teaching profession is not just a career but their life and legacy. All efforts to lift any ounce of burden on them should be welcomed and must be supported by all. After all, aren’t we what we are today because of our teachers?
UP Diliman Dept of Journalism launches project to address ‘fake news’
The University of the Philippines Diliman's (UPD) Department of Journalism launched the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Project on Friday, Oct. 6, aiming to teach journalism fundamentals, counter misinformation, and fact-checking to Filipino students to combat "fake news."
The project launch featured a panel discussion on media and information literacy, with journalists Howie Severino from GMA Integrated News, Jeff Canoy from ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs, and Ellen Tordesilla from Vera Files.
UP Department of Journalism chair and broadcast journalist Kara David said the project is “our contribution to the public schools and high school system here in the Philippines," as she highlighted the challenges faced by teachers teaching MIL due to lack of resources and journalism professionalism.
"We talked to some of the teachers that teach MIL at the senior high school level, and then we had a focus group discussion with the teachers. They really want to teach, but they lack resources," David said.
“So gusto naming tulungan ang mga guro at bigyan sila ng lessons on media literacy (So we want to help the teachers and give them lessons on media literacy)," she added.
David emphasized the project's expansion beyond traditional modules, including a dedicated YouTube channel and Facebook page to make resources more accessible to a wider audience.
The MIL project will create a series of video tutorials, lesson plans, quizzes, and discussion points for teachers to use in their classes.
The project, organized under the Initiative for Media Freedom (IMF), is set to run for two years with the UP CMC Foundation Inc, implemented by Internews, and funded by the United States Agency for International Development.
Filipino journalists, including Zen Hernandez, Karmina Constantino, Atom Araullo, Connie Sison, Mariz Umali, Ivan Mayrina, and Jeff Canoy, collaborated to host a project aimed at teaching media literacy topics like fact-checking and identifying different types of fake news.
Reduce, re-use, recycle to help address solid waste problem
The country is projected to generate approximately 24.49 million metric tons of waste by 2045 unless steps are taken to address its causes, according to a Commission on Audit (COA) study released earlier this year.
That same COA study showed that in the six-year period from 2015 to 2020, the total estimated waste generation grew by 33.36 percent, or at a rate of 5.56 percent annually.
What’s unfortunate to note is that the country’s solid waste problem keeps on growing despite the passage of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. This law calls for the proper segregation and disposal of waste. Under the law, local government units (LGUs) are also mandated to properly dispose of garbage collected from various sources, including households. Despite fines and imprisonment for violators, it is apparent these have not served as deterrent.
With this mounting garbage problem, it is incumbent upon everyone to play his or her role in addressing the garbage problem. And helping solve or at least mitigate the problem begins at home — in the family, the basic institution of the society.
In the COA report, it was cited that 9.07 million metric tons of solid waste was generated in 2006 and the figure almost doubled to 16.63 million metric tons in 2020. And based on projections, solid waste will increase to 19.76 million metric tons in 2030 and up to 24.5 million metric tons in 2045.
“Therefore, assuming a steady rate of waste generation, solid waste production shall continue to increase in future years, negating its goal of reducing waste,” the COA said in the report.
The COA cited at least seven major causes attributed to the failure to reduce waste over the years. These are: interventions to reduce the waste generators (households and industrial/commercial); increasing population, with challenges in family planning, especially in urban areas; lack of studies on materials with reusability/recyclability that can be promoted; dependence on single-use items without exception to non-environmentally acceptable (NEAP) products, especially in urban areas; waste imports from developed countries were still enforced in the absence of ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment; insufficient solid waste facilities to help divert and safely dispose of solid wastes, among others.
Waste management is not the sole responsibility of the state, it should be everyone’s concern — a whole-of-nation obligation. It should begin at home, in offices, in industrial centers, and in every corner.
Let’s all do our part in solving this waste problem. We can begin with the segregation of our garbage and then start reducing, re-using, and recycling. That would be a big help in addressing our garbage problem.