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15/11/2024

𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐒: 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐡’𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳: 𝘑𝘰𝘴 𝘌𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘋. 𝘈𝘨𝘯𝘰

Along with the first rays of sunlight is the buzzing alarm that Seph can never fail to ignore. She wakes. Stretching beneath her blanket that has always given her comfort and warmth. Greeting the early sun after an exhausting night shift never gets easy, but a duty that has to be done.

Although late for her early classes, Seph brightens the rooms she enters—she brings smiles that no one can ignore and a laugh that one will surely recognize. Despite her unmistakable presence and energy, her journey to achieving such could have been brighter.

“𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒌𝒐 𝒏𝒊 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒂 𝒂𝒌”
Growing up, Joseph felt an itching sense of difference.

"I got used to being with girls," he declared. "Until I grew more fond of playing with dolls instead of running around and preferred the color pink over blue."

But Joseph kept it hidden in fear of his brother introducing his belt or the back of his hand to his bottom.

According to a study by Chaka Bachmann, only half of le***an, gay, and bis*xual people (46%) and trans people (47%) feel open to revealing their identity to their family.

"I was usually left home alone; my mother off early to work, my brother to God knows where, and my sister to school," Seph confessed.

So he had to look for something to do. As most would imagine, he would secretly take his mother's curtains for a rampa he and his childhood friend slay in a hidden alley or in their rooms.

“𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒌𝒐 𝒂𝒎𝒐 𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒊 𝒅𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒎𝒂”
"I think I had a feeling about what I am," she said while nodding, "—wah, I already knew!" she added, laughing. "I was also active in the church, attending Sunday schools and such," she declared, "although I knew some members of the church were aware of what I am, it still felt unsettling hiding it."

“𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒌𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒌𝒖𝒏 𝒂𝒈-𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌”
Entering the hopeful ventures of high school life, Seph felt open to expressing herself despite her challenges.

The LGBTQ community in the schools within Cordillera frequently experiences persistent teasing, name-calling, and receiving cruel jokes, remarks, and comments (Santos, Kim, et al., 2020).

"I can now wear lipstick," she said gleefully, "Do rampas at school, then frantically change into my uniform before going home."

She felt her family already knew but still yet to accept who she was.

"But I pressed on," she said confidently, "I stayed true to who I am, and they slowly accepted me."

Seph could then dress how she liked and grow her hair as long as she wanted, like the princesses from the old Barbie movies she had always played with.

“𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒌𝒐 𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒏”
The package of being part of the LGBTQ+ community seems to always include discrimination. Despite the Philippines ranking first among all Asian countries in gender parity (Global Gender Gap Report, 2023), negative experiences such as ridicule and violence still are never absent. Furthermore, the Office for Victims of Crime notes that 50% of trans people internationally are s*xually abused at least once in their lives.

"I thought the hard part was over," she said. "I felt hopeless, and my self-esteem was at its lowest," she added.

Although she does her best to tune out the words others whisper, the questions "Why do I have to be this way?" and "Why do I have to look like this?" never leave her head. The LGBTQ+ community experiences the highest rates of significant depression (92.0%), anxiety (93.8%), and stress (82.3%) compared to heteros*xuals (Alibudbud, 2022).

"𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒌𝒐 𝒌𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒌 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒕𝒂"
"But what could be harder now that my family and friends have accepted who I am—that I have accepted who I am," she said proudly.

Seph claimed she was never short of support.

"They always helped and motivated me to pursue my dreams." With a new, stronger brace to keep her firm, she got a job to further support herself. "I know it would be exhausting," she admitted, "But I can still do both—studying and working."

A United Nations study in 2018 stated that 30 percent of the LGBTQIA+ community experiences harassment, bullying, and discrimination in their workplace. Despite the extensive margin, she did not hesitate to keep her work, as she felt it could alleviate their financial difficulties and aid her education.

She acknowledges the significance of education for everyone and feels it is necessary to achieve personal goals.

"I stopped studying multiple times," she said shyly. "I learned the importance of education, and I think of myself as useless if I do not study."

Although she recognizes her shortcomings in studying, she always takes pride in her friends, classmates, and family, who are always available to help her.

"𝑲𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒌 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒈𝒂"
Seph promotes awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. She aims to nurture gender identity and enlighten the torments of discrimination against their people.

"Every person has a story worth telling," she said, "And as they say, 'We should not judge the book by its cover,' because we do not know what they are going through and feeling."

Despite Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities being two out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the Philippines is still yet to pass the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGIE) Equality Bill, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill. This bill seeks to protect everyone's fundamental right—regardless of gender—against any discrimination. The people have continuously done their job advocating for their rights, and being the longest-running bill in the Philippine Congress, 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘰.

Ordinary people really do have extraordinary stories. Seph's journey to pride and self-acceptance shows the importance of perseverance and support, not only from others but from oneself, too. Her commitment to her identity symbolizes hope to those still searching for a place in this world. In this story, Seph inspires understanding for others and highlights the earnest love one should have for themselves.

Seph's story calls for all to take pride in and accept themselves, as one should for their 'family and gifts.'

REFERENCES:
Alibudbud, R. (2022, June 12). Gender in mental health: Comparison of the rate and social factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among young adult Filipino heteros*xual cisgender men and women and LGBT+ individuals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00207640221106874?journalCode=ispa

Bachmann, C. L., & Gooch, B. (2017, September). LGBT in Britain: Hate Crime and Discrimination. LGBT in Britain-Trans Report.https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/lgbtstaff/files/2018/01/lgbt_in_britain_-_trans_report_final.pdf

Global Gender Gap Report 2023 | World Economic Forum. (2023, June 20). Global Gender Gap Report 2023 | World Economic Forum. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2023/digest/

Prevalence of Bullying among LGBT Students in Nueva Ecija. (n.d.). Scientific Research Publishing. Retrieved October 8, 2024, from https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=98120

Image from Nations Photo Lab https://www.nationsphotolab.com/blogs/blog/lgbtq-photographers-to-follow?epik=dj0yJnU9U1NHb09UVVJzWDNOcElIVktxSjhqQlFYNWxROXpKYmImcD0wJm49b2ZrcW5RNEpPYl9aRENCMFAwSjd5USZ0PUFBQUFBR2MxaGFZ

15/11/2024

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬
𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳: 𝘒𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘻𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘉. 𝘛𝘢𝘥𝘦

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Her name is Naty. Now let me introduce her to you.

As the sun shines its light with the crisp morning breeze, Naty, along with her fellow florists, open up their flower shops in a hidden corner in Km5 La Trinidad, Benguet.

For a very long time, flowers have been used as a way to express what we feel. We give meaning to each flower. The act of giving flowers is a language we created that touches the hearts and souls of those who receive them.

Every day from 6:30 in the morning to 7 or 8 in the evening, Naty's day consists of flower arranging and selling different kinds of flowers. Every custom flower arrangement is handcrafted meticulously for any occasion. Her artistry keeps her regular customers coming back for more.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲
Naty told me with sentimentality in her tone that she wanted to finish her studies and be a professional teacher. Unfortunately, her family lacked the financial capacity for her to do so.

Naty started her career as a florist in Baguio City and then moved to Manila when her business was thriving. After some time, she switched to selling food and coffee in a store at the Benguet Provincial Capitol. After the coronavirus disease pandemic struck, she eventually went back to selling flowers in La Trinidad.

Compared to her previous job, working as a florist is a much better choice for Naty. However, these days, business is slow because there are not that many occasions happening after the school year started. Naty explained how expensive it is to send children to school which is why their number of sales decreased.

𝐏𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬
Hailing from the municipality of Tublay and currently residing in Kesbeng, Poblacion, La Trinidad— Naty, was able to provide for her family. Together with her husband who is now a retired school supervisor from Kapangan, all five of their children successfully have graduated and are now working as professionals in their chosen fields.

Wanting to be of help to her grandchildren in their education, Naty continues to work while she still can. Hearing this made me think about how education seems to be a right and not a privilege. She revealed that it would be nice to retire and enjoy life but with the way prices keep on increasing right now, she made the decision to keep working.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦
Glancing at the tent filled with holes, large plastics for its walls, and tied-up straws to store reusable boxes. I think that paying 9,000 pesos per month should at least provide them with a decent place where they can work.

Naty wishes that the owners of the area that they are renting would improve the condition of their stalls. Especially during the rainy weather, where water would be dripping inside their tents. Gusts of wind and heavy rain occasionally knock the tent down. Even the table where she does her flower arranging looked too small.

Despite the not-so-great condition of her shop, Naty’s favorite aspect of her work is the overall process of flower arranging. Her work includes making bouquets, flower stands, wreaths for funerals, and arrangements for other occasions, using the flowers that grew from different parts of Benguet.

Flowers that are almost destroyed but still usable are being given away to the church, adorning the altar with its floral beauty. While the ones that are completely withered are thrown away.

𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞
Naty claims that she has no regrets. She is hoping that her business will continually thrive. It is tough at times when there are not that many buyers, it makes her think of looking for another job to do instead. But she considered her regular customers and thought that she could not afford to give up on them.

Naty is one of the many business owners who wants to have a thriving business. Regrettably, business was not as strong for Naty and her fellow florists when they were transferred to an underground area that most people do not know about. For businesses that sell aesthetic products, they need to be displayed where they can be seen to attract customers.

In hopes that Naty and other florists would soon have a decent workplace. I would like to encourage everyone to spread love and joy through flowers. Tell the public of the place where enchantments exist— the La Trinidad Flower Shop.

I finally asked Naty, before I ended the interview, what kind of flower she compares herself to. Naty chuckled and repeated the unexpected question. She thought for a moment, her eyes scanning the shop.

“𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯,” Naty said with a nod as if she was agreeing with herself. She reasoned how carnations have different kinds of colors. She shyly laughed and added that carnations are beautiful.

I took in the scene in front of me. Naty, wearing her apron and smiling while she sits in her stall with flowers and other plants around her. I smiled in agreement. Indeed. The carnation does look beautiful.

𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞
According to 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the global market size of cut flowers is projected to have increased at 4.8% 2024 to 2030. European countries and the U.S.A. are the primary buyers. Roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums are the most sourced out cut flowers in the market.

According to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵𝘺, the country that ranked 1st in exports in 2022 is Netherlands while the United States was the top importer. But between 2021 and 2022, a decrease from $10.4 billion to $9.66 billion (-7.46%) in cut flower exports in the world was reported.

There is a -37.8% decrease on the export growth of cut flowers in the Philippines from December 2022 to December 2023. Imports also decreased by -99.1% from October 2020 to June 2023. According to their latest data in the year 2022, the Philippines ranked 69th as the largest exporter of cut flowers in the world and 50th in imports.

Moreover, an increase on the average prices of cut flowers in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) happened during the second quarter of 2021. The 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 (PSA) also noted that this resulted from the rise of demand of consumers and the trading industry. Even with the rise of demand that year, the price of anthurium only increased from 49.87 pesos to 52.07 pesos, while other flowers like roses and chrysanthemum had higher increases in prices.

Despite the growth of the global market size for cut flowers, the Philippines experienced a decline in both imports and exports. It is clear that the decline happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless, the country is slowly recovering and expanding its market presence in the face of strong competitors like the Netherlands.

References:
Cut Flowers Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by product (Rose, Chrysanthemum), by application (Commercial, home), by distribution channel, by region, and segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030. Grand View Research (GVR). Retrieved from:
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cut-flowers-market-report
Cut Flowers in Philippines | The Observatory of Economic Complexity. The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC). Retrieved from:
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/cut-flowers/reporter/phl

Farm Price Statistics in the Cordillera Region: 2nd Quarter of 2020 and 2021. (2021, November 26). Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Retrieved from:
https://rssocar.psa.gov.ph/content/farm-price-statistics-cordillera-region-2nd-quarter-2020-and-2021

Image Source: Khaszandra B. Tade

15/11/2024

𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞: 𝐀 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭
𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳: 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘩 𝘔. 𝘐𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘴

𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙆𝙖𝙚𝙡, 𝙖 19 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧-𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 12 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙, 𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩.

“𝘌𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘮 𝘬𝘦𝘫𝘢𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘰”, an ibaloy term that means it is hard, but I will make it through. This is the line we usually hear from someone who is facing hardships and struggles, especially students. Growing up without a parental support is a challenge for many children, but it may be the defining struggle of their lives.

Worldwide, an estimated 2.7 million children live in residential care – and the actual figure is likely much higher. Children may be separated from their parents and placed in alternative care for various reasons. Armed conflict, natural disaster and migration tear many families apart. Other children end up in residential care because of discrimination: Disability (or the disability of a parent), ethnicity, gender and s*xual orientation force countless girls and boys into institutions (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund).

According to Santos, S. et. al (2024), Southeast Asian young adults growing up with temporarily absent parents, is a phenomenon linked to economic migration and employment opportunities abroad. They identified the key themes as: comprehended distant parenting, anticipated maturation, shared identity with relatives, shifted bonds, living independently, emotional navigation, and resilient independence, self-management, and support networks. These themes collectively paint a comprehensive picture of the journey towards self-reliance, emotional resilience, and the vital role of support systems for these young adults navigating the complexities of growing up with temporarily absent parents.

The abandonment of children is a long-standing reality that has greatly affected our nation’s own history, culture, and welfare. The Philippine Statistics Authority reports that children are the third poorest basic sector in the Philippines. UNICEF estimates that there are 1.8 million orphaned and abandoned children in the country. Globally, every 18 seconds, a child becomes an orphan. These children are neglected due to poverty, disaster, or familial circumstances. Some are in child care facilities, but most are out on the streets (Buen, J. 2023).

𝐊𝐚𝐞𝐥’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞
Students are having fun down the school corridors, with one standing on the edge of an isolated section. Thinking about where he can obtain money to pay his bills and how to acquire food to satisfy his hunger. Wondering why he's the one in that predicament. A predicament in which he believes he is trapped and cannot escape.

Kael's childhood was far from typical. He was adopted by his uncle when he was still five months old. Five years passed, and his adoptive parents separated, leaving him to navigate life on his own. His grandparents embraced him, but regrettably, after a short time, they passed away. Without a stable home environment, he quickly learned to rely on himself. From an early age, he took on responsibilities far beyond his years cooking meals, paying bills, and making sure he got to school. While other kids were playing outside or spending time with their families, Kael was learning how to survive.

Without parents to guide him, he fell into mental distress, causing him to be a drug abuser and to have suicidal thoughts. For some reason, he didn’t allow it to happen. He rose up and continued his life. Even without a support system, he continued his schooling.

School was both a shelter and a challenge. The structure and routine provided a sense of normalcy, but without parental support, he struggled intellectually. He frequently fell behind in his schoolwork, and at times, the weight of his responsibilities seemed overwhelming. He struggles to balance multiple part-time jobs and his academic duties. He does not always have food on his table. Despite these obstacles, he refused to give in.

Kael, a Grade 12 student who, despite facing the immense challenge of growing up without parental support, has managed to persevere and strive for a brighter future. This is his story—a tale of resilience, independence, determination, and the unyielding pursuit of his dreams.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
Kael's daily life demonstrates persistence in the face of adversity. At the age of 15, he is more accustomed to managing his own affairs than other children. His adoptive parents, who are dealing with personal concerns, have been largely absent from his life. Kael's biological mother, who is emotionally distant, his biological father, who passed away and his grandparents, have left him to navigate his adolescent years with little parental guidance. By the time he reached high school, he was essentially on his own. Meanwhile, he gave up his education to work. Despite these hurdles, he returned to school, determined to complete his studies.

“𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘬 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘪 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘪 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘢𝘯 (I do everything, I find ways),” kael says with a mix of pride and weariness. “𝘈𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘬 𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘰 (I seek jobs just for me to have food and for my study).”

KIael's situation is typical of many children who do not receive adequate parental support. These young people usually assume adult obligations at a young age, balancing academics, work, and domestic tasks while dealing with emotional neglect.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒔𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒐𝒍𝒍
Children who are deprived of the parental care and a secure family environment often become vulnerable to a host of psychological problems and psychiatric disorders (Kaur, 2018).

“𝘈𝘥𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘪 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘰, 𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘮 𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘢𝘬 𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘵𝘢 𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘴𝘢 (I have friends and cousins but I still feel alone),” Kael narrated. The impact of having low self-esteem is evident in Kael’s statement. The negative emotional effect is visible in his lack of ability to form deeper connections with his friends and cousins. When his close friend offered that he seek support from his uncle or the government for his education, he declined. "𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘢𝘯 (I’ll just stand on my own feet)," he explained. With his statement, it is evident that he does not want to be a burden to others.

Kael’s emotional toll is also evident when he fell into mental distress when his last supports, his grandparents, passed away. “𝘬𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘪 𝘣𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘨 𝘬𝘰 (I want to end my life),“ he recounted. Depression that are not immediately attended usually resulted to death.

“𝘒𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘢𝘬 (I want to know if someone still cares for me),” he stated as the reason for his suicidal thoughts.

Yu Zhang (2021) stated that, in the process of growing up, people need to meet certain psychological needs in addition to the nutritional balance of the body. People can experience the feeling of attachment and be loved in the process of being cared for. Family affection is the driving force behind the psychological development of children. If there is no emotional care, it will have the opposite effect on the healthy development of children's mental health. The lack of family affection in life causes most of the rural children to be introverted, inferior, and sensitive. From a psychological point of view, left-behind children have higher anxiety and tension than other children, and have lower trust in their parents and teachers than other children.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
A study led by Endsleigh (2015), showed that eight out of ten (77%) students are working part-time to help them in their financial needs in school. Being a working student is stressful most likely in balancing your social life, time for family, school, and work. Figuring out how to manage the pressure that pursues with being a working undergrad, and ensuring you have no less than one night off a week, can bring down your stress levels ten times (Mitchell, 2016).

“Di first grading nangato grade ko ngem di insabay ko ti work ken eskwela ket binmaba mostly ti gradok (My grades are fine not until I juggled my work and study),” Kael narrated.

A lack of parental support in children's education can have a significant impact. The potential of the students is being neglected. Kara David’s documentary entitled “Walang Maiiwan” in 2016 shows the effects of a lack of support on children who have potential in academics. Instead of going to school, they prefer to work to help their parents. There are also children who wanted to study, however, due to lack of support, they cannot.

In Kael's situation, we can clearly understand how difficult self-reliance is. Due to lack of parental support, he must balance his career and education. As a result, his academic performance suffered.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬
Growing up without parental support has a lot of challenges and obstacles. It does not only affects the emotional and psychological well-being of the children but also their future hopes. The lack of support can be damaging but it will define the life of the children.

“𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘮 𝘬𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘦𝘬. 𝘐𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘺 𝘬𝘰 (It’s hard but I can get through it. I will continue). I trust God. These are just challenges given by our creator to make us stronger,” Kael concluded. With determination and resilience, he overcomes the emotional toll of his situation. He is determined to finish his highschool journey despite his situation. He may still be striving for stability, but he believes that a better future is on the horizon.

As a community, we have the responsibility to support and uplift those who are waging terrible battles alone. Being their supportive listener and trustworthy friends might help them get back on their feet. By acknowledging their experiences, fostering resilience, and providing holistic support, we can help mitigate the negative impact and promote their overall well-being. Nurturing their emotional health, offering stability and positive role models, and ensuring access to mental health services will empower these children to overcome adversity, thrive, and build a brighter future (Wellnite, 2023).

Parents play an important role in shaping their children's lives. In this regard, having a plan in place before starting a family is important. Family planning can help prevent situations like Kael's.

References:
Buen, J. 2023. More Families, Less Orphans. Retrieved from https://roheifoundation.org/more-families-less-orphans/

Santos, S. et. al. 2024. Growing Up with Temporarily Absent Parents: The Case of Southeast Asian Young Adults. Retrieved from https://www.ijfmr.com/research-paper.php?id=23159

Kaur, R. et. al. 2018. A Descriptive Study on Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Staying in Institutional Homes. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_316_17

Yu Zhang, (2021). Exploring the Impact of the Absence of Parents on the Left-Behind Children and Its Countermeasureshttps://bettercarenetwork.org/sites/default/files/2022-01/125967296.pdf

BBC. August 10, 2015. Increase in university students 'working to fund studies'. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/education-33843987

Wellnite (June 22, 2023). Understanding the Impact of Absent Parents, Single Parents, and Orphanhood on Children Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-impact-absent-parents-single-orphanhood-childrens #:~:text=The%20child%20may%20experience%20feelings,confusion%2C%20sadness%2C%20or%20anger

Dellosa, B., & Villocino, R. (2023). Experience of Pupils without Parents in the Midst of pandemic: A Multiple Case Study. Vol. 9. Retrieved from https://eprajournals.com/IJMR/article/11102/download

Photo Source: https://wisdomwise.in/2020/12/26/are-we-all-orphans/

15/11/2024

𝐀 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥
𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳: 𝘓𝘺𝘳𝘢 𝘍𝘦 𝘉. 𝘗𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘰

The role of a mother is doing things with lot of sacrifices and love. Doing everything and holistically available for their children whether busy and exhausted from work. Rizalina Ibag is a full-time working mom. She is an example of an empowered woman who can do things beyond home. She is a mom of two daughters, a two-year-old and an almost five-year-old in her daycare.

After years of strolling, Rizalina has proudly surpassed difficulties and challenges she experienced along her education and work journey, upholding that in “Every No means you’ve got a better Yes.” Being a farmers’ daughter, she valued every cent as if they were sweats of her parents’ sacrifices.

She graduated Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) at Saint Louis University (SLU) in 2016. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ibag, one of the diligent farmers. They are loveable, attentive, and supportive parents whom she got her bravery from to finish her study and find a sustainable work.

She lives in Am-Am, Balili, Mankayan, Benguet where you can appreciate every scenery. It is a place where you can harvest fresh and plentiful highland crop products. It is where you can view enormous sights from the Madalipey View Deck and abundant flowing water of the twin falls of Ampasit and Inudey. In spite of being privileged to have a nice place to live within, since young, she ought to contribute effort to agricultural works in order to put food on table.

𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞
She graduated at Am-Am Elementary School (AES) with honors. Then she went to San Isidro School of Abatan Incorporated (SISAI) for high school. She met new classmates, teachers, and neighbors; gaining lot of memorable experiences. Like most of the students, it is one of the inevitable changes and she must go forth in every circumstances. In those experiences, she is able to go far from her comfort zone and collected more courage to stand and take another step ahead.

“I began to be independent with doing household chores. I struggled being away from my parents, but I am grateful of my brother’s company by the time I am adapting myself to the new place,” Rizalina recalled.

In her college journey, Riza faced challenges which had a positive impact on her academe and professional growth.

“I managed to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancement by actively engaging with the industry trends through following tech blogs, participating in online courses; and attending seminars. I also had difficulties on grasping complex technical concepts but I alleviated through breaking down topics into simpler means and by seeking assistance from peers and instructors” she narrated as she concluded that college life is very challenging especially if you are near to graduate. “Moreover, I learned and developed communication and teamwork skills, along with using project management on collaborative works,” she added.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤
Upon graduation, she immediately applied as Administrative Assistant at Click English, a tutorial center, and luckily was hired. As work goes on, she found it difficult to communicate with partners overseas for it is was overwhelming. She rendered six months of service as she honed her communication and collaborative skills. From Admin Assistant, she transferred to ASA Philippines Foundation Incorporation (APFI) as a Microfinance Officer and it enriched her accounting ability during her 2 years of stay. She then went to the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Mankayan, Benguet and worked there for another 2 years.

“I commend that this job was the most relevant to me as an Information Technologist (IT)” she said.

In those previous jobs, she fought interviews and exams by timely preparations, creating resumes and learning about the company or agency know-how. Additionally, it was beneficial for her since it helped improve her use proper communications and working skills.

“Do not be afraid to ask question and guidance, particularly if you needed to, and be clever to always communicate with your co-workers to evade misunderstanding,” says Rizalina. Most of us, or maybe every one of us, aspire to be successful but we should cloth ourselves with positivity, diligence, education, right decisions resembling Ms. Rizalina.

Women with jobs tend to be healthier and happier than non-working moms who fully stay at home with their young children. Working moms have lesser depressive symptoms or better self-over-all health (Buehler & O’Brien, 2011) because apart from work routines at home, they can enjoy free time outside involving themselves in various activities and meet new circle of friends (Ganguly, 2023).

𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧
Rizalina took a break and was blessed with two adorable daughters. There she experienced being committed to home. After which, she was motivated again to find a work, thinking for her children’s future. With the unending support of her family, she is able to have a permanent job being a Department of Education (DepEd) employee. She is an Administrative Assistant designated at Cabacab Elementary School (CES), Balili, Mankayan, Benguet.

“I will inculcate to my daughters what my parents influenced me as I take good care of them,” she said with a grateful heart for his parents. Rizalina’s parents assists her in taking good care of her daughters. They were the ones sending and fetching Sabi (her daughter in daycare) to and from school. Rizalina wants her two daughters to finish their study as well and she will do possible means a working mom could do to provide what they needed.

“Being a mom is very challenging in terms of time managements, dealing with responsibilities, and ensuring the emotional needs of my children. It is tough to balance and deal with the pressure in maintaining my profession and personal life. I myself set my priorities, boundaries and find quality time with my family” she realized.

In the case of Rizalina, she has work-life balance with similarity in a study of working mothers in India (Ganguly, 2023) which positively contributes on their mental health status. She was able to spend quality time with her family and friends. Also, she enjoy financial freedom for she earns money and contribute to family financially.

On other hand, non-working mothers have higher level of stress, depression and anxiety compared to working mothers. They devote their 24/7 (every hour everyday) to care for her family and her home (household chores and handling children). They do not receive any salary for their endless services that bring a feelings of dependency and self-worthlessness. Moreover, their services often go unnoticed and unacknowledged instead, they receive attitude of disrespect and humiliation mentality from surroundings causes low self-esteem and less social support (Ganguly, 2023).

“I hope that working moms recognized their roles as incredible, valuable and worthy as their profession. They must openly ask for support from their family or friends. Also, find time for themselves or socialize,” Rizalina ended.

In Tadian and Bauko, neigboring municipalities of Mankayan, women participates in agricultural works (Cuyangoan, 2024). They manually or make use only hand tools for weeding, tilling and land preparations and fertilization. They plant corn, taro, cowpea, pigeon pea, and squash. They were able to market their products as well.

While in Mankayan, in a place where Rizalina resides, gardening is a main source of income. Most women contributes to garden works similar to women farmer-entrepreneurs in Tadian and Bauko. Sometimes, though, seldom women who are not fully rested her body after giving birth insist to work early aside from home responsibilities.

Sometimes, a mom feels contentment when she receives praise but very stirring on her part if co-women judges or criticize her.

References:
Del, C., Visintin, N., Maria, T., Aiello-Vaisbgerg, J., & Dunlop, J. (2017). Motherhood and social suffering in Brazilian mommy blogs. 19(2), 108–116. https://doi.org/10.5935/1980-6906/psicologia.v19n2p108-116

Buehler, C., & O’Brien, M. (2011). Mothers’ part-time employment: Associations with mother and family well-being. Journal of Family Psychology, 25(6), 895–906. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025993

Ganguly, S. (2023). Mental Health States of Working Vs Non-Working Mothers: A Post Covid Phase Comparative Study. International Journal of Engineering, Management and Humanities (IJEMH), 4(5), 34–43.https://ijemh.com/issue_dcp/Mental%20Health%20States%20of%20Working%20Vs%20Non%20Working%20Mothers%20A%20Post%20Covid%20Phase%20Comparative%20Study.pdf =7.66

View of Production and Marketing of Indigenous Cash Crops: The Experience of Women Farmer-Entrepreneurs in Mountain Province, Philippines. (2024). Uplb.edu.ph. https://ovcre.uplb.edu.ph/journals-uplb/index.php/JPAD/article/view/700/659

Photo source/link:
https://stock.adobe.com/ph/images/black-women-silhouette-with-two-children-isolated-on-white-background-holiday-clipart-happy-mother-s-day-greeting-card-vector-illustration-mother-and-babys-daughters/346453563

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February 2, 2024

AGSHAN TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK! Muling magbabalik ang programang maghahatid ng mga makabuluhang impormasyon at magbibigay edukasyon sa mga tagapakinig. Mapapakinggan ang mga balita sa loob at labas ng unibersidad, lokal, nasyonal at international, mapapanood sa Agshan Top Stories of the Week! Abangan ito tuwing araw ng biyernes sa Agshan Media page tuwing alas-kwatro ng hapon. 📻 AGSHAN TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK! (This program aims aims to deliver informative and engaging coverage of campus happenings, local news, and global events, all through the lens of our vibrant faculty and student community of Benguet State University Registrar - BSU La Trinidad Campus ) #agshantopstories #agshanteleradyo #agshanmedia

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