10/09/2025
| World Su***de Prevention Day
A crowded jeepney sways through traffic, each passenger carrying unseen stories as heavy as the road ahead. In a store, we meet a person who makes a tired smile, though we may never know how many jobs they juggle to survive. In school hallways, we cross paths with students whose laughter may conceal burdens heavier than their backpacks. In the office, employees sit at their desks, meeting deadlines with steady faces while silently battling pressures no one else can see. And within the family, behind closed doors, there may be parents who hide their worries to protect their children, children who stay silent about their struggles not to burden their parents, or siblings who quietly carry responsibilities beyond their years. Whether on the road, in a store, in school, at work, or at home, we move through lives layered with struggles we may never notice; just as they, too, may not realize the burdens we quietly hold.
What we ask for, and what we can offer, is kindness. It may cost us nothing, yet for someone standing on the edge of despair, it can mean everything. A gentle word, a patient ear, a small act of presence, these simple moments can be the lifeline someone is silently hoping for.
Small gestures, letting someone know they are seen, heard, and valued, can ripple outward in ways we may never fully realize. Kindness, when shared, grows. It builds hope, it breaks isolation, it saves lives. Be the reason that someone lives today. Be the one who makes people believe that goodness still exists. Be the presence that listens, stays, and gives others the strength to hold on. Change the narrative on su***de, not with grand gestures, but with everyday compassion that reminds every person we meet: your life matters.
As we mark this year’s World Su***de Prevention Day, with the theme “Changing the Narrative on Su***de,” we are reminded that quiet struggles exist all around us; in our homes, schools, workplaces, and communities. The Technopacer-Talisay joins the call to break harmful myths, reduce stigma, and create spaces where honest and compassionate conversations about su***de are possible.
Yet compassion must go beyond individual acts. Su***de prevention and mental health must be treated as urgent priorities, not afterthoughts. We call on governments and institutions to lead with courage: to craft and implement evidence-based strategies, to expand access to quality and affordable care, and to build systems that reach those in distress before it is too late.
Each day, we cross paths with people carrying quiet struggles we may never see and in those silent spaces, kindness can become the lifeline someone is waiting for. Be the reason someone holds on.
You may contact the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Crisis Hotline if you need professional support or know someone who does. There is nothing wrong with reaching out or seeking help.
NCMH Hotline: 1553 (Nationwide landline, toll-free)
Smart/SUN/TNT Subscribers: 0908-639-2672
Globe/TM Subscribers: 0966-351-4518
Crisis Hotline: (02) 7989-8727, 0917-899-8727
Together, let us change the narrative on su***de, so no one struggles in silence, and every life has the chance to keep going, keep fighting, keep living.
