A fortish year old woman just tried to end her life today. She jumped in the tracks of LRT one in Manila, a few seconds before the train arrived. Fortunately, she survived with minor bruises. A miracle?
Based on reports, the woman just lost her job a few weeks ago. After she was cut, she suffered extreme depression and tried so many times to end her life.
This Pinay is one of an increasing number of Filipinos who are listed as “suicidal”. The increasing number of suicides, according to official government figures, is alarming. Most causes stem from stresses in economic life, one of them, lost of jobs.
For a country weathering an economic crisis coupled by a political one, expect the manifestation of such cases. These people show a behavior known as escapism. And a recent study says that this is what Filipinos are now feeling. Most are pessimistic about the future and they think of escaping their current state either by going abroad (for the moneyed, the young and the capable) or by killing themselves.
I am currently doing a study on what would trigger people to arms. I’m studying a theory called frustration-aggression theory and how to apply it to analyze the current situation. Is escapism the solution to many of our people’s problems? Is the change in political structures the main escape?
This woman’s attempt is a symbolic act, a representation, of the frustration many are feeling about our State of Affairs. I just hope that when most of us do find ourselves at the end of the rope, we don’t think of killing ourselves.
We fight the source of our misery. We eradicate the core of our suffering. We shackle the chains of oppression. Instead of taking our lives, let’s take the lives of those who, due to their corrupt acts, destroy the lives of millions of us.
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Don’t worry Pat, there will not be more of these occurences and you’ll not find many books much less journals or even masteral theses written on whether or not the Filipino mind is suicidal.
No one however will stop you from romanticising that such act is symbolic of one’s frustration with our state of affairs.
Okay, just throw caution on the wind.
Karl, Pat.. please update your profile image through gravatar.com as soon as possible.. (very easy and will only take a minute).. please use your email add that you registered with here at FV..
She is suffering from Depression. It is an illness.
She needs a good Psychiatrist and a good medication
of anti-depressants.
This is my message to all: KEEP HOPE ALIVE !
Our situation is like a Typhoon. Winds and rains
may be strong. They shall soon pass away, if we all hold on.
Hi Pilosopong Tasio,
Well said my friend. There is still hope. As the sun shines in the East and ends in the West, so shall Hope flicker still amidst the darkness.
Is there really a depression in the Philippines? Or we just want to jump into the band wagon of world-wide recession as spewed by the media practitioners?
If they cannot give us the occupancy rate of condominiums and office space how could they say we have a recession?
Who are they trying to fool?
well renato, just read the BSP report dated March 13, 2009. Be illuminated.
The media practitioners are spewing, again, depression of just fired employee. A pure copy from American news articles. Has our intelligent media practitioners looked into the depression of peanut vendors, rolling hamburger stand?
okey…peanut vendors rolling hamburger stands? are you referring to those in New York or here in Manila? have’nt seen it…
where are the hard data for the increasing number of suicidal people.it is a personality disorder, evente son of sylvia plath committed sucide. the son of the famous novelist committed suicide and the grandson of the famous pediatrician, psychoanalyst and author,Dr. Benjamin Spock committed sucideat age 22.
They cannot show us numbers. Filipinos are not numbers people. Because to deal with numbers, the person has to be observant, seeing patterns and logically tie the dots.
TIP FOR THE POST: Do you know that if you divide the alleged commission of Erap by the percentage of commission rate equals the amount spent by Luzonians on Jueteng in just one year of Erap’s tenure? You divide the amount spent on Jueteng by the population of Luzon equals the amount spent of each individual, crawling, two-legged Luzonites? IS THE NUMBER POSSIBLE? I presented this equation to a peryodista he just scratched his head
i agree. what is the data/study that says more filipinos are depressed?
hi cat
that would be the topic of my succeeding entries.
but Ca t: that is asking a lot :sad: … to look for hard data before publishing one’s theory-of-the-moment. I have even encountered an instance of a blogger who mad things up — hostage-release — to support his point about some political-angle.
if it is asking a lot, then one should refrain from drawing conclusion with just a single incident.
Up n grad,
to end your malady….you always raise this up….i have a question for you…and maybe you’ll indulge me with a proper answer…why did Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro apologized in the Philippine Daily Inquirer for the delay in the release of these hostages…
and by the way, Up Yours, err, UP N grad, please react properly. on the hard data, i refer you to the pessimism being experienced here as reflected in the National Mental Hospital records from December to February 2009 and by the BSP DATED MARCH 13, 2009
Bloggers Theory projected to mathematical equation…or is it an
Erap Jueteng Hypothesis?
It’s not a hypothesis. Plug in the numbers see if Luzonites have the monetary werewethal to spend that much.
Numbers that the peryodistas and ombudsman accused of Erap of receiving commission from Jueteng.
Hi Renato,
What’s your beef with journalists and peryoditas? I mean, were you a frustrated one?
Also, are you now propounding the Theory that Peryodistas Spread False Thesis Theory? Be real, as BenigNo is wont to say.
Can anyone tell me how much Erap received in commission from Jueteng so i can visually show it?
Hi Renato,
well…Erap admitted in a recent radio interview, that the money which went to the Muslim Youth Foundation came from jueteng.
How do i place my bikini picture here :) avatar?
anyway, it’s too sad to hear there’s now suicide cases in the Philippines or maybe because the media now knows what to report. There are many causes of depression. Untreated depression is one of the most common cause of suicide. Economic crisis and increasing unemployment can be a factor but there’s too many variables that must be considered.
A great article to read from New York times Freakonomics: The Economics of Happiness- Are Rich People Happier than Poor People?
And the church is selling us this BS that “money cannot buy happiness”. Ha!
As the saying goes “It’s easier for a poor man to pass thru the eye of the needle than a rich man”
Therefore, we have to be poor to go to heaven. “The road to heaven is strewn with thorns” “The road to heaven is not paved in gold” “You cannot bring wealth with you when you die”
To tell you the truth? I’d rather die wealthy than die poor. This way I go to hell where Pamela Anderson lay bare and naked while I hve pitchfork dancing around the fire with thick slab of steak
hehehe, well said my colleague.
but, is there hell in the first place? just asking. i don’t want to provoke a religious debate as what DJB wants (joking!)
March Madness a good escape hatch.
Go, Pittsburgh!!!!
Can you give more context. What kind of job did she have? Is she married, kids?
Yes, she’s married and she worked before in a factory. she was one of those cut.
Is the lady in the picture the one who jumped?
no. i don’t know who put that photo in the first place.
upn, it’s uconn all the way (men and women) again. hey, 4 big east teams in the “elite 8″, amazing!
don’t you worry, renato. keep it up. i think you will get what you wish for in the place of eternal fire where, as the good book says, there is constant wailing and gnashing of teeth. i’m sure you’ll see there hitler, stalin, saddam, yamashita, idi amin along with pamela anderson, among others in the annals of infamy.
hi bencard,
don’t forget gloria arroyo…mike arroyo…mikey arroyo…joker arroyo…dado arroyo…jocjoc bolante…atty. garci….celso delos angeles…hey! they can form another Rotary Club branch there, hehehehe!