A Message from a Graduate Years Ago

 

I.

Unlike Reycel Hyacenth Bendana (Ateneo Class 2019 Valedictorian) and Helbert Paat (UPLB 2019 Summa Cum Laude) who gave messages in their graduation speeches about poverty and their stories about how they struggled coming from poor families - please allow me to share a bit of my story that is very different from theirs.

1. I come from a prominent family. I wouldn’t describe my family as filthy rich, for we are no Lucio Tan, Henry Sy or Roberto Gokongwei - but rather and more appropriately, “financially stable” having inherited from my grandfather the oldest and largest bookstore (presently with 4 branches) in our homeprovince. This became our bread and butter and has allowed us to enjoy a little bit more in life compared to the likes of Reycel and Helbert.
2. I graduated Class Valedictorian in highschool and Cum Laude in B.A. Psychology in UP Diliman. Afterwhich I finished law in the same university.
3. I have a car that allows me to enjoy the comforts of not commuting in Metro Manila. We have “kasambahays" who cook and wash our dishes and do other household chores. We also have a driver so as not to experience being tired most of the time especially when you are stuck in traffic or have long travels.

II.

Yes, my life is the complete opposite of Reycel and Helbert’s. Almost everything was given to me on a silver platter. But as poverty oftentimes closes opportunities, my situation has closed doors as well.

1. Coming from a prominent family and owning a huge bookstore allowed me to acquire as much as possible material and financial resources. But I never learned in childhood the hardwork our employees, my mother and my father have to go through - so that we can pay loans from the bank, pay our suppliers and pay salaries and our bills, among others. I only realized how hard this was when I was already co-managing our business in my 20’s. I also felt that we were unreachable to some people in the province who had lower means than ours since they judged us as a typical unreachable family because we had more in life.
2. Graduating Class Valedictorian in highschool and cum laude in college were something I chose to achieve and wanted badly, but as I worked my ass off to achieve such goals academically, I had lacked the experience of having more meaningful relationships. I even missed the most important point - that is to have a meaningful relationship with our Jesus Christ, where I believe if I only had that early in childhood, all other good things would have followed.
3. Having a car is a necessity but I never learned to commute and always depended on the driver every time it conked out. I was too sheltered and over-protected because we had employees who did almost everything for us. Which is why when our “kasambay" got ill for 2 weeks recently, I had a hard time adjusting to washing the dishes, cleaning my room and doing other household chores on my own. I had terrible back aches and easily got tired - because I am not used to it.

III.

Be that as it may, I have my highschool barkada who accept me for what I am, including my flaws. I have two bestfriends - Jovi and Joyce who are always there for me and will sacrifice their time and effort especially at times when no one else understands me anymore and I am most difficult to love. I have serious health issues but God allowed me to be supported by loving and caring friends and relatives and most especially my family.

When I got older and became mature, I tried to reconcile with some of the people I have hurt. Some of them did not accept me anymore but I always remember and pray for them.

I am also relieved that all the mistakes that I made in life happened before I became old. Imagine if I only realized these mistakes when I am already old - it will be too late and most probably I will be incorrigible by then, and life would really be unhappy and miserable for me.

Because of my life experiences, I also became more understanding, forgiving, non-judgemental and open-minded especially for people who are misunderstood and have personality problems. I became an “includer” and not a mean “excluder”.

I am blessed to have known God and how He works in my life in my early 30’s. Though I am a work in progress when it comes to my faith especially at times that I doubt and hate God, and blame Him when bad things happen to me - I talk to Him and ask for grace to understand Him and to guide me in everything that I do. Despite my frailties and limitations, I have such a blessed life for I am surrounded with love by friends (old and new) - a love that changed me for the better.

IV.

So what is my ultimate point? We cannot change the cards we are dealt with. However, no matter how ugly our combination of cards are as oppose to someone who is dealt with excellent ones, we can still win the proverbial poker. It is just a matter of how we play and the choices that we make in the game.

I am reading the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson and one of the highlights in his book is that many things that we are dealt with are not our fault - such as being born to a prominent family and graduating on top of class that shape our personalities (which sadly can be unlikeable). However it is our responsibility how to respond to it. It is our responsibility to make the choice - the right choice to change our lives and allowing the unpleasant experiences to jolt our minds so we may head to the right direction in our lives.

Ghost The Musical Manila, What Can I Say?

THANK YOU TO GOD FOR GIVING ME ANOTHER BLESSING OF JUST PAYING P1800 on a discounted ticket. I was at the center orchestra, eye-level. Perfect seat. 

GHOST THE MUSICAL MANILA IS THE BEST LOCAL PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL PLAY I HAVE SEEN BY FAR (If you don’t agree, let us just agree to disagree… Hehe). IF at all, it was ultimately Cris Villonco who is the reason. Her performance was phenomenal, she hit the high notes so well though songs were hard and GAVE SUPERB ACTING PERFORMANCE. She made me cry. I never cried watching a play ever! Her rendition of "With You" was so heartfelt, it made me teary-eyed and her version is even better than Cassie Levy's (the original Molly in West End and Broadway). She carried the cast despite having some low energy in some scenes by the ensemble. 

This is also CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA’S BEST PERFORMANCE IN THEATER TO DATE. I do not agree with critics that his role was draining and his portrayal was not believable for he exuded so much empathy to the character and his portrayal was with consistent intensity! I am so glad I watched it!

Met my classmate Maize and we were both mesmerized. The stage was simple but the lighting was fantastic. The play sends the message that the love of a person even after death remains with us, and lives in us.

Johann Gabriele Dela Fuente congratulations! I like what you did with Cris’ smokey eyes bro! Continue the good work!

LAST SHOWING TODAY. STANDING OVATION BTW. Weeeeh! LET US CONTINUE TO SUPPORT PHILIPPINE #THEATER#GhostManila. Congratulations Atlantis Prod! ANOTHER JOB WELL DONE!

On Catholic Priests

source of picture: http://sullydish.files.wordpress.com

A shared post of an article in Facebook came from Lea Salonga who is outspoken herself against some stances of the Catholic Church. The article is entitled, An Acid Test For Francis.  

This article urges me to share some views of my own. 

Though we are all told to respect and obey priests, if they do not live by example I don't think they can command what Catholics must do. 

Fr. Nono Alfonso and Sr. Bubbles Bandojo, rc
Anchors of radio show, "Usapang Kapatid"
Source of image: DZMM facebook website

Once, I listened to "Usapang Kapatid," a Catholic radio program in DZMM and the anchors (a Jesuit priest and a nun) said, "Hindi lahat ng pari ay banal," (Not all priests are holy) as they criticize the acts of their fellow religious who are committing offenses shared to them by their listeners. I admire these anchors for their honesty and courage despite the risks involved during that segment. On the other hand, I know a former Bishop who merely transferred a priest to a different parish when the latter was found to be commiting sexual acts with an active lady parishioner without even making such priest accountable! (He should have been defrocked). I understand these priests are only human and therefore not perfect. But they have to strive to be morally upright and resist temptations. They should not even cover up for their fellow priests who commit offenses. Otherwise, they don't have the moral ascendancy to tell me what to do as a Catholic. 

Quote from the article, "An Acid Test for Francis":

"And why do we have to struggle to discover that more than 400 priests have been defrocked because of child rape in the last couple of years alone? Why aren’t their dismissals announced proudly by the Vatican? And why, for Pete’s sake, does the Vatican not enforce a simple rule: all accusations of child abuse should be referred immediately to secular law enforcement?"

And then again, in view of above, Catholic priests cannot tell me, as they keep repeating in their homilies and mass announcements, that I must be against RH Bill. Just saying.

Why would I watch the play "Red"?

This play is brilliantly written by John Logan that props, sets and costumes need not require to be elaborate and "Wickedly" ostentatious. I watched this play at Greenhills Promenade last year because I was curious how Joaquin or "Wacky" (his nickname) has blossomed to an actor that he is now from the 8-year-old children's musical theater workshop classmate I had more than 2 decades ago.

I do agree with Bart that he is an eye candy/good-looking but it is his depth in and sensitivity of the role of Ken which made Red all the more appreciable and remarkable that it became my favorite production among all plays (both musical and non-musical) last year. 

I am an actor myself, with relatively little experience, but I would love to play the role of Ken if there were only a female counterpart of the male character ("The performances of Bart and Wacky inspire me as an actor. I must hone my craft and get better as an actor after I finish my post-graduate degree", I keep telling myself after watching the play). 

So why would an audience spend hard-earned pesos to watch a curmudgeon (kill joy) in the character of Rothko (played by Bart)? It is because the play evokes a spectator's emotions and curiously questions the unique minds of the characters. Bart and Joaquin with their stunning acting performances and intellectual conversations weaved by the script of Logan all the more make it entertaining and keeps you thinking about the story (in all aspects) until you get home after the show (recall of scenes and lines even lingers for a few days). I hope to watch more plays like this. Kudos to Bart and Wacky! ‪#‎theatrefreak‬ ‪#‎Red‬‪#‎BartGuingona‬ ‪#‎JoaquinValdes‬

LEAN the MUSICAL

The UP Repertory Company presents

LEAN: Based on Lean the Musical by Gary Granada

"Huwag ninyong hayaan ang inyong pag-aaral ay maging sagabal sa inyong edukasyon." In between the harsh dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and the triumph of the People Power Revolution, there stood an iconic student activist named Leandro Alejandro. His life of activism takes centerstage in Gary Granada's LEAN THE MUSICAL (1997), beginning with his experiences as a student in UP Diliman and ending with his untimely death at age 27.  Fighting for national democracy in the university and in the nation, Lean would prove his importance in history with his works as an activist, a politician, a friend, a husband, a son and a father. His life has defined an era of student activism and his work still inspires the youth today.

Directed by UP Rep alumna Kathryn Manga and featuring new musical arrangement by Karl Ramirez, LEAN features powerful catchy songs that breathe new life to the many different characters and personas of the 1980s. Through song and dance, the musical not only tells the story of the influential student activist but also creatively re-imagines the loud cries of the masses and the lives of our so-called “iskolar ng bayan” during this era.

As part of its 41^st anniversary celebration, The UP Repertory Company proudly presents LEAN, a musical that will surely get your toes tapping with an endless surge of LSS-worthy tunes and creative dances of joy and sorrow while provoking thoughts on our current society, leaving an important question to the audience – kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?

LEAN runs on September 9, 14, 16, 21 (3pm and 7pm) and September 13 and 20 (7pm only) at the Dalisay Aldaba Recital Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

Tickets: Php 250.00.

Online Reservation: http://bit.ly/ReserveLEANTickets

Contact Jenica: +63 916 321 0485

ABOUT THE UP REPERTORY COMPANY: The University of the Philippines Repertory Company (UP REP) is a non-stock, non-profit student theater organization that has delivered performances to a variety of audience, in and outside of the University. The company aims to enlighten its audience on different social issues and to bring Philippine Theater closer to the masses. The organization is nearing its 41st anniversary.

My Article Got Published at Youngblood

My article has just been published at YOUNGBLOOD, of Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 7, 2013. Page A13. Here is the link  http://opinion.inquirer.net/46373/mentally-disabled-but-not-crazy

—- Initially I don’t want to spread the word, I might be misinterpreted as mayabang but I opted to share nonetheless since I am a mental heath advocate and I want to help protect the legal rights of mentally disabled Filipinos.

Please share if you must. Thank you. Naomi.

Whether or not I get published

Whether or not I get published

A professor stumbled upon my Legal Research Paper on Scribd (which link I posted in facebook). He asked me if I wanted to write a short essay about the PWD rights, that might get published in the Inquirer.

I gladly accepted the offer ofcourse! And to be endorsed by a professor-columnist would, I think, make more chances of getting published.

I wrote then an article for one whole night until 6am in the morning. I had my adrenaline rush!
I wrote an article entitled MENTALLY DISABLED in PHILIPPINE SETTING: A CALL FOR EQUAL PROTECTION.

According to my professor the title was heavy so I changed the title.  Thereafter I sent a second email correcting a typo on the first sentence. After sending my 2nd email, I talked to my professor and he said it was for Youngblood!

Youngblood?!? I made a mistake. The article I wrote was a commentary. More of a news and informative article and I DID NOT USE THE PRONOUN “I” which most youngblood contributors regular do - so there wasn’t any personal touch.:(((

I thought it was for a commentary since this professor has a column for the inquirer and his former students and fellow teachers who make articles which he endorses are all not for Youngblood but commentaries.

So this morning, I edited it for the third time and sent my professor a text message:

Sir good morning. I have been overthinking since I sent you the last email dahil nahihiya na ako mag edit pa ulit. But I edited this morning anyway. Reason why, when I wrote it I didn’t know it was for Youngblood and I thought it was for a different section like commentary. Since Its youngblood, I edited this morning and made use of the pronoun “I”, made the text just a bit lighter and showed the reader that I was involved in the research. That way it has a more personal touch. I sent the new one this morning and I don’t know if you can still tell them to change it and consider this instead. At any case the first emails will do but I hope they will consider this. Pacencia na po sa istorbo ulit. Naomi.

I was waiting for his response but he did not reply until this afternoon via email and said:

Naomi, I already sent them the last version before this one, and promised it was already the final revision. Let’s just wait and see.

I have strongly endorsed your article for publication, but we will have to wait when it is actually published. This is not unusual. I have endorsed UP law professors in the past, and we just wait when their essays appear. I will keep you posted. 

This coming Friday, I’m leaving for a month-long fellowship in Bangkok. Let’s just keep in touch via email.

I was disappointed he wasn’t able to send my last revision but I had no choice but to tell him, “Okay Sir! No problem!”

Anyway, whether or not I get published, I am posting the 3rd and last revision I made (which wasn’t submitted to the Inquirer) for posterity:

A misunderstood disease 

Naomi Therese F. Corpuz is a Junior at U.P. College of Law. She is a mental health advocate, a blogger and chocolatier. 

“If you will not give me a valid reason why you skipped the exam, I will give you a failing grade,” said Maricar Estrella’s professor. Maricar (not her real name), a college student from one of the prestigious schools in the country, responded, “Sir, I have clinical depression and anxiety disorder. I was not able to study. I have prescriptions, medical receipts and a medical certificate to prove it.” The professor then replied, “You mean to tell me, you can skip an exam anytime you want?” With the professor’s response, it can be concluded he did not understand what depression and anxiety disorder mean. Even with pertinent documents that Maricar was willing to show to prove her mental illness, the professor brushed it aside. 

While teachers can invoke what they call “academic freedom,” that even illnesses cannot be excused – where then and how is the state policy found in our Philippine Constitution, which states, “the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them,” put into place? Didn’t Maricar’s teacher violate this state policy of our basic law which is the supreme law of the land? 

If Maricar had another type of illness other than mental illness, would she have been given consideration by her law professor? In her interview, Maricar said it was likely she would’ve been excused due to sore eyes or high fever, similar to what happened to her other schoolmates. If other illnesses are given consideration, why not a mental disablity? 

Professor Patricia Daway in the college of law tasked us to write a supervised legal research and as a mental health advocate I chose the topic on mentally disabled Filipinos. And this is what I found. The mentally disabled are misunderstood. 

Worldwide, major depression is set to become second only to cardiovascular disease as the most diagnosed condition by year 2020. A World Health Organization document on Mental Health and Development in 2010 reports that one of every four households worldwide have members with mental health problems. Dr Lourdes Ladrido-Ignacio, a noted psychiatrist, said between 17 to 20 percent of the country’s adult population have psychiatric disorders. 

Mental disability is often misunderstood since its symptoms are only felt by the sufferer. Many relate mental disablity to the “sira ulo,” and are not aware of other types of mental disorders such as clinical depression, schizophrenia and bipolar among others. Such persons are not insane per se but fall under term mental disability and are considered Persons With Disabilities (PWD) protected by the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. While people with mental disabilities are also PWDs who must be protected by the Magna Carta they are discriminated against in various forms. 

It is also important to note that there is no single mental health legislation for those with mental disabilities. The Department of Health (DOH) does have mental health policies, while the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (RA 9422), a Republic Act, is not specifically for mental disabilities. The Magna Carta provides special rights and privileges for the physically impaired — their mobility is enhanced through sidewalks, railings, ramps and the like; the hearing impaired are benefited with TV stations encouraged to provide a sign-language inset or subtitles and telephone companies are encouraged to install special telephone devices for them. However if we dissect the Magna Carta no specific right or privilege is given to mentally disabled persons but there is for the“mentally retarded” under the provisions in Education. Mental retardation though is not synonymous to mental disability. Mental retardation is only one of the kinds of mental disabilities. In fact there are persons with mental disabilities with superior intelligence which is the complete opposite of mentally retarded persons. 

The Magna Carta also grants PWDs at least 20% discount in all basic services, such as the purchase of medicines and payment of professional fees of dentists and doctors. It is a step in alleviating the financial burden of the disabled, but it is not without any disadvantages. To avail of the discount, a person with disability must present an identification card with the term “Person With Disability” on it. The mentally disabled who will present the I.D. may be identified as “sira ulo,” since their symptoms are not apparent. It is best to make use of other terms such as, “Persons With Special Discounts,” which will not identify the patient to be mentally disabled. 

In insurance coverage, the Philippine Health Insurance only covers acute attacks of mental illnesses, subject to confinement. Dr. Israel Francis Pargas of Philhealth whom I interviewed said, patients confined with chronic physical illnesses such as leukemia, or in need of dialysis for kidney failure, are covered by Philhealth. If chronic physical illnesses are covered, why not cover chronic mental illnesses as well? Medical research shows, early intervention and compliance to treatment for mental disorders — which can be done through the support of an insurance coverage – can result in lesser dosage of medication and length of treatment. This, in turn, will decrease the need for insurance benefits, which would be beneficial to PhilHealth. 

It is unfortunate that Filipino psychiatrists are found to have a passive role in mental health legislation. In a survey-questionnaire I distributed during a conference of psychiatrists in Dusit Hotel in 2011, 90 out of 95 doctors surveyed were not familiar with the contents of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. This means that they are also unaware of the 20% discount they must provide to their patients as PWDs under the Act. Out of the 95 respondent-psychiatrists, 51 out of the 95 did not know that Philhealth insurance for their patients exists. 90 out of 93 respondents also did not know about the contents of the pending House Bill 6679, which pushes for the establishment of a “Philippine Council for Mental Health”. Filipino psychiatrists, as primary mental health providers, need to be more involved in the crafting of health laws affecting their patients, as they are supposed to be the prime movers of their patients’ rights. 

The equal protection clause enshrined in our Philippine Constitution mandates that our laws must be applied equally to all. If special considerations are given to persons with high fever or sore eyes in school, why not a student suffering from a mental disorder? If people with physical impairment and hearing impairment are given specific rights and privileges, why not also the mentally disabled? 

Any act that favors only a few is discriminatory and unjust not only to Maricar Estrella, but all mentally disabled Filipinos who all cry for equal protection.

— Still hoping to get my 2nd revision published though I like the one above (my third revision) better (fingers crossed).