A RECENT study in the Philippines reveals that there has been a monthly average of 40 deaths by suicide, with more than half by individuals below 30 years old. According to an official report from the Department of Health, one out of ten students seriously attempted suicide in 2023. On the other hand, the Department of Education reported that between 2021 to 2022, a total of 414 students died from suicide while 2,147 tried to end their lives.
Just a week ago, our SFC group chat received a report that a young and promising member of the LGBTQIA+ who was also an elected sangguning kabataan official committed suicide and died. If my memory serves me right this is already the fifth case among the students in the neighboring towns of Macabebe and Masantol in a span of two years.
This piece of news became a timely and engaging talking point in our SFC group chat. Let me make it clear, we do not and will never attempt to invalidate the multi-faceted challenges and struggles that young Filipinos face and go through nowadays. In fact, we are one in saying that the pressures on Filipino teens today are truly overwhelming. Some of the forces that contribute to their emotional burden include academic expectations, family obligations, peer pressure, social media standards, and economic challenges.
But then a good friend, a former gay beauty pageant icon who is now based abroad posted a question that sent us all in a serious introspection mode, totally away from the usually light and free-spirited banter in our group chat. According to her, except perhaps for social media standards, didn’t we all face the same struggles during our youth? We couldn’t agree more. Truth be told, our generation even faced a more hostile period when society was not as accepting, welcoming and understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community as it is today.
No one in our group was from a well-to-do family; no one came from what we fondly called a DBF – “de buena familia.” We all embraced our humble beginnings, and proudly called ourselves the “purita ledesmas” who were bent on one thing – to chase our dreams, carve a brighter future and provide a better life for ourselves and our families. So, ending our lives at a time when we were still miles away from achieving our goals was never an option. In spite of the many stumbling blocks, we just had to get going at all costs.
I think one concerning observation among today’s youth is the slow and steady erosion of grit – that distinct ability to persevere and work harder in the face of repeated and countless failures. For one reason or another, today’s generation seems less prepared to face life’s adversities. I have seen this trend among many students even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. For years, they have been accustomed to the many benefits of technology and the joys of instant gratification and instantaneous rewards so much so that they could not handle even the most minor of setbacks.
The conversation in our group chat also tackled how today’s youth seem to be struggling with weaker moral and spiritual values. Although none of us went to Catholic schools, we grew up in very conservative families and we were taught even at a young age that killing oneself was a mortal sin. As such, you would never enter heaven and that your soul would suffer in eternal damnation in hell. We even grew up believing that for their burial, those who committed suicide would not even be given the rites of a Mass or a simple blessing from the priest because they committed a mortal sin.
Call it archaic, backward, unfounded fear, or even a wrong interpretation of Catholic teachings. But looking back, I do not mind growing with those deeply ingrained beliefs. Sadly, in today’s increasingly secular and competitive world, the spiritual and moral grounding that once guided young people is being replaced by a focus on appearance, wealth, and status.
The rise of teen suicide in the country has become a critical health crisis and a silent moral issue that requires immediate attention. As the Filipino youth continue to struggle in facing unprecedented pressures, let us provide them with the mental support they desperately need. Let us also try to equip them with grit and foster moral values that will come in handy as they navigate life’s challenges with courage, resilience, and hope.
