Kumustahan Tayo!: Learning in the New Normal
By: Argellyne Jean Jaelenei Moriones
Arellano University conducted its “Kumustahan Tayo!: Learning in the New Normal”  webinar last Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 4:00 pm via Facebook live on the official Facebook page of Arellano University. The online event was hosted by Mr. John Jesus Manuel, a Senior High School teacher and an alumnus of Arellano University.
The purpose of the event was to reach out to the students virtually. Its purpose was to address some issues and hopefully answer the students’ concerns with the help of the invited mental health advocates, Dr. Paulo Manuel Macapagal and Dr. Belen Chu.
In this episode of Arellano University’s Facebook live series, the topic revolved around mental health. When asked about what mental health is and why is there a need to talk about it, Dr. Macapagal and Dr. Chu both said that mental health does not only pertain to one’s psychological well-being but it also co-relates with the different aspects of our holistic well-being. “Our mental health’s state affects how we think, feel and act so it is important for us to take care of our mental health especially during these times that we are having a big turn of events that affects our mental well-being,” Dr. Macapagal further added.
Student guests coming from the different campuses of Arellano University namely, Nico Dela Rosa from the Jose Abad Santos campus, Johanna Dalanda from Apolinario Mabini the campus, Sister Marylou Awa-aw from the Plaridel campus, Daniel Cillio from the Andres Bonifacio campus, Arcie Mauricio from the Jose Rizal campus and Argellyne Jean Jaelenei Moriones from the Juan Sumulong campus also shared their personal experiences with regards to their current emotions towards the pandemic and how they are taking care of themselves.
The first one who got to share his story was Nico Dela Rosa, and according to him, he felt hopeful to see the busy roads of Makati again. However, he encouraged everyone to still follow the highest precaution because the pandemic has not fully subsided. Opposite to the first confession, Daniel Cillio felt sad as he was having difficulty in dividing his time towards his school work and household chores since he currently lives alone and he has nobody to rely on. He also added that he experienced anxiety attacks as a result of his loneliness.
Meanwhile, Argellyne Moriones admitted to having a hard time adjusting to the new learning environment as she was used to the face-to-face learning set-up. She also shared her empathy towards her fellow students who committed suicide due to the pressure brought by many tasks associated with the new normal. Although saddened by the news, she encouraged her fellow students to remain strong, flexible and hopeful and continue fighting for the dreams they are currently working hard for. As for Arcie Mauricio, he felt thankful and contented because he has access to the resources and online equipment needed for his studying. But despite being able to afford online education, he still hoped that this pandemic will end soon because according to him, there are many other students who are struggling to have access to online learning.
On the other hand, Johanna Dalanda expressed her stress on how to balance her role as a daughter, a sister, a friend and a student all at once. But despite the struggles and pressure, she stated how thankful she is that she, together with her family are safe. And lastly, Sister Marylou shared that one of her fellow sisters passed away during this time of pandemic and took this situation as a test of her vocation and faith. According to her, the amount of grief she experienced brought her even closer to God and that, she managed to be strong through praying and maintaining a positive outlook in life.
After the stories of the student guests were heard, the mental health advocates gave their advice in response. According to Dr. Chu, the emotions of the students with regards to the current happenings due to the pandemic are normal. She also added that not all kinds of stress are bad. Short-term stresses can give better motivation and drive a person to be productive. She then advised the students to stay away from negative news because they attract negative energy that can cause stress or sadness.
Dr. Macapagal, on the other hand, clarified that it is normal to feel sad and that sadness should not be labeled as depression. However, he advised to watch out for one’s emotions and do not let sadness last for a longer time because that would eventually lead to depression. He also encouraged everyone to talk to their friends and family members about their feelings. He further advised to keep oneself busy or try to learn new things in order to divert one’s attention to other energy instead of overthinking.
For the closing statements, Dr. Macapagal highlighted the role of the community in promoting good mental health. “The family, school and community’s role in promoting good mental health is to raise awareness. Let us stop the stigma that when you seek for a psychiatrist, you are going insane. It is time to talk to your family, to the school’s guidance counselor or anyone in the community about your problem. There is nothing wrong when you ask for help.” Dr. Chu agreed with Dr. Macapagal, she stated that there should be a collaboration between the family, the school and the community in preventing and addressing mental health problems. Starting off with one family member who shall inform the school about a student’s mental health state, and then the community shall educate and provide information about mental health through webinars. As the two and a half hour-long webinar ended, Mr. John Jesus Manuel thanked the mental health advocates for their advice and to the student guests for giving inspiration to their fellow Arellanites.
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