Meet the winners of the ‘Hope in 40 Seconds’ video competition for mental health awareness

DEPRESSION. So many suffer from it these days and yet, many times, it goes unrecognized and unchecked. And even when it is discovered, both the patient and the family tend to hide it because of the social stigma that it still carries. The Mental Health Act has already passed, allowing the funding of programs geared towards supporting mental health awareness. But we still have a long way to go. Meanwhile, there is need for a go-to place where depression sufferers can go to ask for help.

Based on data from the DOH and the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300 million people are experiencing depression, up by more than 18% from 2005 to 2015. In the Philippines alone, an estimated 3.3 million Filipinos are suffering from depression. Only 1 out of 3 who suffer from depression will seek the help of a specialist and one third will not even be aware of their condition. Also, the most vulnerable sector is the youth, with ages ranging from 15 to 29 years old.

Globe and its partners for Hopeline 2919

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“Companion” shows how one can give hope in 40 seconds

Every October is National Mental Health Awareness Month and this year, the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation (NGF), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing depression to light, and its partner Globe, invited us to the awarding ceremonies for their video competition, launched in June 2016 to help spread awareness about depression by encouraging those who experience depression, as well as their loved ones, to seek guidance from HOPELINE, NGF’s free 24/7 suicide hotline numbers: 804-HOPE (4673), 0917-558HOPE (4673), and 2919 (toll-free for TM and Globe subscribers).

Globe and NGF with the winners
Globe and NGF with the winners

Globe has been a long-time partner of NGF — providing the information and communications technology infrastructure for HOPELINE. “Through the video, we hope that we can also prevent young people from taking their lives due to cyberbullying, which causes a lot of pressure and stress,” said Fernando Esguerra, Globe Director for Citizenship.

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