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 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.
Objective of the Video Campaign
Mental health needs to be talked about and discussed freely without placing a stigma on those suffering from them. It was quite timely that the day of this event was also the day the Mental Health Act was filed in the Senate by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
Statistics show that a life is lost to suicide every 40 seconds. It is now the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds globally, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, depression is the predominant cause of illness and disability for both boys and girls aged 10 to 19.
In response to the 40-second statistic, “Hope in 40 Seconds” became the inspirational theme of the campaign.
Winning Videos
Out of the 20 video submissions, three made it as finalists. The finalists were chosen based on the following criteria: Originality -15%; Storyline/Concept – 20%; Relevance to the Theme – 15%; Technical Skills – 15%; Creativity – 15%; and Visual Impact – 20%.
The video that stood out among the three, bested 20 other entries, and also garnered the People’s Choice Award, was “Companion” by 21-year old digital artist Vince Serrano.
Companion is the story of a lonely boy who almost succumbs to the lure of death but receives a second chance at life from a beacon of hope. Watch the video here.
Here are the other two entries that won.
Catch of Hope created by Chih-Chiang “Jason” Wei is about the loss of what a young man believed to be everything to him, prompting him to jump from a bridge. But seconds before his death, he is caught by the unexpected. Watch the video below.
Heartless by Noel Manao is all about the potential of a person to be emotionally whole again despite being trapped in a dark corner of his mind. It aims to encourage the path to self-discovery and recovery with HOPELINE. Watch the video below.
All three winners received gadgets from Globe as part of their prizes. With the participation of Ayala Cinemas, their winning videos will also be shown just before the main screening of movies in all Ayala Cinemas nationwide.
Let’s also do our share to spread NGF’s free 24/7 hotline.
804-HOPE (4673)
0917-558HOPE (4673)
2919 (toll-free for TM and Globe subscribers)