Suicide cases are climbing at an alarming rate in the Philippines, with police recording more than 2,000 incidents in the first half of the year. The surge has cast a grim shadow over Suicide Prevention Month in September and World Mental Health Month in October, underscoring the urgency of the crisis.
For Ymari Kristia Pascua, chief empowerment officer of Mental Health Youth Hub PH, the numbers are more than statistics.
“Behind every statistic is a story, a family, and a dream,” she said. Her goal is to bring conversations about mental health into every corner of the country so no one feels they are fighting alone.
Pascua knows the struggle firsthand. Her own story, once featured on Maalaala Mo Kaya, reflects the pain and resilience of many Filipinos. Rising from personal battles, she chose to turn what she calls “pain into purpose,” becoming a youth mental health coach and mentor who now works with local governments, schools, and NGOs to promote suicide prevention.
This year, Pascua took her advocacy into music and fandom communities — spaces where young Filipinos gather. She said fandoms are “not only about entertainment but also about belonging,” and can serve as safe havens for conversations on mental health.
In September, she teamed up with BINI’s Mikha Lim for a seminar that reminded fans that fandom can also be a community of care and support. She later collaborated with folk-pop band Ben&Ben and their Liwanag fan group, weaving mental health messages into the band’s emotional anthems, including leaves, courage, and di ka sayang.
“When we collaborated with BINI Mikha and Ben&Ben, it showed that the art we love can also help us heal,” Pascua said, adding that concerts and fan spaces can double as platforms for healing, helping young people feel seen and less isolated.
But she warns that awareness cannot be confined to September or October. “Wherever I go, from cities to the smallest towns, I see the same truth: mental health is everyone’s concern,” she said.
As a senior volunteer with I am MAD (Making A Difference) Volunteers, Inc., Pascua continues to push partnerships and initiatives on mental health, insisting that compassion must become a daily practice. “Caring for our mental well-being should be part of our everyday lives, in every home and every community.”
The National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline can be reached at 1553 (toll-free via landline). Globe and TM subscribers may call 0966-351-4518 or 0917-899-8727, while Smart, Sun, and TNT users may dial 0908-639-2672. Hopeline PH is also available at (02) 8804-4673.
For talks, workshops, or collaborations, Pascua may be contacted at ymarikristia@gmail.com, on Instagram at @ymarikristia, or through bit.ly/YmariKristiaPascua.
