Alarming and Rising Number of Suicides

For the past 2 years, I cannot help but notice the apparent rise in the incidence of suicides among adolescent Filipinos.

Most of them coming from the middle class of society, but many also comes from the poor.

I don't have the statistical figures and demographic picture, but I can mention some in passing... One teenager jumped from the 5th level inside a big popular mall and died on the spot last year... the reason - rumors say that he had some argument with his girlfriend, others say it was just peer pressure. I asked if the kid had his parents with him always? the answer was unclear... apparently, he was lacking the attention he needed while he was growing up and most probably - a deep seated depression was haunting him.

A few more incident from those in the age between 30's and 40's...a male and a female... both had some marital problems.... and then, there are more with celebrity and political figures... their children committing suicide either by jumping off a building or by shooting at ones' self.  No apparent reason can be seen right away, but I am always tempted to ask if they are really given the attention needed when they were growing up.

I am not exempted to this dilemma when I was still in my teens... I do recall several times that I have entertained the thought of committing suicide.  I have researched many ways how to do it... and sometimes - to the extent of thinking about doing it with the result of causing more damage to my family. Those were my dark years and I do admit, I am really relieved to have outgrew it as I grew more matured.

I would like to think that the rise in suicide is the result of many OFW becoming more prosperous with their life as rich slaves abroad... while becoming poor family managers because they rarely have the time to spend for their own kids.

The new generation of Pinoy are children growing up without the guidance of their parents... they all get accustomed to bonding with their parents only by way of email or cyber chatting if they are lucky to have internet in their homes or enough internet cafe budget. However, for most under the middle class or the lower middle class... Most working parents seldom have the time to spend their physical selves with their kids.

Although Material prosperity is to a certain level better than 50 years ago... the spiritual and moral values of the young generation has been systematically destroyed.

Thanks to a government who takes pride in promoting the best maids, nurses, construction workers and caregivers of the globe... How can a child be proud of himself or his family when he knows for a fact that his mother is a slave in HK, Saudi, America, Rest of Asia and Europe?... this is the general air...

Of course, there are still more variations of this scenario... however, I would like to emphasize on this since this is the most common.

If the sudden rise of young Pinoy Suicides doesn't sound the alarm?... what will it take to really wake up the sleeping Pinoy consciousness?
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