FMN No 135 Gilas Pilipinas

More documents

Recommendations

Info

• FAST FIND DIRECTORY •ISSUE 135 PRODUCTS & SERVICES • FILIPINO JOB BOARD • PREMIUM LISTINGS • filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | mobile: 027 495 8477 14COUNTRY HOMEFOOD BUSINESSCOUPLE required for country home on North Shorewith food business.Home and car provided.No experience necessary because will be trained.Look after home, business and tend to treesand garden on property.Call Lisa 021 803 999or email: lisainnewyorkcity@gmail.comMotel CleanersA Motel in East Auckland is looking for reliable,honest, hardworking people.Hours 9am to 1pm approximately.Must be able to work weekends.We set high standards and pay above minimum wage.Please phone for an appointment 0274 883 834.www.filipinoheroes.nzThis year the Filipino Migrant News/Pinoy NZ Life HERO AWARDSfocuses on the unsung heroeswho have been championing Pinoyworkers rights.We welcome your input.filipinonews@xtra.co.nzmobile : 027 495 8477Legacy of Faith Church"Love God. Love People. Pass it on."Sunday Worship Timeand Venue:10 am1st Floor, 7 Princes Street,Otahuhu, Aucklandweb: www.lfc.org.nze-mail: lfcnz.info@gmail.comOpen 7 days a weekMon-Sat: 8am - 5pmSun: 9am - 3pm236 Onehunga MallOnehunga,AucklandAccepting orders for your party needs.T: 09 636 6297, M: 021 149 7358The No.1 Filipino Bakery in townTry our freshly baked Filipino favourite breads for yourbreakfast and merienda such as pan de coco, pandesal,ube bread, star bread, pork bun, buko pandan cake and more...UBE CHEESE ROLLPANCIT MALABONENSAYMADACHOCOLATE CHIFFONPANDESALSPANISH BREADMONAYEMPANADABANANA TURONWRITEFOR US?filipinonews@xtra.co.nzwww.halohalo.nzThe first Pinoy foodand events portalin NZNow you can find videosof the popular eateriessari sari stores,new products andupcoming events at onelively location.Find out how you caninclude your productsand services online -please contact us today!filipinonews@xtra.co.nzFILIPINOMIGRANT NEWS(20th year ofpublication)filipinonews.nz(nationwide)PINOY NZ LIFEpinoynzlife.nz(south island edition)MIGRANT NEWS(29th year ofpublication)migrantnews.nzTRAVEL SEAsiatravelgalore.nzFILIPINO JOBBOARDwww.filipino.kiwiEVENTS / FOODwww.halohalo.nzHERO AWARDSfilipinoheroes.nzCopyright Matters, Terms & Conditionsof Publication and Advertising:All material appearing in FilipinoMigrant News, PINOY NZLife andit’s related websites:www.filipinonews.nz andwww.pinoynzlife.nz includingadvertisements, is COPYRIGHTED andcannot be reproduced unless writtenpermission is given by the publisher -SM Publications Ltd.Views expressed in FMN andwww.filipinonews.nz andwww.pinoynzlife.nz do notnecessarily reflect that of the publisher.The publisher does not accept anyresponsibility or liability for views and• Print • Web • Tablet• Facebook • InstagramFacebook:Filipino Migrant NewsHaloHalo NZFilipino MigrantNewsMigrant Job SearchStreet Food FestivalPublished by:SM PublicationsLtdfilipinonews @xtra.co.nzMigrant NewsLtdmigrantnews@xtra.co.nzNewsroom &Advertising:027 495 8477Managing Editor:Mel Fernandezmelfernandez@xtra.co.nzAssociate Editor:SheilaFernandezSub-Editor:Kirsty HotchkissManila Contributors:Kayla HerediaLorelei B AquinoContributors:Louie EncaboAisha RonquilloRew ShearerKristel CabralCelso BaldoNews, Photos &Feedback welcome:email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nztext: 027 495 8477Facebook: Halo HaloNZ, Filipino MigrantNewsclaims in the editorial matter oradvertisements appearing in thispublication and associated websites.ADVERTISING TERMS ANDCONDITIONS: While reasonable care istaken, the Publisher will not accept liabilityfor any error, omission orinaccuracy in the publication of anymaterial. Advertisers are deemed tohave accepted the terms and conditionsin the Publisher’s Advertising OrderForm, whether they book directly withthe Publisher by using the Official OrderForm, or confirm bookings by email, orbook through their appointedadvertising agents.
ISSUE 135 BUHAY OVERSEAS | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | Facebook: Filipino Migrant News 15News podcasts from our content partners in the Philippines now available at : www.filipinonews.nzHow one family enduresgenerations of depressionZena Bernardo hasclinical depression.But what makesher depressioneven more difficultis that it issomething threewhole generationsof her familyexperience.Love, understandingandkindness — theseare the things thatevery personbattling mentalillness needs fromeverybody. Notjudgement, pityand definitely notcruelty.By Lorelei BaldonadoAquinoPhotos: Zena BernardoMANILA – ZenaBernardo’s father, MangRomy, was the ideal familyman. He was a loving son tohis parents, a supportivekuya to his 5 younger siblings,a dedicated husbandand a nurturing tatay to hischildren.Mang Romy and his familywere not financially welloff, but he and his wife madesure that their childrenwould have a good childhood.In 1985, when his businesswent bankrupt, his wifewas forced to leave her familybehind to work for a governmenthospital in theMiddle East.Mang Romy’s apparentfeeling of inadequacy as thefamily’s provider, coupledwith the sudden death of hisfriend Lean Alejandro in1987 and his sneaking suspicionthat Zena, his then-19-year-old bunso, was pregnant,had taken their toll onhim.On December 22, 1988,just 3 days before Christmas,Mang Romy committed suicide.His family had alwaysknown that Mang Romy wassuffering from depression.However, as he was his siblings’constant 'one-mansupport system', they didn’tthink that he would, one day,succumb to the same silentkiller that was taking hisbrothers and sisters one byone.Before his death, 3 of hisother siblings who also haddepression had likewise diedof suicide.Less than two monthsafter his death another onefollowed suit. The lone survivingsibling has been onmedication for more than 3decades now.The second generationof BernardosWhen Zena and her twosiblings were younger theirparents would try to shieldthem from the realities ofdepression. But wheneverthey would hear that a relativehad committed suicidedue to depression, or whentheir own father would breakor throw things one minutethen hole up in his room fordays the next, it becameincreasingly difficult toignore.Pretending that everythingwas normal became impossible.When her mother leftthem to work abroad and hersiblings became preoccupiedwith either studies orfriends, Zena became herfather’s constant companionand confidant.She heard about his frustrationsand bore witness tohis episodes of depression.She became the family’sZena Barnadoshock absorber.She had many insecuritiesgrowing up. She laterbecame a victim of bullying,sexual harassment and physicalabuse.She got pregnant at 19 andwas blamed by everybody asthe reason behind herfather’s suicide.She was forced to drop outof college due to her delicatecondition.Her marital life soonbecame problematic andtoxic. Four children later,she decided to separate fromher husband.Through it all, she wassilently suffering from andbattling depression andbipolar disorder.To make matters worse,she felt that she had nowhereto turn to for help when sheleft her husband. Workingoverseas, Zena’s mother wasnot made aware of her condition,while her two siblingswere also fighting thesame illness that plagued theBernardos.She tried everything tosingle-handedly support herchildren. However, she realizedthat she could not get adecent paying job without acollege diploma. Once hertwo oldest kids were in highschool Zena saw an opportunityto go back to collegeand finish her education.After she graduated as theclass valedictorian, sheworked for various companiesa n dfoundations,andactively supported countlessadvocacies.She can only work forshort-term projects and onshort-term jobs, though, asshe tends to get overwhelmedwhen she has tostay for long in a singleplace or be deeply immersedin the same kind of work.But once she starts she isunstoppable.However, like many otherswho have depression, shefaces each day as if she iswalking in a land mine field.She has to tread carefully byguarding her thoughts everysingle minute of every day.The third generationof BernardosMox is one of Zena’s 4children and is her only son.Like his parents and most ofhis relatives from both sidesof their family, Mox has amental health condition too.He was likewise diagnosedwithclinicaldepression.Mox is nowliving on his own. He cannotlive under one roof withhis mother or his sisters asthey all trigger each other’sdepressive episodes.To those who are sufferingfrom depression right nowMox has these pieces ofvaluable advice: “Seek professionalhelp. Listen to andlove yourself more. Thosewho know and have survivedthrough thosemoments have a specialresponsibility to help otherswho suffer the same condition.We’ve been through thevoid; we know how to helppeople endure nothingness.”He also suggested that thebest way to help those sufferingfrom depression is toavoid forcing them to openup about their struggleswhen they don’t feel ready.“To families and friends,we don’t need upliftingwords. (What we need) ishelp in getting through eachday, one task at a time. Itdoesn’t help when people tryto comfort us and force us tospeak about our pain,” hesaid.Zena adds that theBernardo family has made ita point to know as much asthey can about their mentalcondition, though they rarelytalk openly among themselvesabout it.She shares that wheneverthey feel the urge to open up,they do so with trustedfriends or romantic partners– those they refer to as theirindividual support systems.They also seek professionalhelp. It is in cases of arelapse of a loved one thattheir awareness of andfamiliarity with the conditioncomes in handy.Lorelei Baldonado Aquino,46, is a an active volunteer forTeam Pilipinas, a group establishedfor those who want to dotheir own small share to be partof the solution to our country'smyriad of problems. She is alsothe blogger behind Mom on aMission.For all those who are willingto help with Team Pilipinas’other projects and outreach initiatives,you may email:teamph.volunteers@ gmail.comor call (0915) 3801977.
Page 1 and 2: 20YEARSin print&online!South Island
Page 3 and 4: GILAS WOMEN ISSUE 135 | www.filipin
Page 5 and 6: FILIPINO-KIWI HERO AWARDS ISSUE 135
Page 7 and 8: The one and onlyFilipino Job Boardw
Page 9 and 10: ISSUE 135 | EMPLOYMENT MATTERS | ww
Page 11 and 12: ‘RAINING GRACE’ Column ISSUE 13
Page 13: AshMatt’ (SarahGeronimo and Matte

FMN No 135 Gilas Pilipinas

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?