• Cheryl, this touched a lot of hearts and a lot fa families. But you know what? Politicians took advantage of the situation to earn brownie points. TV networks took advantage of the situation to get high ratings. I have read somewhere that around 11 million out of 90+ million Filipinos just subsist on a dollar per day. That in itself is very, very sad.

television, newspaper or radio coverage of suicide (or exposure to a recent suicide or suicide attempt in the community) can serve as a trigger for vulnerable adolescents to act on suicidal thoughts and plans. This is what is termed as “cluster suicides

And with the way media is showing this news, I won’t be surprised if there is another suicide death.

• Noemi, you know, I made some survey with my older students, asked them if they know what happened. They knew. I Asked them if this was ever discussed in school, it wasn’t. I think the school needs to follow-up this matter. And yeah, we have the same thought, this could fuel “copycats” since they saw the help given to the family. All those having pogi points does not contribute to the situation, it instead make the situation worse than it already is. Hay, mahirap talaga. Why couldn’t it be as simple as it was before, when children act as children? And now they want to exhume the body because they detect foul play?

I hope this story circulates well in the FIlipino Community abroad so they can help too…

• Gaspar, I was moved to tears when I read my brother’s sms and while I was reading Noemi’s post. You see, I have a 12 year old daughter too. But then again, this doesn’t just happen to our financially poor countrymen. I don’t know how the government can say that our country is better now than before when we can see poverty around us, day in and day out. If our well-off kababayans would be able to help,that would be a good move but they should be sure that this would be managed by well-meaning people and not by those who will just pocket the help. Thank you very much.

with mariannet, however, i am angry over the circumstances that overwhelmed a child’s natural resilience, leading her to take her life out of despair, and frustrated over the apathy.

and i am scared that mariannet will not be the last.

• J-i-E, she is not going to be the last, I suppose. Not that I want this to happen again but I’m afraid this would, they way media is playing it up. Just a few weeks ago, there was another child who took her life too. She was not wanting in terms of needs but her family life was in disarray. So many things that make the children vulnerable to too much pressure. Like you, I am frustrated over the apathy. I am angry at the sudden interest of the government just so they can have their brownie points. For what? If they have done something else about these countryside poverty, such would not probably have happened. But then again, this could be wishful thinking on my part. Thanks for the visit.