Covering The Maharlika Bridge tragic suicide incidents

behind the tragic act.

Ill-advisedly, there is deliberate coverage of suicide around Cagayan de Oro by many local media outlets, most notably social media.

Ideally, the media’s crucial role is to provide access to information and education and promote social change.

for reporting sensitive issues like suicide.

Instead of sensationalizing the news, they should provide resources for support and help mentally-prone individuals the risk of committing suicide.

providing information relating to mental health.

These past weeks, highly publicized suicide cases circulated in every Kagayanon’s social media.

Unfortunately, two miserable deaths, a 17-year senior high school student and another young man jumped to their deaths at the Maharlika Bridge (formerly the Marcos’ Bridge).

Then, another unsuccessful suicide attempts to jump off the bridge in just a week interval.

Today, I will not write the history of suicide or the Maharlika Bridge’s history. Still, the conspicuous rise of suicide, especially among Cagayan de Oro City youth, is alarming!

Suicide is a multi-faceted incident subject to relentless academic debates, depending on various cultures, and is historically, morally, and spiritually dependent on diverse social and psychological backgrounds.

Traditionally, many tradi - tional societies saw suicide as a spiritual and moral failure, and those who took their own lives are often criticized.

The philosophical understanding of suicide during the 17th and 18th centuries shifted in understanding suicide as a personal act of ending one’s life because of the unbearable, intolerable pain of facing a hopeless predicament; thus, suicide is a personal choice, not a moral or a spiritual crime.

As time and the study of mental health evolved from the 19th century until now, suicide is understood as a medical and public health condition with complex causes such as mental illness, social isolation, and poverty.

Suicide is a significant public health issue, and with cunning reason, the media sensationalize suicide without fully grasping the victim’s psychological condition or the social factors

However, instead of educating the general public, they give a detailed description of the incident, which may instigate in the people that committing suicide is accessible and easy.

A blow-by-blow description of a suicide attempt or an incident can have severe consequences.

Unknowingly, the carelessness contributes to a “ripple or domino effect” because of the exposure to suicidal behavior.

Further, and perhaps unknown to our media practitioners, reporting the details can normalize and patronize the behavior while providing an option for those mentally vulnerable and psychologically struggling.

In short, journalists unethically deliver a harmful influence on vulnerable persons and may increase the risk of suicide among individuals who are already at risk.

Journalists and media practitioners are ethically responsible

They should put emphasis on seeking professional help for mental health issues. I think, as an educator, here are simple tips that these local media practitioners should inform the public about suicide. These are:

First, media practitioners provide access to information to mental health experts, parish churches, religious sectors, social welfare offices, and non-government organizations whose focus is to educate and prevent mental health concerns.

Second, educate the public, especially in sustaining robust mental health through facilitating a public discourse leading diverse perspectives and opinions and encouraging the general public in suicide awareness and prevention, which is a perplexing social problem.

Lastly, media outlets can be a powerful tool for social change by highlighting education on mental welfare to raise awareness on such an important isThere is no generic solution to mental health and suicide, but the media’s role is crucial in

Suppose the cycle of unethical reporting of suicide continues. In that case, they unknowingly help increase suicide rates in Cagayan de Oro City by promoting the normalization of suicidal behavior, especially among the youth.

Nevertheless, suppose the media promotes mental health awareness education and provides resources for support and help those mentally vulnerable; this will lead to a mentally healthy citizenry. (MT)

(Ryan Albert Ignacius “RAI” Bollozos Sanchez, 40, is a native of Cagayan de Oro City. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and currently finishing his Master of Arts in History at Xavier UniversityAteneo de Cagayan. He is currently a full-time faculty in the Department of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies in Xavier Ateneo – teaching Readings in Philippine History, The Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, and Interdisciplinary Studies subjects. He taught parttime at the Liceo de Cagayan University teaching Southeast Asian History and Government, and U.S. Government and Foreign Policy. You may reach him at rsanchez@xu.edu.ph)