CCC Holds Suicide Prevention Seminar, Urges City Collegians to Change the Narrative

September 21, 2026

Damdam-pakiramdam. Feel what you wanna feel. Sit with it. Acknowledge every bit of it.

It was this reminder that echoed through Kalap Hall on September 14 as the City College of Calapan (CCC) observed Suicide Prevention Month through “Changing the Narrative,” a Suicide Prevention Awareness Seminar aimed at reminding City Collegians that they do not have to face their struggles alone.

With the message, “Help others find the reason to keep on going,” the seminar opened a space for conversations about emotions, empathy, stigma, and the importance of reaching out.

Leading the discussion was Ms. Ma. Moneliza Delen-Perez, RPM, RPSY, who emphasized the changing nature of emotions and the importance of acknowledging what one feels. Rather than treating difficult emotions as something to suppress or hide, the seminar encouraged students to recognize them as part of the human experience.

The discussion also underscored a simple yet powerful reminder: “We all need help.” Asking for it does not make a person weak. In fact, reaching out can be an act of strength—a choice to continue, even when continuing feels difficult. It is a form of resilience that begins with recognizing that one does not have to carry everything alone.

Because just like the changing of seasons, difficult emotions do not remain forever. A difficult season may be part of someone’s story, but it does not have to become the whole story.

Written I Rhie Ann Mendoza
Pubmats I The Innovators