Joyce Pring-Triviño’s message about healing and recovery from traumatic experiences was very clear—healing is not achievable alone. Healing cannot happen on our own, we have to be present with other people, and we have to be present for other people as well.
She underscored the value of finding meaningful relationships that will help us in our journey to healing.
“We are not designed to be alone. We are designed to be in healthy relationships,” she emphasized.
Further in her talk, the TV personality and content creator discussed that “the need to heal when you experienced something traumatic is absolutely human and a normal thing.” She pointed out that even if someone has not been confronted by anything traumatic, at one point, there’s a need to recount experiences that have affected the way we deal with relationships or even with ourselves.
Joyce was one of the speakers at the launch of Sagip Babae Foundation, a newly created organization dedicated to offering safe spaces for women who have suffered from—and survived—domestic violence, sexual harassment, and abuse in its myriad forms. Because such experiences can have severe short- or long-term effects on victims’ mental health, Sagip Babae will stress on granting aid and relief to these women in the aftermath of their ordeal.
“A lot of people know my story. My family was a very chaotic and unstable home to grow up in and it was really difficult that I had to go through a lot of traumatic experiences growing up. That affected me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually,” she admitted during her brief talk.
She also said that in 2016, she got diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety and medication did very little to deal with the condition. What did work for her was a change in lifestyle, help from professionals, and her “spiritual relationship with God.”
“If you are here today, it means that you don’t just believe in the power of healing, in the power of community, it also means that you believe in the power of being present for others,” Joyce stated.
The foundation officially launches its operations on July 29 at Bondi&Bourke in Makati. The occasion will mark the start of Sagip Babae Foundation’s online Facebook community for women survivors of abuse, giving them access to various activities and resources that may prove beneficial in their journey towards healing and recovery.
The foundation’s launch couldn’t have come at a better time. The overall socioeconomic effects of the pandemic have created situations that render women more vulnerable to abuse. A recent study by the Commission of Population and Development (POPCOM) found that 25 percent of surveyed Filipino adults consider violence against women one of the more critical issues during the current health crisis.
The deleterious effects of abuse likewise resonate with Sagip Babae founders Francesca Fugen and Melissa Rina Profeta’s own life experiences.
They cite their personal trauma, as well as those of women they have helped, as their inspiration for starting Sagip Babae. Fugen and Profeta hope to provide – from the get-go – comforting assistance to women victims, aged 18 and above, from all over the country.
Sagip Babae Foundation’s Facebook community will hold webinars and bi-monthly group sessions, and offer self-care strategies, wellbeing education, as well as more information on meditation and holistic healing. It will seek the best possible path of recovery and healing for beneficiaries by carefully matching them to the appropriate partner experts and practitioners. The foundation will shoulder all expenses for therapy and medication within their first month of participation, as well as half of the costs in the second and third months.
The foundation will have a dedicated counselor for the initial session with beneficiaries. Core team members, along with volunteers for the foundation, have undergone mental health first responder and psychological support training to ensure that each beneficiary receives competent treatment during their time with the foundation.
Sagip Babae commits to providing mental healthcare through its partnership with experts in the field such as AJ Sunglao, a licensed psychologist and mental health advocate, and Charlene R. Lucas, a registered psychologist and international clinical traumatologist. For a more extensive approach, Sagip Babae has also consulted with Third Eye Wellness, a provider of holistic healing services, and Jenny Umali, a life coach and Reiki practitioner.
To show their support for Sagip Babae’s cause, a slew of mental health professionals, officials from relevant government agencies and organizations, and influencers attended the launch. These include Carmen Reyes Zubiaga, an advocate for gender equality and chairperson at Angat Persons with Disabilities United 2030; Angel Dei, a social media content creator and women’s advocate; Cassie Uyoco, an influencer who advocates for destigmatizing mental health; and Cheris Faustino, a social media content creator, and mental health advocate. A recorded video message from Senator Bong Go was shown at the event.
Sagip Babae hopes to forge lasting partnerships with these attendees moving forward in order to better serve their future beneficiaries. The foundation will endeavor to reach out to these women and offer them vital resources for safeguarding their mental health in the days ahead.
