(Trigger Warning: depression, suicide attempt)
Inilahad ni Michael Pacquio, 21, ang mga hirap na pinagdaanan niya tulad ng bullying at depression.
Bagamat anak siya ng world boxing champion na si Manny Pacquiao, naranasan daw niyang ma-bully at dumaan din sa depression.
Si Michael ang pangalawa sa limang anak nina Manny at Jinkee Pacquiao.
Giit ni Michael, hindi porket mayaman ay wala nang problema at laging masaya.
Si Michael ay aspiring musician at nagsusulat ng sarili niyang kanta. Pero kahit iyon ay nababahiran ng malisya.
“People think, ‘Pacquiao lang maraming pera,’ pero hindi naman ganon.
“Like, sa music ko, I actually did it all by myself. And people thought na ginamit ko si Daddy, I asked help kasi maraming connection din, tsaka pera.
“In truth, it’s not real. Expectation lang ng mga tao is different from reality,” sabi ng binata sa YouTube interview ni Julius Babao noong May 11, 2023.
Sa interview ni Julius, nagkuwento si Michael ukol sa bullying at depression.
Pero mas nagdetalye siya sa mga paksang ito sa interview ni Ned Adriano, isang content creator, noong December 2022.
Ang mga sumusunod ay pinagsamang mga pahayag ni Michael sa interviews sa kanya nina Julius at Ned...
MICHAEL EXPERIENCED BULLYING
Nabanggit ni Michael na naranasan niyang ma-bully noon sa school.
Nangyari raw ito nang mag-high school siya sa General Santos City, ang hometown ng kanyang mga magulang.
“I couldn’t fit in, kasi Pacquiao, so they thought Inglisero lang,” sabi niya.
Iba raw ang environment sa GenSan.
“So people thought na ano, na ako maarte, and then wala akong masyadong ano dun, e, friends.”
Si Michael ay nag-aral sa isang international school sa Laguna noong elementarya.
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Lahad ni Michael tungkol sa pag-aaral niya sa GenSan, “I was bullied because of my appearance. I’m not guwapo.
“No one really wanted to talk to me. Because of my name also. They were afraid.
“Most of the time in school, I would hear… make fun of me, saka they would make fun of my face, my name, tsaka backstab me. Talk behind your back.”
Ang masakit pa raw, ang gumawa sa kanya nito ay ang inakala niyang mga kaibigan.
“They were pretending to be [my] friends because yung name ko. People were nice to me because they just wanted something from me. Libre ko sila, like that.
“In reality they don’t really genuinely like me for who I am,” sabi ni Michael.
Kaya malaki raw ang pasasalamat ni Michael na nakatagpo pa rin siya ng dalawang tao sa school na maituturing niyang kaibigan.
“I was thankful that I had two actual friends there. They were genuinely there for me. Blessed ako dun. I could talk to them, they would ask me, ‘Are you okay?’”
Payo ni Michael sa mga nakakaranas ng bullying, huwag pakinggan ang sinasabi ng mga nambu-bully.
Saad niya, “If you listen, dibdibin mo siya, dwell, you would start to believe them. They would be dictating who you are and you would lose yourself.
“You shouldn’t listen to them. Have someone to talk to like relatives, friends…
“Cancel out the noise. Believe you are not what they say you are.
"Who are they to judge you?"
GOING THROUGH DEPRESSION
Naibahagi rin ni Michael na nakaranas siya ng depresyon noon. Sa katunayan, tinangka pa raw niyang saktan ang kanyang sarili.
Noong una ay hindi raw niya ipinaalam sa kanyang mga magulang ang pinagdadaanan niyang ito.
“I would just smile, but deep inside it’s like empty," lahad ni Michael.
“I was dwelling in it. I was thinking about it too much.
"Akala ko super big problem na yung depression. I didn’t know where I was going with my life.”
Nang nasa puntong sasaktan na ang kanyang sarili, hindi raw ito itinuloy ni Michael.
“Naisip ko what would my parents think. Tsaka what would they think of me doing this,” aniya.
Ipinaalam daw ni Michael sa kanyang mga magulang ang pinagdadaanan niya.
“They comforted me. My dad talked to me. We prayed. I felt nice, I felt better,” sabi ni Michael.
Itinuon daw ni Michael ang atensiyon sa fitness, tulad ng boxing at paggawa ng musika.
Ano naman ang maipapayo niya sa mga dumadaan sa depresyon?
“You’re not alone. Yun ang important part. You can talk to someone about what you feel and don’t let feelings determine your choice of action.
“It’s just a feeling kasi mawala rin naman ang feeling.”
Iginiit ni Michael ang halaga ng pagkakaroon ng support system.
“Yung mali ko... nag-focus ako don [sa] sadness.”
Sa ngayon, mas masaya na raw ang lagay ni Michael.
Bukod sa ginagawang abala ang sarili, nalaman na rin daw niya ang kanyang purpose: “To help encourage, influence, other people.”
May direksiyon na rin ang kanyang buhay dahil “Lord is the center.”
MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING
Nagkuwento rin si Michael tungkol sa pagiging mayaman. Ang kanyang amang si Manny, na isang bilyonaryo, ay kabilang sa pinakamayaman sa Pilipinas.
Marami raw kasi ang nag-aakalang mas magiging masaya ang buhay kung “kasing yaman ko si Pacquiao.”
Sabi naman ni Michael, “Funny when people say that. They don’t know talaga…
“Just because na mayaman kami, wala nang problems ‘cause money doesn’t solve all problems.
“I still have many problems personally. I’m glad I have people beside me to help me go through it.”
Giit niya ukol sa pagiging mayaman: “It’s not fulfilling based on my experience now.
“There was a time I would ask my mom or I would just buy that what you want.
“I thought it would make me happy, make me satisfied, make me fulfilled. But it’s not the case. It’s not permanent.”
Sabi ni Michael, ang mga nagpapasaya sa kanya ay ang mga simpleng bagay.
“In my experience, the most satisfying, the most enjoyable things that I’ve done were the most satisfying, like hang out with friends. Yung mga simple lang... I like food outside…”
Kung ikaw ay nahihirapan o may kakilala kang nakararanas ng matinding krisis, hindi ka nag-iisa. National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Crisis Hotlines – 1553 (nationwide and toll-free landline), 0966-351-4518 (Globe/TM), 0917-899-8727 (Globe/TM), or 0908-639-2672 (Smart/Sun/TNT