{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-pursuit-of-passion-pursuit-of-passion-tsx","path":"/pursuit-of-passion/bawat-bonggang-bagay-mental-health-lessons-from-jon-santos-interactive-play/","result":{"data":{"pursuitOfPassionData":{"seoTitle":"Bawat Bonggang Bagay: Mental Health Lessons | Blogs | Avida Land","seoDescription":"Bawat Bonggang Bagay is a Filipino adaptation of MacMillan and Donahoe’s “Every Brilliant Thing\" that tackles mental health with humor, empathy, and hope. ","title":"Bawat Bonggang Bagay: Mental Health Lessons From Jon Santos’ Interactive Play","subtitle":"Bawat Bonggang Bagay: Mental Health Lessons From Jon Santos’ Interactive Play | Avida Land","category":"people","featuredImage":"https://rbgcms-alb-prod.ayalaland.com/content/uploads/images/1722223598610-1768454-6ow26zmud0w.jpg","optimizedFeaturedImg":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"constrained","backgroundColor":"#f8e838","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/4be233fd041e3847b43eeb44c4be93f4/acbfc/1722223598610-1768454-6ow26zmud0w.webp","srcSet":"/static/4be233fd041e3847b43eeb44c4be93f4/b4a05/1722223598610-1768454-6ow26zmud0w.webp 625w,\n/static/4be233fd041e3847b43eeb44c4be93f4/8efef/1722223598610-1768454-6ow26zmud0w.webp 1250w,\n/static/4be233fd041e3847b43eeb44c4be93f4/acbfc/1722223598610-1768454-6ow26zmud0w.webp 2500w","sizes":"(min-width: 2500px) 2500px, 100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":2500,"height":1667}}},"videoLink":"","slug":"bawat-bonggang-bagay-mental-health-lessons-from-jon-santos-interactive-play","datePublished":"July 29, 2024","shortDescription":"Discover how this Filipino adaptation tackles depression and suicide with humor, empathy, and hope. Learn about the importance of mental health awareness and the healing power of theater in this insightful article.","homeBanner":null,"contents":[{"caption":null,"caption1":null,"caption2":null,"caption3":null,"caption4":null,"title1":null,"title2":null,"title":"","description1":null,"description2":null,"description":"Before he started his one-act play “Bawat Bonggang Bagay,” Jon Santos asked us if we were okay. The lights were muted. The small, central, ground-level stage surrounded by rows of chairs created an intimate, almost private set-up. The mood at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater was relaxed, quiet, and calm.\n\nHe had a knack for putting people at ease, getting the audience comfortable, and making everyone feel they belonged. This facility for lightness in the atmosphere would prove crucial. Because that night, Jon Santos and playwright Guelan Luarca had something to say, and their message was anything but trivial.\n\n“Bawat Bonggang Bagay” is a Filipino adaptation of Duncan MacMillan and Jonny Donahoe’s “Every Brilliant Thing.” First staged by the Sandbox Collective in 2023 to stellar reviews, this second run continues that tradition. Quick spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen the play. The story revolves around an unnamed protagonist who grows up trying to understand the chronic depression and suicide attempts of his mother.  As a way of trying to prevent her from taking her life, our protagonist creates a list of seemingly ordinary everyday objects and experiences – from halo-halo to coffee, and Lily’s Peanut butter – to remind her that there is much to live for. As the character grows, so does the list, and as the character changes, the contents of the list change too, made to reflect the struggles of the protagonist at each vital point in his life, whether that’s childhood, being with someone, or the impending passage of time and age. \n\nThe play’s party trick is that random members of the audience are chosen to perform key roles as the story unfolds onstage: Dad, the love interest Sam, a veterinarian, a therapist, and a teacher, all of them are plucked from their seats real-time and given a moment in the sun.  \n\nThrough it all Jon Santos’ portrayal deftly navigates the weight of mental health struggles in the family by interspersing humor and levity with moments of genuine sincerity and openness.  He is quick, witty, and warm. At one point in the performance, he breaks the fourth wall and says, “Hindi kayo nag-iisa. Kung kaya ko lang kayong samahan at yakapin araw araw, gagawin ko. Hindi kayo nag-iisa.” ","optimizedContentImg":null,"optimizedContentImg1":null,"optimizedContentImg2":null,"optimizedContentImg3":null,"optimizedContentImg4":null,"message":null,"type":"component9","video":null},{"caption":null,"caption1":null,"caption2":null,"caption3":null,"caption4":null,"title1":null,"title2":null,"title":"Mental health, strides and struggles","description1":null,"description2":null,"description":"Mental health has historically been a taboo subject in Filipino culture, and a large amount of misunderstanding still pervades contemporary society. Department of Health (DOH) officials say that at least 3.6 million Filipinos struggle with mental health concerns, and a 2023 report by The Lancet reveals that depression and anxiety are prevailing conditions. But there has been progress in being able to discuss these challenges openly, particularly online. There have been significant legal strides too. The country enacted the Mental Health Law in 2017, and in October of last year, the DOH worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) and launched its strategic framework as a guide to implementing national mental health policies and programs. At the individual level, and in more intimate circles and places, the arts are a lifeline for bringing these conversations to the fore, theater in particular, provides a safe environment for people to express their emotions by allowing both the actors and the audience to be vulnerable and share an aesthetic experience together as a community united by the performance. ","optimizedContentImg":null,"optimizedContentImg1":null,"optimizedContentImg2":null,"optimizedContentImg3":null,"optimizedContentImg4":null,"message":null,"type":"component9","video":null},{"caption":null,"caption1":null,"caption2":null,"caption3":null,"caption4":null,"title1":null,"title2":null,"title":"The Bawat Bonggang Bagay play is a brilliant thing ","description1":null,"description2":null,"description":"This, perhaps, is the greatest gift that “Bawat Bonggang Bagay,” and Jon Santos gives us, sharing a story about something so deeply personal to many Filipino families, while treating it with gentleness, care, and love. For a culture where sharing one’s private fears can sometimes be a source of shame, the play is a revelation of the idea that emotions are truly important, that feelings and inner struggles should not be dismissed or set aside, that the little things truly matter, and so consequently, there are no little things. \n\nIt was a truly memorable performance, helmed by one of Philippine theatre’s best, in top form. The arts are at their greatest when they make us feel most alive. And for one enchanted evening, Jon Santos certainly did.","optimizedContentImg":null,"optimizedContentImg1":null,"optimizedContentImg2":null,"optimizedContentImg3":null,"optimizedContentImg4":null,"message":null,"type":"component9","video":null},{"caption":"Here are the mental health lessons learned from Bawat Bonggay Bagay.","caption1":null,"caption2":null,"caption3":null,"caption4":null,"title1":null,"title2":null,"title":null,"description1":null,"description2":null,"description":null,"optimizedContentImg":null,"optimizedContentImg1":null,"optimizedContentImg2":null,"optimizedContentImg3":null,"optimizedContentImg4":null,"message":"1. Mental Health is about all of us. Mental health struggles affect our families, our friends, and those around us. The road to healing is for them too.\n2. We are never truly alone. There is always someone who is willing to help. \n3. Therapy is healthy. We should take care of our minds in the same way we take care of our bodies. There is nothing wrong with having mental health check-ups with a therapist you trust. \n4.  Empathy saves lives. Never underestimate the power of listening to another human being. It may just be the light in that person’s darkest hour.\n5.  Our feelings have reasons of their own, and we should explore them. Emotions don’t normally spring from a vacuum. And it’s important to stay in touch with ourselves as we navigate our feelings. Personal reflection, and conversations with friends and loved ones help us understand why we are the way we are. \n6. Safe spaces, places, and environments create a community of healing. The right environment is crucial in mental health recovery, and in sustaining our mental well-being. Let us strive to create places of compassion – in our workplaces, our schools, and our homes – for those who need it the most.  ","type":"component10","video":null}],"tags":[]},"recentArticles":{"nodes":[{"id":"9f566257-1cbc-52e9-9a33-b37fadedefd4","title":"Avida Towers Verge: Designed for the Young Professionals of Today","slug":"avida-towers-verge-designed-for-the-young-professionals-of-today","category":"people","datePublished":"October 11, 2025","featuredImage":"https://rbgcms-alb-prod.ayalaland.com/content/uploads/images/1761144341050-7998978-yjj3h88mwva.jpg","optimizedFeaturedImg":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"constrained","backgroundColor":"#c8d8e8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/d163c686ce02fabad81633bf83c12dc5/d5aed/1761144341050-7998978-yjj3h88mwva.webp","srcSet":"/static/d163c686ce02fabad81633bf83c12dc5/df859/1761144341050-7998978-yjj3h88mwva.webp 1752w,\n/static/d163c686ce02fabad81633bf83c12dc5/0042d/1761144341050-7998978-yjj3h88mwva.webp 3504w,\n/static/d163c686ce02fabad81633bf83c12dc5/d5aed/1761144341050-7998978-yjj3h88mwva.webp 7008w","sizes":"(min-width: 7008px) 7008px, 100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":7008,"height":4672}}}},{"id":"884cdfee-e800-544b-aa87-e23dd3682113","title":"Safe at Home: A Closer Look at Avida’s Earthquake-Resilient Developments ","slug":"safe-at-home-a-closer-look-at-avidas-earthquake-resilient-developments","category":"home & design","datePublished":"October 20, 2025","featuredImage":"https://rbgcms-alb-prod.ayalaland.com/content/uploads/images/1760951655655-1754941-2h7s50c3375.jpg","optimizedFeaturedImg":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"constrained","backgroundColor":"#88a8c8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/2b07977bd4a8a72424b079c95d1dd751/933c8/1760951655655-1754941-2h7s50c3375.webp","srcSet":"/static/2b07977bd4a8a72424b079c95d1dd751/b4c1c/1760951655655-1754941-2h7s50c3375.webp 1320w,\n/static/2b07977bd4a8a72424b079c95d1dd751/9ed85/1760951655655-1754941-2h7s50c3375.webp 2640w,\n/static/2b07977bd4a8a72424b079c95d1dd751/933c8/1760951655655-1754941-2h7s50c3375.webp 5280w","sizes":"(min-width: 5280px) 5280px, 100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":5280,"height":2970}}}},{"id":"7a1c99ea-af45-5029-8310-2b4bc7d4d7e2","title":"The Essential Things | Avida Towers Cloverleaf ","slug":"the-essential-things-avida-towers-cloverleaf","category":"people","datePublished":"September 10, 2025","featuredImage":"https://rbgcms-alb-prod.ayalaland.com/content/uploads/images/1757467788126-978043-wm23d2fosor.jpg","optimizedFeaturedImg":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"constrained","backgroundColor":"#58a858","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/fcd557e256aec4cf32d8299b1e34cb73/a2e54/1757467788126-978043-wm23d2fosor.webp","srcSet":"/static/fcd557e256aec4cf32d8299b1e34cb73/074d3/1757467788126-978043-wm23d2fosor.webp 1240w,\n/static/fcd557e256aec4cf32d8299b1e34cb73/332a0/1757467788126-978043-wm23d2fosor.webp 2481w,\n/static/fcd557e256aec4cf32d8299b1e34cb73/a2e54/1757467788126-978043-wm23d2fosor.webp 4961w","sizes":"(min-width: 4961px) 4961px, 100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":4961,"height":3304}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"id":"33e3d3b0-f136-591e-8c1d-d91055d4a4b5","next":{"slug":"heres-why-more-women-should-invest-in-real-estate","title":"Here's Why More Women Should Invest In Real Estate","category":"people"},"previous":{"slug":"2025-mothers-day-gifts-to-make-mom-special","title":"2025 Mother's Day: Gifts to Make Mom Special","category":"people"},"pursuitOfPassionCategories":["people","places","home & design","wellness","travel & leisure","finance","videos"]}},"staticQueryHashes":["3438892364","3635065473","3827149321","65569352"]}