What Will Become of Him When I Die?

Small houses made of natural materials stand among coconut trees, with the perfect cone of Mayon volcano in the background. Visitors are welcomed by the nearby blue ocean water and amazing scenery. The 100-household village of Salvacion could be a Pacific paradise, situated near Tabaco City in the South of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. But, people in the neighbourhood call Salvacion the strange village—reflective of the fact that a relatively large number of people with mental health problems live here.

One of them is Ronaldo Balahar, a 32-year-old man with a boyish look on his face. He used to walk around naked and dirty. But, since February, Ronaldo receives monthly medical treatment at Holy Face centre. The whole village is happy about the changes they observed in Ronaldo’s behaviour: "Now, Ronaldo wears slippers, shorts, and a shirt", says the village head. Still, the slim young man likes to pass his time collecting plastic materials fibres, scraps of paper, and little pieces of wood. But, he no longer roams around restlessly. Now, Ronaldo is in a stable mood and sits calmly next to his thin mother on the doorstep of their home made out of coconut materials. When his relatives tease him playfully, he shows the face of a little boy who is feeling very good at present.

For many years Ronaldo’s condition was said to be worse. At the age of 15, he developed schizophrenia. It took 15 years until Ronaldo finally received the treatment he needed— only last year, when he was referred to Holy Face Centre, where he was finally diagnosed by the psychiatrist Dr. Aimee Nobleza. Since then, Ronaldo gets an injection of antipsychotic medication once a month. Volunteers from the community visit Ronaldo and 11 other clients in the community regularly.

The compromised mental state of an adult or child with mental disorder is often a source of sorrow and burden to the family. Thus, the Brothers of Charity have organised family support groups for the parents of persons with mental disorders. "In these venues, the parents find a supportive environment as they connect with others and learn that they are not alone in their care experience", says Brother Roldan (31), of the Holy Face centre. During regular monthly meetings, clients undergo follow-up psychiatric consultation at the centre, while the parents and family members are trained on home care management of clients. The community head is involved in the support group, as well as the social action arm of the local parish.

Application of the advice for the families and community is not always successful. It takes the full commitment of CBM’s partner organisation to explain and convince the family to treat the persons with mental health problems in an appropriate and humane way. This is the case with Tony Balahar, a relative of Ronaldo, who lives with his sister’s family in a cosy little home with dark green walls and a toy telephone in the living room.

Read more: The family uses a cell to lock up Tony inside