The Public Herald
The official student publication of UP College of Public Health.
Humans of Lara
“Humans of Lara” are short reads that aim to showcase commendable individuals who continue to inspire the College of Public Health community. They are pieced together by The Public Herald feature writers from sit-down interviews with the featured individual who was highly recommended by the CPH students. Although these articles are not written by the “Humans of Lara” themselves, rawness and connection are maintained through quotes extracted directly from the interviews.
#2 - Ronald Del Castillo, PsyD, MSc, MPH
Transcript by: Dayne Gonzales and Raeann Mariano
Photo by: Mariel Capuno
May 31, 2020
Dr. Ronald Del Castillo, fondly known by the students as "Doc DC", served as an associate professor of the Department of Health Policy and Administration at the College of Public Health for 5 years. A graduate, clinical resident, and fellow of several prestigious universities such as Fordham University, Palo Alto University/Stanford University School of Medicine PsyD Consortium, Harvard Medical School, Tufts University and University of California, Los Angeles, he is a clinical psychologist and an advocate for community-based mental health, especially for Sikolohiyang Pilipino. Dr. Del Castillo is the principal investigator of the Diwa Mental Health Survey, a study on the mental health of university students in the Philippines.
As Dr. Del Castillo bids farewell to the halls of the university, we wish him success on his future endeavors. Thank you for your service, Doc DC!
I was a shy kid growing up. I was sort of always by myself, usually reading. At a young age, though I had friends in my school, I would often go home early since I was not one to play with the neighborhood kids. However, in 7th Grade, I joined the speech team where we often engaged in competitions. It turns out, I was pretty good at it. Eventually, I became the district’s speaker of the year. For a shy and timid kid, that was a big deal for me because it showed me that not only can I speak, but also that my own personal voice matters. I see this experience as a start—I make sure that I leave my mark in everything I do, even up to this day. This includes how I try to put together the art of writing, the joy of speaking, and the empiricism of science in a way that is both accessible and engaging.
When I decided at one point to be a clinical psychologist, I had to train and spend several late nights reviewing clinical cases. I was often tired. I ate as healthy as I could and talked to my family and friends as often as possible, and basically just did what I needed to do to take care of myself. Like others, I believed that my happiness was directly connected to my external world. So long as I was producing and delivering, I would be more successful, and if I'm more successful, then I'd be happier. One day, things started falling apart. I just started crying in my room like I've never cried before. I decided to see a therapist while I was in Boston and this took about 8 to 9 months of figuring out what was going on with me. I knew that talking to my family and friends would be helpful, but it was not going to be enough. Seeing a therapist was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I don't see this problem as something that I overcame. I believe that we don't overcome struggles—we sort of carry them wherever we go, and I think overtime, we learn how to carry the struggle a little bit better, but it doesn't ever go away.
Trying to figure out how you want to make your mark in the world, I think, is also another kind of struggle, as well as one of life’s questions. On the one hand, I think it’s helpful to acknowledge that trying to figure out what you want versus what your family and society want is part of life. However, you’re not the only one going through that struggle, and it’s a normal part of growing up. Our dreams change over time. I mean, who says that the dream has to be settled? Why can’t it be an ongoing dream? Our dreams can evolve. They can change. With this, it’s important to also acknowledge that it’s okay not to know, and it’s okay to try things—because the bigger struggle is doing something you’re really not into. In terms of career, you want to find something that is both meaningful to you and enjoyable. That’s part of the struggle, and I think for me, at the core of it, is an ongoing self-reflection. One should always be critical and ask, “Is this right for me? Is this meaningful for me?”
However, even if we have to carry on with our struggles, it doesn’t mean that we have to suffer while doing it. There's a quote by Virgilio Enriquez, one of the fathers of Filipino psychology, that I find meaningful—“There is no evidence whatsoever that suffering is a necessary ingredient of the Filipino worldview.” Now don’t get me wrong, I believe in hard work. Hard work got me to where I am, but future happiness cannot reimburse misery now. This means that if you expect to be happy in the future and you believe that happiness will make up for the suffering here and now, it will not work. I have a hard time believing that the suffering we are going through now will be made up by happiness in the future. My question is, why can’t we have happiness now?
I will not accept suffering. We cannot possibly alleviate the suffering of our fellow Filipinos if we tolerate it for ourselves. We need, instead, to insist on asking a deeper question—"Do our institutions care about our human dignity and capabilities?". At the end of the day, for me, institutions are about human relationships. I bring my stuff, and you bring your stuff, so let’s work together. That’s true in intimate relationships, in friendships, and work relationships. At the end of the day, the institution is not a building, it’s about people. An institution is made of people. If I’m the only one bringing my stuff, and your stuff sucks, then I need to bring my stuff elsewhere!
#1 - Harvey Domingo, PTRP, MSPH
Transcript by: Charlene Catral & Iverson Abellaneda
Photo by: Mariel Capuno
January 12, 2020
“Ang gusto ko naman talagang course in life is maging chef and go into the culinary arts.” — I was thinking of something that would prove helpful for the students. It got me thinking to share my experiences during college when I part-timed in a fast food chain. I want to emphasize the advantage of work-experience during college since not everyone is able to do it. I was the only one in my batch, as far as I know, that worked part-time during my college years. After graduation, most of my classmates had a difficult time because they didn't know what to do during that “life after college” phase. In college, they don't teach you life skills. Certain life skills are needed in order to be equipped in applying for PhilHealth, SSS, and the like. In contrast, I had all the necessary requirements to start my career after graduation. This became my stepping stone into garnering easier access to employment. My former classmates had no idea where to go or what to do and thus, I became the source of information for my colleagues.
Since I was a child, I had always dreamed of working in a fast food chain such as Jollibee or McDonalds. I actually thought it was every child’s dream. Life led me to a different path, however, when it brought me to U.P. where I graduated as a physical therapist. While I was still a freshman, my mom, knowing of my interest in working at a fast food chain, found a mass hiring post at this one branch in Cubao. I felt nervous given that I had no prior experience in conducting any hands-on work and learning that the other applicants were already working students within the same age group as I was. After getting accepted, I had a 2-week training period where they instilled in us the basic skills needed to become a fast food crew member. Every crew member was required to know how to clean tables and chairs, take out the trash, and segregate them. It was truly a fruitful experience that made me realize how important and valuable hard labor is. It was also a very humbling experience since these are individuals we take for granted. “Sinusungitan ng tao kapag matagal or wala pa yung order. Alam mo yon, mahirap siyang trabaho lalo na dahil tinitiis mo yung criticisms galing sa customers dahil sa customer first policy”. It has become a habit of mine to practice CLAYGO [Clean As You Go] where my primary goal is to ease the labor work of the fast food crew. I find it to be a good practice to clean my table after eating. With a minimum wage of 43 pesos per hour, I was able to work 4 to 8 hours a day for 2 whole months during the summer before second year. My first paycheck was really the most fulfilling moment of my life since it helped me appreciate the difficult tasks fast food workers constantly experience.
Those two months during my freshman summer were perhaps the most eventful stretch of weeks in my life. I made friends with the people I worked with, I got my first paycheck, and I unveiled a new lesson about service. Working behind the cash register of the country’s top player in the fast food business made me realize two things. Firstly, you’ll get to be in a quiet journey of self-discovery amid your job’s noisy background of preset societal stereotypes. I learned from my managers that I was boxed in a cashier position because they see me as traditionally effeminate, a perfect fit for what one “normally” expects from a fast food cashier. It was a tough pill to swallow that diving into the real world meant continually combating harmful notions that are so hardened into society’s hearts. Secondly, I learned that a little compassion from customers goes a long way. After all, each one of us is just a victim of the rat race commissioned by this oppressive and capitalistic system. A job that required me to plaster a smile on my face even at my dimmest days taught me how to get a grip of my character and let my work ethic sail me through the day. Eventually, however, summer had to end and my parents were stern on making me quit so I could focus on my studies. With a heavy heart, I swallowed my mouthful of bargains, returned my crew uniform, and with a frown, walked away from a job I really loved.
Three years flew by and the next thing I knew, I had a sablay gracing the contours of my chest. “Physical Therapist na pala ako.” College was a long and dizzy ride along life’s highest highest and lowest lows, though it merits another story for another day. I too had my fair share of moments of frustrations, chewed fingernails, battle scars and all. Like you, I had times when tears rushed down my face because I did not feel like my efforts would amount to anything. Though I had to fight my wars everyday, I never gave up. “Sayang ang energy na magpakastress sa mga bagay,” so I just smiled and went on. After college though, little did I know that taking a teaching position in the College of Public Health to jumpstart my professional life would eventually be one of the best choices I ever made. It was finally the perfect chance for me to give back to my community, as well as support my adult life. Living alone now, I suddenly had to do everything by myself, from bills to house management. I still cook hearty meals as a tribute to my culinary dreams and occasionally eye culinary schools, but I am generally happy with my life now. With all my heart I can say, I am happily waddling through the dreaded adulthood.
Perhaps in hindsight, my greatest takeaway was that the things you endured before will eventually mould you to be the fighter you are now. If it weren’t for my short-lived fast food stint, I would not have had the communication and people-centered service skills I currently treat as my asset in my present job. If it weren’t for my tough college life, I wouldn’t have been able to realize how much of an overlooked luxury education is. If it weren’t for my time behind the cash register, I wouldn’t have been able to view this anti-poor capitalistic system in such a compelling manner. Perhaps it’s these things that made me who I am—tough, patient, and itching to reach my dreams. Unlike mine, maybe your struggles in college will not exist in your adult life. But remember, whatever this mess called life throws at you, you have the UP advantage—a premium in your credibility and the hunger to take the world by storm. It was not easy but with the help of my supportive friends and the man whom I love, I was able to turn my life around and offer myself to the community as a person working towards self-actualization.