Pesticides blamed on rising suicides in Benguet town

KIBUNGAN, Benguet – Tribal folk and officials of this chilly town are alarmed at rising suicide cases in a remote barangay with victims drinking agricultural pesticide to end their lives.

Fourteen cases of suicide among the young aged 15-24 has been recorded in this remote, chilly town last quarter of 2008 to first quarter of this year.

Prof. Ruth S. Batani, director of Benguet State University Institute of Social Research and Development bared this saying the phenomenon in Bdrangay Madaymen is alarming.

Batani has started a research on this to stop the “trend” with a paper entitled “Pansigdan: Promoting well being in Madaymen”

The research project in partnership with the Kibungan government aims to unravel reasons behind the suicide cases and find possible interventions.

“The study highlights the role of predisposing factors as influencing the commission of suicide, as well as the theory which holds that suicide is multifactorial. We won’t limit our analysis with the framing that suicide is a self-inflictive injury, said Batani.

She added there is need for all sectors to take the issue as a major health problem and not to allow it to reach a stage of “normalization” which is already very dangerous.

“Like violence, suicide goes beyond physicality; it includes assault on personhood, dignity, life values and self-worth. The effects are lasting, shown in prolonged bereavement even silence on both the family and the community of the individual who committed the act,” she added.

A BSU team to Madaymen in July and August cited factors such as alcoholism, increasing market orientation of vegetable farming, coupled with ‘product information’ and pesticide distribution from pesticide companies, to name a few, as possible factors in suicide.

Initial data also point to accessibility of pesticide as an ‘enabling factor’ that has implications to incidence of pesticide related suicides.

As the project is packaged as a research and extension effort, parallel education and group counseling sessions were conducted.

A follow-up activity program of “quality of life” in Madaymen was formulated targeting parents, youth and direct family members of suicide victims with help of Madaymen Women’s Association, local government and active engagement of the BSU’s Office of the University Extension .

The intervention program hopes to include active involvement of the municipal health unit and DSWD in follow-up activities.

Under the project, seven studies are currently being conducted by faculty members of the CAS and OSA duly endorsed and supported by the OVPRE.

These studies are: Risk and Protective Factors of Youth Suicide in Madaymen, Kibungan, Benguet by Mursha D. Gapasin & G Taag; Depression, Serotonin Level and Pesticide Exposure in Madaymen by Jean Jeanette D. Sibayan; Consequences of the Use of Inorganic Farming Inputs in Madaymen, Kibungan by Beverly Sa-ao and R. de Guzman; Suicide Encounters: Choices and Forces at Play by Ruth S. Batani and Betty C. Listino; The Curse of Commercial Vegetable Farming by Tecah Sagandoy, Stanley F. Anongos, Characterization of Soil & Soil mobility in High Input Agroecosystmes in Madaymen and Personality and Life Stress as Mediating Factors to Self-harm by Raymond Pawid. The project is funded by GAD under the office of the BSU president’s office. It’s a long term engagement and it is in partnership with community based women’s association.

The College of Agriculture Cheering Squad and the BSU-Development Communication Department recently observed World Suicide Prevention Day with a prayer rally at the BSU lawns in the capital town of La Trinidad for suicide victims particularly in Madaymen.

Aptly titled, “Panalangin Alay sa Buhay” the activity included an ash ceremony led by Development Communication Society president Ronalyn Banaken to “cheer for life” and remember a classmate who was a victim of suicide.

“This university has always shared with the farming communities their problems and sentiments, the latest of which is the sudden rise of suicide by swallowing of agricultural pesticide,: she said.

“As death rate soars to unbelievable figures claiming many young lives including some of its own students, the university is now committed in sharing with the community the responsibility of ‘putting a stop’ to this meaningless loss of lives,” reads a post at the WHO-International Association for Suicide Prevention official website.

The activity was organized to comfort bereaved families of suicide victims and to support the movement for suicide prevention nationwide and worldwide. It was supported by the Office of Student Affairs, University Public Affairs Office, Institute of Social Research and Development and ResearchMate, Inc. -- — Jennelyn S Tabangcura