 |
| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/PLDT/Smart Communications) |
In celebration of National Mental Health Awareness Month this May and with the global COVID-19 impact posing an extraordinary impact on today's modern world and the way we live in, PLDT and Smart Communications through their Better Today Program launched the Time Capsule Project where today's generations of changemakers and mental health advocates create capsules of self-reflection and creative expressions.
Championing mental health awareness amidst the pandemic, the Time Capsule Project empowers the youth to take a deep dive into their current mental health state by expressing their thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams through the power of art which can be done in various forms such as drawings, paintings, poetry and prose. PLDT and Smart recognize these as important and valid reflections of our time today and could serve as valuable lessons to learn in hopes of a better tomorrow. The project is among the key components of PLDT and Smart's Better Today initiative in line with their advocacy to educate and empower Filipinos towards digital well-being, family and child online safety, and youth empowerment and changemaking.
The creation of the capsules is anchored on Better Today's key narrative whch include passion and purpose, resiliency, empathy and hope. These are things that enable us to become better versions of ourselves, enabling us to cope amidst dark and uncertain times. Aside from art entries, The Time Capsule Project also features several mental health initiatives including a visual arts and writing workshop and "Better Today Conversations", a virtual storytelling series about mental health. Some of the changemakers and storytellers who will provide messages of hope are Words Anonymous, clinical experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Center for Mental Health and advocacy groups such as MentalHealthPH and Youth For Mental Health Coalition.
