Joy Lumawig-Buensalido

MUSIC has always been known to be beneficial not only for our minds and bodies but also for the soul. I always find it amazing how certain songs can bring back special memories that can immediately make us feel happy, excited or even bring a calming or soothing effect to our moods.  According to some researchers, music may even have the power to improve both our physical and mental health in various ways.

I LOVE movies, and I’ve always dreamed of writing a film script. For many years when I was already in the practice of public relations and communications, my secret wish was to venture into the field of screenwriting, but I did not know how to start. With my background in broadcast communication and research, plus having written several books, it seemed to me that film making was another field of communication that I could aspire to learn about. I had actually considered taking up short film courses abroad but I never got around to doing it because of my ever busy work schedules.

“May you always live in interesting times.”

On the first weekend of June, when we had barely recovered from the spate of toxic disinformation and fake news spawned by the election season, a close friend asked me if the “warning” she got from her Viber group was true. The text follows:

THE country’s recently concluded 2022 national elections turned out to be such an intense and emotionally charged democratic exercise that the results had a severe and deeply personal impact on a great number of people.

THE need for communication and staying connected emerged as the most dominant need during the pandemic. People who were stuck at home or were isolated from socializing remained glued to their phones because they all needed to reach out to others. Businesses that were not prepared to close or to be suspended for an extended period had to find means to reach out to its audiences in the most convenient and economical way.

IN an online mass last year, I remember the priest saying in his homily: “In a crisis, you become either chaotic or creative.”

SIXTEEN months into the pandemic, so much in our lives has drastically changed. Traditions have been put on hold and common habits and practices have been severely altered—for good or for ill. Why, even dealing with personal losses—ours and those of people we love—has been reduced to stoic acceptance. We can no longer hug or hold hands during such times of upheaval and grief. These days, we must be content with reaching out to the bereaved across the digital space, hoping that offering our sympathies on social media will suffice.