“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
– Margaret J. Wheatley
Humanist Alliance Philippines, International (HAPI) took part and hosted one of the talks in the first-ever Philippine Secular Summit last February 17, 2024, in Quezon City. The occasion provided a forum for the country’s largest secular groups to discuss modern secularism, free thought, and humanism-related topics.
Led by Angie Driskell, HAPI’s Chief Executive Officer, HAPI’s focus was on “The Humanist Take: Mental Health Vulnerabilities of Secular People in a Pre-Dominantly Religious Society“.
Mac Adornado, Head of the Philippine Pastafarian Church, initially approached HAPI and invited the organisation to participate in the summit. Seeing that the event’s goals aligned with HAPI’s mission and vision, HAPI eagerly asked to join.
“This was the first event of its kind and we needed to connect with others who have been fighting for the same goals as HAPI when it comes to promoting critical thinking in the Philippines,” Driskell shared.
The main concern Driskell highlighted was how the non-religious could get proper mental health care in a society that tends to stigmatise atheism and mental health.
Besides bringing up this critical point, HAPI also saw the event as a way to show solidarity with other secular organisations in the country.
The summit involved a segment wherein a panel of guests shared professional and personal stories on how religion can affect our mental health. Darren Dumaop, Chairperson of the Social Psychology Division of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, moderated this panel whilst sprinkling in his perspectives. To make the summit a safe and secure space where the participants could freely discuss their situations or experiences without judgment, it was made a closed-door event.
Atty. Luke Espiritu, human rights defender, was also invited to speak at the summit. He highlighted the effect of the religious world on a secular society in terms of mental health. Espiritu also shared his perspective on the state of the freedom of faith in the Philippines in the context of the existence of bigotry and blasphemy laws. His talk wrapped up the event perfectly.
With the success of HAPI’s talk at the Philippine Secular Summit, Driskell mentioned that the organisation has already started discussions with other participants and attendees about pursuing more events on mental health issues. This goes towards highlighting the effects of religion on non-religious people in Philippine society.
“No dates have been set yet, but we will be planning these events [very soon],” Driskell hinted.
HAPI being closely involved in the first-ever get-together of secular Filipino organisations is an honour and privilege. Events like this help us build connections, share valuable knowledge, and make us feel that we are not alone in the path of promoting secularism and humanism.
