MANILA, Dec. 1, 2012 —More than the usual fire and brimstone on “telling the truth” and “open communication”, Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon’s advice to young people who hide their romantic relationships from their parents is quite simple – believe that your parents love you.
Bishop Joel Baylon
“For the most part, our parents love us more than we know…more than, perhaps, we care to consider,” Bishop Baylon, who also chairs the CBCP – Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY), said in an interview.
He explained how young people often forget the unshakable love and concern parents have for their children – something that, when remembered, will move young people to open up to their parents about sensitive topics like love and relationships.
Bishop Baylon said it is easy for the youth to see the more negative side of their parents.
“Kasi kung minsan nakikita lang natin, ‘yung mali nila (Because, sometimes, what we see are their mistakes),” he explained.
Parental communication, then and now
Bishop Baylon, who is now on his second term as ECY chairman-bishop, also explained how things have changed since his days as a youth with regard to communication between parents and their kids.
“Young people now, we are very articulate. ‘Di tulad noon, ‘Huwag kang magsasalita kung hindi ka kinakausap (Not like before, ‘Don’t talk when you’re not being spoken to’). Ngayon hindi na pwede ‘yan (The same thing can’t apply now) and I’m sure parents have already acknowledged that,” he explained.
Bishop Bong, as people in youth ministry fondly call him, seems to be intuitively in step with the sentiments of modern young Pinoys.
Statistics compiled by the Salesians of Don Bosco indicate that young Filipinos consider the family as a very important aspect in their life.
A Salesian website quotes the findings of a National Survey on Youth by the National Statistics Office, which discovered that 98% of young Filipinos consider “Having good marriage and family life” as the most important aspect in their life.
Specifically, according to the survey, young Pinoys get the most personal satisfaction from “the way we get along with our parents”. [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
