27/09/2026
𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯𝗼
As an Administrative Officer, serving as a Psychometrician, Ms. Abigail Jacobo works with some of the city’s most vulnerable residents—older persons at Bahay Kalinga, children who have experienced abuse and neglect at Bahay Aruga, women seeking refuge at the Women Wellness and Crisis Center, and children in conflict with the law and children at risk at Bahay Pag-Asa.
Her days are rarely the same. Since she is currently the only psychometrician serving the centers, she follows a schedule that allows her to provide psychological services across different facilities. She conducts psychological assessments, individual check-ins, self-care lectures, therapeutic and recreational activities, and works closely with social workers. When clients show signs of severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other conditions requiring psychiatric intervention, she coordinates referrals to specialists in institutions such as the National Center for Mental Health and Philppine General Hospital.
But for Abigail, the work goes beyond assessment and referral.
Many of the people she meets have experienced things they never asked for—abuse, neglect, exploitation, trauma, and loss. Some struggle with low self-esteem. Some find it difficult to speak about what happened to them. And sometimes, the stories are heavy enough that Abigail finds herself carrying them home.
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘬𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘺. 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯, 𝘬𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯, 𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘯.”
Yet amid the difficult stories, she has also found something that continues to inspire her: resilience.
She has seen people who, despite everything they have gone through, still find a reason to hope. She remembers clients who remain positive despite painful experiences, and whose faith remains strong even during the moments when they themselves seem to have lost hope.
“𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥, 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢 𝘬𝘰 𝘱𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢. 𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘥𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘢, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘯 𝘱𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯, 𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘸 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘱 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘥𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯. 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦.”
For Abigail, rehabilitation is not simply about helping someone recover from a difficult experience. It is about helping them regain confidence, rebuild their lives, and rediscover their ability to hope.
That is why psychological care is only one part of the support provided in the centers. Alongside social work and mental health services, clients are given access to education, medical care, basic needs, and livelihood activities—from sewing to baking—because healing does not happen in one conversation or one assessment.
She also knows that healing should not stop inside the centers.
Outside the facilities, Abigail provides mental health awareness activities in communities and schools, particularly after distressing events. She works with social workers on initiatives such as anti-bullying prevention and community-based mental health programs.
And for those who may be struggling silently, she has one simple message:
“𝘏𝘶𝘸𝘢𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘺𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘪. 𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘨-𝘪𝘪𝘴𝘢. 𝘓𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.”
Her message is simple: be kind.
“𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩,” Abigail says. For her, kindness also means thinking before we speak, especially online, and being careful about the things we choose to share.
After listening to so many difficult stories, perhaps that is one thing Abigail has come to understand more deeply: everyone carries something we may not see.
And sometimes, 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣.
