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Filipino student’s short story tackling mental health picked for literary prize in UK

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Josiah Antonio, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/02/18/christian-andrei-laplap.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Photo from Christian Andrei Laplap</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — A 21-year-old psychology student from University of the Philippines Cebu was recently recognized at the 2020 Hammond House International Literary Prize based in United Kingdom for his short story about mental health.</p><p>Christian Andrei Laplap&#x27;s &quot;The Oddity That Is Them&quot; was one of the entries picked for publishing in the annual Hammond House anthologies due for release early this year.</p><p>Laplap&#x27;s story revolves around two protagonists caught in a chance encounter along a sidewalk.</p><p>Both of them are saddled with emotional baggage, and when they bump into one another they find that their traumas still persisted. </p><p>Laplap said he wanted to highlight the value of taking care of one&#x27;s mental health, and meaningful, life-changing conversations amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. </p><p>&quot;We need to talk about it. COVID-19, the economic recession, loss of income, social isolation, and loss of access to coping resources has affected the mental state of so many people, the breadth of mental health issues seems to still be under-recognized,&quot; he told ABS-CBN News in an interview. </p><p>&quot;As a writer, I can do my part by writing about it with the hopes of spreading awareness.&quot;</p><p>He also has advice to people struggling with mental health. </p><p>&quot;No matter what you are going through, no matter how small, it is still valid despite how other people may make it seem. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, don&#x27;t be afraid to talk about it,&quot; Laplap said.</p><p>People from different age groups and social classes have become more vulnerable to mental health problems, one psychologist has said, as the coronavirus crisis continues in the Philippines. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/10/09/20/filipinos-how-to-cope-with-anxiety-depression-covid19-coronavirus-lockdown-pandemic-fatigue">7 months into lockdown, how can Filipinos recover from pandemic fatigue?</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iGmvgHUBgNM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Christian Andrei Laplap's "The Oddity That Is Them" was one of the entries picked for publishing in the annual Hammond House anthologies due for release early this year.</p>

Christian Andrei Laplap's "The Oddity That Is Them" was one of the entries picked for publishing in the annual Hammond House anthologies due for release early this year.

Filipino student’s short story tackling mental health picked for literary prize in UK

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Filipino student’s short story tackling mental health picked for literary prize in UK

Josiah Antonio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 19, 2021 03:00 AM PHT

Read More:

mental health

COVID-19

coronavirus

pandemic fatigue

UP

UP Cebu

Hammond House Publishing

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