This year’s halloween in Ilog town, Negros Occidental felt different. There were still costumes, lights, and laughter, but behind it all was something meaningful and timely.
For the Youth of Iglesia Filipina Independiente (YIFI) – Parish of the Holy Child, it was a night to speak up.
On Saturday, November 1, the YIFI youth turned their annual Halloween Costume Competition into a stage for awareness.
Instead of the usual spooky themes, they used their creativity to shed light on real issues—corruption, mental health, and the rising number of rabies cases.
One of the most striking performances featured a ghostly tree, draped in a black garbage bag and covered with vines.
It looked unsettling at first, but it carried a pinch of sadness that spoke to the heart. The tree symbolized a society slowly dying under the weight of corruption and neglect, something once full of life, now buried in waste.
Another act portrayed a mother battling severe mental illness after giving birth.
It was painful to watch, but powerful in its honesty. It reflected the hidden struggles of many mothers who suffer in silence, misunderstood and left without help.
It made people see that mental health is something that happens in real homes, to real people.
Meanwhile, one participant used his costume to talk about rabies awareness.
Youth leaders believe that Halloween can be more than tales of fear — it can be about faith, the kind that dares to walk through darkness and bring out the light.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.