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II. Summary of the Script

The story begins with an overview of the current status of mental health in the Philippines,

with adolescents in particular. This is followed by the introduction of Jan, a sucessful director and

playwright, back when he was an adolescent. This is the story of how his circumstances and

decisions in life led to what he is now today.

A 12-year-old Jan who is currently listening to her mother talk about the physical and

emotional changes that he will undergo as he enters puberty is shown in the first scene. Brushing

off her mother’s remarks regarding puberty, Jan continues his life as an outsanding grade 7 student

with a talent in threatrical acting. Because of his achievements, his parents constantly bragged him

to other family members for they had pride in their son. They firmly believed in Jan’s capabilities

to the point that his father always expected a lot from him, which was fine with Jan back then.

However, as he grew older, he realized they had different perspectives in life: his father wanted

him to pursue a degree in the scientific field while Jan wanted to pursue the theatrical path with

hopes of becoming a playwright in the future. To Jan’s dismay, he had to follow what his father

wanted since he also knew that becoming a doctor would surely benefit them financially,

something which they badly needed to support her ill mother.

As Jan enters college as a Nursing student, he finds himself in a new environment

surrounded with people whom he does not know. For the first time in his life, he is scared of not
being able to fit in. Still, he tried gave his utmost effort to his studies. He would spend hours and

hours memorizing every single bone in the body only to find himself not being able to perform

exceptionally well inside the classroom like he used to. Jan was slowly feeling incompetent, self-

conscious, and doubts filled his mind. This vicious cycle in his college life continued until one

night, Jan woke up from a dream where his mother was playing with him with a sock puppet. Once

again, he was reminded of his repressed dreams of becoming a playwright. Seeing himself in his

nursing uniform, he blames his father for not being able to pursue what he wants in life. Because

of this, Jan starts to take part in unhealthy activities such as smoking, drinking, and excessive

partying. He was living an unhealthy life. The once determinated Jan was now missing his classes

intentionally only to go out with his new friends. As he continues this process

One night while walking home from a party, Jan receives a call from his mother saying

that she is worried for Jan since he does not visit her frequently anymore. Without knowing what

Jan is currently doing, her mother reminds Jan to take care of himself and to call his father more

often. Drunk and sleep deprived that time, Jan was not able to answer properly and instead, he just

hang up the phone after her mother finished talking.

e the circle of life for Jan back when he was in junior high school until the first semester

of senior high. Everything was perfect until he was confronted with one of the biggest decisions

that he will make in life as an adolescent: choosing a degree and a university. Naturally, his parents

expected him to choose a degree related to the field of science or mathematics but for Jan, he had

another thought in mind. He wanted to pursue a theatrical career for he wanted to become a

playwright in the future. As expected, people around Jan expected a lot from him, and while the
deadline of the college application forms were coming, Jan also felt the intense pressure that his

family, teachers, and peers were exerting on him. Jan was frustrated. Fast-

The story begins with the narrator telling a storyline of how an achiever and goal-driven adolescent

named Jan who turned into someone opposite of who he was as he struggles the phase of Identity

vs Role Confusion. Succession of problems (such as he being an adolescent undergoing major

physical, cognitive & socioemotional changes and too much pressure coming from his family,

peers and himself) begin to occur as he was to begin his college life. As the story progresses, Jan

learns how to grip the situation he was in, together with the role of his community which

contributed in establishing a healthy and beautiful individual. Jan eventually have learned the

efficiency of communication as what once lack in their family. Likewise, he have found time to

engage himself with religious activities once in a while as his way of self - reflection and soothing.

With that, he was able to overcome his own demons and have established his own foundation at

present, which aims to offer counselling for students who have lost the path their taking and at the

same time encourage them to follow what they want to pursue in life.