When Sen. Pia Cayetano's emotional outburst during a senate session last May made headlines, it was for the wrong reasons. People were quick to make fun of her “walang nangamusta sa amin” lament, turning it into memes and even social media events of “Kamustahin si Sen. Pia Cayetano.” Seen from a bigger picture, maybe the lady lawmaker who was just then coming from a stressful situation—staged or not, hearing gunfire is never not stressful—was pointing to something bigger here.

Before diving into all of that, best not to anger Filipino grammarians. It is worth pointing out that grammatically, the correct word to use is “kumusta” and not “kamusta” (‘Kumusta’ comes from the Spanish ‘Cómo estás?,’ meaning ‘How are you?’). Both the Komisyun sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) Diksiyonario ng Wikang Filipino and Diksiyonaryo.ph note that the correct spelling is with a “u” as in “kumusta” and not with an “a” as in “kamusta.”

As with any language, however, words evolve. Practice can often deviate from theory, and the more common use of “kumusta” has turned into its letter “a” variant, making “kamusta” acceptable in more informal, conversational settings.

But back to the senators. Now that the Philippine Senate has regained a sense of normalcy, it becomes tempting to ask, “Kumusta naman kayo?” It’s a question that should be asked not just of the esteemed members of the Senate but regularly to anyone you care for.

According to a “Mind Health Report” published earlier this year by a global insurance and assets management firm in partnership with an international research firm, some 31 percent of Filipinos describe their mental wellbeing as “languishing,” with 72 percent of young people reportedly in a state of sadness or loneliness.

While the figures are alarming, the reasons may not be so. Despite climbing the ranks of the latest global happiness index (with the Philippines up from 57th last year to 56th this year), the majority of Filipinos have continued to experience challenges particularly with high living costs and the question of job security plaguing many.

Furthermore, Filipinos have a habit of not speaking plainly, often disguising their mental states behind a simple “Okay lang” whenever asked, “Kumusta ka?” This tendency to feign being alright further strains what may already be a stressed mental state.

Maybe most Filipinos just do not know how to respond to such a question. Or perhaps most do not know who to talk to.

Access to mental health professionals is severely limited, despite the Philippines having had a Mental Health law (R.A. 11036) since 2018. According to the same study, the ratio of psychologists in the country is at 1:200,000. For every 200,000 Filipinos, there is one psychologist. For psychiatrists, it is even worse, at 1:1,000,000. It is no surprise, therefore, that a number of Filipinos have resorted to asking artificial intelligence (AI) for help, going to chatbots for therapy and counseling.

So the next time someone asks you “Kumusta ka?,” it may not be such a bad idea to speak about your feelings as honestly as the situation may require. After all, checking up on people should not just be smalltalk. Who knows, a genuine “kumusta” may be someone’s much needed break from the everyday stresses of life.