Dr. Sheila Marie Nocson, mental health advocate Dear Meg, and Siklab 2023 host on stage at the SC Auditorium, October 17, 2023. Photo courtesy of Eduardo Nollora Jr.
In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month 2023 the Guidance, Counseling, Testing, and Placement Department (GCTAP) in collaboration with Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) Letran Psychology Society, Letran Student Council among others facilitate a roundtable discussion with guest speakers deliberating on mental health as a fundamental human right, on Tuesday, October 17 at the SC Auditorium.
The forum, titled SIKLAB: Kaalaman, Kamalayan at Karapatan sa Kalusugang Pangkaisipan is an agenda to fulfill the objective, mission, and vision of the Colegio’s GCTAP to provide professional assistance to students in dealing with their academic, socio-emotional, and career-related issues, concerns, and difficulties.
To formally start the round-table discussion, Ms. Kodi Nicole Cabacang, a 3rd year psychology student, starts the opening remarks by quoting, “Mental health must not be a privilege but a fundamental right that must be enjoyed by everybody.”
The event’s dialogue mainly revolved on the topic "Mental health as a human rights in the Philippines" with insights from guest speakers Dear Meg, a Mental Health Advocate, Dr. Sheila Marie Nocson, PH.D., RGC, RPM, LPT, CCOP, CASP, a Guidance Director of FEU, and Mr. Vincent Franklin D. Velasquez Ma. RPSY, a psychologist at Bophil Psychological Services.
Nocson highlights the interplay of technology in the mental health state in the Philippines, where negative posting and sad phishing contributes to the acceleration of mental health issues in the country.
She added three rights that must everyone have: right to free access to mental health care, safe space for everyone and right to peace.
Encouraging Youth to Support Mental Health Awareness
In the second round of the discussion, speakers were asked on how youth can participate in mental health awareness despite limited capabilities.
Dear Meg encouraged the youth to join school organizations that upheld mental health awareness and organization with social service advocacy as these scopes are wide range.
Bophil Psychologist Mr. Velasquez further stressed the importance of self-awareness, “We must encourage ourselves hindi lang basta sabihin natin but i-apply din sa ating sarili.”
Dr. Sheila Nocson advised on the students’ part of change with the sentiment, “Through right thought, make a decision to recalibrate your weakness to become your strength.”
Each speaker in agreement said youth nowadays have the tendency to change society “immediately” leading to severe issues. Mr. Velasquez says that changing cultural identity and well-being takes a long time. He advises the youth to compartmentalize, be realistic, and practice patience, boundaries, and timing.
A healthy lifestyle, self-awareness, a strong support system, and a safe place are significant for mental health awareness to prosper with “a solution is not always a talk” theory were the main key points presented in the round-table discussion.
The event concluded with the closing remarks of Senator Risa Hontiveros, who supported mental health care in the country. "Mental health matters as no community is too small or too little; each of us has the right to study, eat well, and live. Mental health is the foundation of a compassionate society," says Sen. Hontiveros.
GCTAP’s weeklong programs for mental health awareness also includes a set of talks about understanding and managing anxiety, positive psychology, utilizing pets to improve one’s mood along with an activity-based mindfulness agenda for kids among others.