Sensitive Content: Discussions on Mental Health

SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon (PIA) -- Just weeks before his college graduation in 2023, Dominic (name changed) was having an anxiety attack.

His closest friends were so worried that they took him to their school guidance counselor, where he introduced himself under the alias of John de Leon.

“He was so afraid of the stigma of professional counseling that he used a false name,” said his friend from Casiguran in the province of Sorsogon, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

During the Kapihan sa PIA forum held at SM City Sorsogon, Ma. Pamela Sorra-Viñas, an education supervisor at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), stated that the CHED was aware of the stigma that students like Dominic face when seeking help for emotional distress.

To address this concern, CHED has established alternative ways for students to connect with psycho-social experts without publicly disclosing their treatment, according to Viñas. 

While replying to letters and other forms of communication is required of government officials and employees under RA 6713 (the Code of Ethics and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees), CHED also considers correspondence an effective means of delivering mental health services to students in need, she added.

Another way that has been adopted by CHED is teleconsultation.

Viñas said guidance counselors are accessible to any student in need of counseling through online video calls.

“Yung role ng guidance counselor ay napakalaki para sa isang school pero yung mga estudyante karamihan sa kanila ay parang hindi ready na pumasok sa guidance office para makipag usap sa guidance counselor,” she said. (The guidance counselor has an important role in a school but most of the students seem reluctant to  visit the guidance office to talk to the guidance counselor.)

“Kung gusto nyo na walang mukha, walang pangalan ang iyong sulat, magsasabi lang kayo na e withhold ang pangalan nyo (If you want your letter to be faceless, nameless, just state that your name is withheld),” Viñas said.

For those who want to avail themselves of counseling services from CHED email chedro5@ched.gov.ph. (PIA5/Sorsogon)