Promoting mental wellness, acceptance, and community support in the workplace during the month of love with the Center for Counselling and Student Development.
Written by Director Leny Estacio, CCSD
In the fast-changing landscape of modern higher education, the University of Baguio (UB) Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) office spearheaded the promotion of a compassionate campus culture where student well-being is seen as a shared responsibility and a pre-requisite to student success.
The Love and Wellness 2026 whole month celebration in February was anchored on the theme: #BeInvolved: Subscribed to Mental Health Awareness and Advocacies 2.0. The kick-off was a series of podcasts which served as a digital outreach designed to meet UBians within their own space. Through the Love and Wellness Podcast Series 2.0, a digital sanctuary was created which featured accessible and expert-led mental health advocates. The podcast series also showcased varied topics to cater to the specific groups of the student population: children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), academic scholars, students with special needs, student parents, and non-academic scholars.
The “Wednesdays with CCSD” Initiative on the other hand promoted the importance of “Holding Space”. The deliberate move to make the CCSD services visible and accessible at the UB Campo Manes was designed to address the stigma associated with seeking help and to normalize help-seeking within the daily student experience.
Then to conclude the whole month event, the Love and Wellness Booth Fair 2026 was facilitated.
The finale was a collaborative masterpiece between the CCSD and the Student Supreme Council (SSC), which transformed the Centennial Hall into a vibrant hub of advocacy under the comprehensive theme: #Subscribed to the CCSD L-Series: #BeInvolved – Subscribed to Mental Health Awareness & Advocacies 2.0. More so, the fourteen school-featured booths encouraged the participants to navigate the fair activities at their own pace, fostering a culture of openness and accessibility. An added highlight during the fair was the open-mic where the UBians students were given the opportunity to display their talents.
Apart from the institutional activities, the different CCSD units also facilitated mini-activities which were specifically mapped-out for their student population. Unit-based showcased activities were mini-online games, contests for digital arts, short films, and card-making.
The Love and Wellness Month Celebration 2026 provided a unified strategy to foster student success: podcasts, localized engagement at the Campo Manes, collaborative booth fair and mini-activities. Through the varied strategies, not only is support to the realization of SDG 3.8 target made visible, but the University of Baguio also reaffirmed its commitment to a school environment where each learner does not walk alone in their educational journey.
