Article grabbed from DepEd Fort Del Pilar National High School
More Than a Center, A Place That C.A.R.E.S
Care begins when we listen, courage grows when we speak, and healing becomes possible when we reach out. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Care Center of Fort Del Pilar National High School launches C.A.R.E. in Every Story: Compassionate Action, Resilience, and Empathy, a program that promotes mental health awareness, encourages healthy help-seeking behaviors, and reminds learners that support is always within reach.
The initiative began with a Freedom Wall just outside the Care Center, providing learners with a space to express their thoughts and feelings. This was followed by a mental health knowledge-sharing session with resource speaker Ms. Daphne E. Zaparita of the University of the Cordilleras Guidance Services and Wellness Center. During the session, she emphasized the importance of open conversations about mental health, the role of the community in fostering a supportive environment, and the importance of caring for our own well-being.
Together, Ma’am Stephanie Pogongan, School Counselor Associate of the Care Center, and the RESET Club, a student-led club under the Care Center guided by Ma’am Mary Angeli Fiangaan, continue to foster a welcoming space where learners can feel heard, supported, and understood.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, let us make mental health a conversation to be shared, not a struggle to be hidden. May we continue to choose compassion, listen without judgment, and remind one another that asking for help is okay.
To those who continue to help other when they need help themselves, you are seen, you are heard, and you matter.
