Biliran Province State University (BiPSU) President, Prof. Victor C. Cañezo, Jr., EdD, CHRP, delivered a powerful message on the critical importance of mental wellness and community support during the University's recent Mental Health Celebration.

Held on October 27, 2025, at the BiPSU HAVC, the event featured an interactive workshop titled "Comfort in Connection: An Interactive Mental Wellness Workshop with Bakas". The President highlighted the celebration as a "powerful confirmation of what matters most: our mental well-being".

The President opened his address by acknowledging the tragedy of Emman Atienza’s passing, a known TV host’s 19-year-old daughter, noting that it served as a stark reminder that "mental health struggles do not discriminate by age, by status, or by social media following". He stressed that outward smiles don't always reflect inward pain.

In this context, the event's theme, "Comfort in Connection," gained heightened significance. The President underscored that while individual coping strategies are important, it is the "threads that bind each of us—empathy, listening, community, vulnerability—are what truly sustain us".

He commended the Guidance and Counseling Services Office, led by Dr. Jocelyn Caing, and the Federation of Supreme Student Councils, headed by Student Regent Hon. Prince Carl Palconit, for hosting and organizing the activity. President Cañezo asserted that their initiative reaffirms that "the care and concern for our students' mental wellness is indeed our top priority".

President Cañezo reminded the student-attendees, the "BiPSUnistas," that they are not alone in their journey. He stated that BiPSU stands for compassion and inclusivity, and that learning extends beyond classrooms and books—it happens "when we truly listen and when we make space for vulnerability and empathy".

The partnership with Bakas, co-founded by Mr. John Stephen Cornwill and Ms. Camille O. Velarde, provides tangible tools like the Comfort Cards and Comfort Journal. The President encouraged students to embrace the day with openness, urging them to be kind to themselves and even kinder to others.

"The true strength of BiPSU comes from our shared humanity," the President concluded. "When we support one another, when we choose connection over isolation, and when we turn compassion into action—that is when we truly thrive".

Before concluding, President Cañezo offered five powerful, actionable reminders for students to prioritize their mental health:

1. Pause and breathe. Give yourself permission to rest; you are human, "not a machine".
2. Reach out. Talk to a friend, mentor, or counselor. He personally added that he is "always willing to listen" as their President. Seeking help is an "act of strength and self-care," not weakness.
3. Reflect daily. Write your thoughts, draw, or pray—whatever helps process emotions.
4. Support one another. Be a gentle presence for someone struggling, as a "kind word can change a day, even a life".
5. Believe that you matter. You are defined not by grades or achievements, but by your "courage to keep showing up, to keep growing, and to keep caring".

The President expressed hope that the workshop would inspire "healing, hope, and heart", and help create a BiPSU where "mental wellness is a way of life".

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