CASS Holds Student Peer Facilitation Training for Mental Health

Last October 7-8, 2022 the College of Arts and Social Sciences held the CASSanayan Training Workshop entitled "CASS Peer Facilitation Training” at the Mini-Learning Commons, CASS Academic Building. The training was participated by 18 participants from the 1st and 2nd-year students from the different departments of CASS, facilitated by Student Peer Facilitators (SPFs) under and with the MSU-IIT Guidance and Counseling Center.

The training was launched with an opening remark from the CASS Assistant Dean, Prof. Sittie Noffaisah B. Pasandalan who expressed the importance of having Student Peer Facilitation Training. She emphasized that such training could greatly help the students, especially since they spent two academic years in an online learning environment. Prof. Pasandalan also explained that this training could make a great domino impact on students’ lives. “It only takes one drop of water to make a ripple,” she said. The professor also expressed her gratitude to the SPF and the Guidance and Counseling Center which facilitated the training.

During the first day, the Office of the Student Peer Facilitators (OSPF) president, Quosette C. Loquenario introduced the events and activities that were facilitated by the OSPF such as the campus tour during the MSU-IIT welcoming week held last August 22-26, 2022. Loquenario also explained the roles and responsibilities of the SPFs. “The SPFs are the arms and legs of the guidance counselors,” she said.

Tessally V. Saquin, RGC, and the adviser of the OSPF, emphasized that although SPFs are the helping hands of guidance counselors, they are not authorized to counsel students. Hence, SPFs are just mediums through whom students can vent out and ask for help in times of need.

Moreover, Saquin also lectured about “Understanding Peer Support'' which tackles the peer helping skills. Michael Alain J. Mamauag, RGC, RPm, LPT, the CASS guidance counselor, talks about “Mindfulness” which focuses on self-awareness. The COET guidance counselor, Charlane N. Gabutan, RPm, facilitated the team building activity during the first day and was followed by Sirikit U. Padate, RPsy, Rpm, the CON and CSS guidance counselor for the team building lecture.

On the last day of the training, the CED guidance counselor, Reynalou B. Lagare, RGC, RPm discussed “Connecting with Respect” which is followed by the CEBA guidance counselor, Sittie Aquisah A. Dumarpa, RGC, who facilitated the workshop activity. Hazel Metz C. Generalao, the MSU-IIT OSPF vice president then explained the SPF-CBL which contains the by-laws of the organization. Generalao explained the vision and mission of SPF and its dos and don’ts.

Finally, the training ended with the giving of certificates to the participants and speakers and sharing of the participants’ insights and learnings.

About the Author

Maan Deuda

Maan Deuda is a first-year BA Political Science student at Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). She first joined the world of journalism during her junior high school at La Salle Academy - Iligan as a news writer from 2016-2018 which helped her learn and improve her craft. Currently, Maan serves as the 1st year representative of the Political Science Society and a news writer for CASSayuran - the official publication of the College of Arts and Social Sciences of MSU-IIT.