By: Delaila Irma T. Calindas, Project Technical Staff II

The Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED-CAR), through its UniFAST Unit, successfully concluded the 2024 SEEDLING Project series—Skills Enhancement, Engagement, and Development: A Learning Intervention to Nurture Grantees—on November 14, 2024. This final session, attended by 216 participants, focused on the timely topic, “Mental Health Awareness: An Essential Leadership Skill.”

Dr. Ed Michael Putiz, Medical Officer IV of the National Center for Mental Health, served as the featured speaker. He addressed the importance of mental health awareness as a vital leadership skill for both student leaders and aspiring leaders. In his talk, Dr. Putiz explored various psychological dimensions of mental health, including self-image, sense of purpose, resilience, and productivity. He underscored that while stress is an unavoidable part of life, learning to manage it effectively can help individuals better cope with life’s demands and challenges.

Dr. Putiz also discussed the concept of resilience—how it can be developed through the ability to adapt to and thrive amidst difficult life circumstances. He shared practical coping strategies that participants could use to improve their mental well-being and support others in doing the same.

The session concluded with an engaging open forum, where participants had the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from Dr. Putiz on managing mental health for themselves and their peers. The webinar provided valuable insights on how mental health awareness can shape effective leadership and create a positive environment for personal and academic growth.

The SEEDLING Project, led by the CHED-CAR UniFAST Unit with the support of its visionary Regional Director, Dr. Demetrio P. Anduyan Jr., is a learning and development initiative of CHED-CAR to support the student-grantees. Since its launch in 2022, the project has conducted 20 episodes, reaching nearly 3,000 student-grantees and equipping them with essential skills for their academic and personal growth.