# data[].attributes.body
Kanlungan's implementation was one of the most unforgettable project I've ever worked on. It helped us to know more about the situation they were in. Not only did the subject matter teach me something, but it also made me realize how important it is to address this lived reality that women and children faced.

The week before the webinar was the item that struck me the most during the implementation.  We did not expect the events that had happened during the implementation week.  We undervalued the relevance and importance of our effort, assuming that it would only reach only a small amount of participants and engagement in our social media accounts. That day, I realized how essential our advocacy was, which is why so many people wanted to be a part of it and the personal messages we’ve received on our page after the event. Aside from that, I was struck by how many participants contributed their personal experiences in the evaluation form. Many students experienced harassment as a result of their studies. This reaffirmed the importance of our advocacy.

Moreover, there were conflicting feelings during the week-long implementation period. First and foremost, I am overwhelmed because many people expressed their gratitude for being included in the webinar. It makes me happy to know that our initiative helped so many people. Moreover, the amount of participants who openly shared their experiences really made me think about the weight and true value of our advocacy. As initially said, there were participants who spoke about their own personal experiences. When we invited them to leave a message to the organizers on the assessment form, some of them revealed their stories. I felt terrible for them because they had to go through so much. Finally, I'm concerned because I know that our advocacy work must not end here.

As a future mental health practitioner and a graduating Psychology student involved in this advocacy, I am reminded of how important it is to listen and take action to aid people in practically any situation. It is crucial, especially when dealing with issues such as harassment, to have sufficient knowledge and understanding before confronting them. Even while addressing or referring to them, one should exercise extreme caution when using language. Therefore, I believe that this Ignatian Advocacy may be an invitation for me to reconsider my aspirations to pursue a career in psychology in the future. In this, I should use my future vocation to share my knowledge and care for people who are in need. To put it another way, this advocacy is a taste of what I'll have to do in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
I’ve been dreaming of the time that  I will apply my chosen course and my soon-to-be career in a real-world setting—out from the limited corners of my room, using all my acquired lessons as a psychology student and a Jesuit education product.

This dream has been achieved virtually because of our advocacy. Although the event could have been better in a face-to-face set up, it was still a successful and impactful one. The notable thing that caught my attention during the implementation phase has to be the number of participants and their level of engagement. The reason is the unfortunate event that our webinar is scheduled simultaneously among different webinars and because of our topic; stress management. This topic has been very clichéd and, most of the time, misused by people. However, the number of people who have shown interest in the webinar indicates that there is still something to unravel and understand profoundly.

Stress can be very complex, but it is a wear and tear of life. Thus, being able to help people address this phenomenon using stress coping styles and techniques is very fulfilling and has remained in my heart and mind now. It was as if we were called to do this—to respond using our means—for the common good. I feel very overwhelmed because I can say that I was a part of advocacy with Ignatian values embedded into it. Thus, it is comparable to the Adduvocacy we had during my senior high school years in Ateneo because we are limited to creating one-minute videos; instead, we have honest feedback and conversations from our participants.

With that being said, as a graduating student and a future professional, I am very hopeful and confident to leave the academe. I will be bringing in the idea that I can impact others—that I can work in groups, and most significantly, I can do things for the greater glory of God.

# data[].attributes.body
Our project aims to distribute information on sex education and help them access and educate them how to use contraceptives in davao city. what strike me the most is that all of people still lack knowledge about the uses and type of contraceptives. By that a lot of people my age are pregnant and does not have right knowledge on birth control pill and emergency pills.

# data[].attributes.body
Being part of this mental health awareness webinar, as our Ignatian advocacy, was the highlight of my college experience. This experience will stay with me, and I am so proud and motivated by the people I work with. I am satisfied by the way this webinar has educated the youth about mental health. What I've learned from this advocacy is that raising mental health awareness will improve the country's conditions, making it a happier and safer place for the youth. A variety of factors can increase one's risk of developing mental illness, but what matters most is our response, compassion, and understanding. Thus, I believe that the more space we allow for people to be understood, the better off we'll all be.

# data[].attributes.body
The implementation phase was indeed a stressful phase throughout the project timeline; but the good kind of stress. I’ve learned a lot of things while working on the project but the one that struck me the most is how many people are willing to participate in our advocacy. It made me realize that although the stigma on children’s mental health is still present, we are halfway there in ending the stigma. I already know that there is hope but it made me happier to know that there really is hope. It inspired me to continue doing things that could end the stigma on mental health especially on children even in little ways.

# data[].attributes.body
Our project focuses on distributing information on sex education and access and use of contraceptives in Davao City and what really caught my attention is realizing how little information we are given in our Health and Education classes or in our Sex Ed seminars. We're only introduced to Sexually Transmitted Infections, abstinence, using condoms, and only that. While my groupmates and I were in our researching phase in order to make our booklet, this made me even more passionate about giving out this information in public to targeted populations because only a few people know and understand other contraceptive options. This information could lessen the cases of unwanted and unintended pregnancies in Davao City, and the knowledge could be passed on for generations to come. This made me feel like we could actually make a change and help solve the current issues of the city. This sparked interest in distributing more than we planned to distribute, maybe not even just for this subject, but even after we graduate. Once I graduate and become a professional, I'd have more influence, connection, and resources to further this advocacy and make bigger changes.

# data[].attributes.body
I’m never one to participate in extracurricular activities as I would rather spend my time doing things that interest me. I was much more of an academic person. However, my time in Ateneo has given me an avenue to goad me out of my comfort zone. Ranging from Love Sundays to immersing myself in one with communities, I found myself achieving fulfillment and content in giving and helping others. The last lap of my college years came and now, I am immersed in helping others through delivering our Ignatian Advocacy.

Back then we really had no idea what we could do for our Ignatian Advocacy. However, we as a group, meticulously brainstormed ideas and found a common ground that stands with what we want to teach and give forth to those who are in need. Thus, the “Would It Work For Me” webinar was born out of our collective ideals.

I was assigned to the Communications Committee, where we had to look for possible participants to join our webinar. Fortunately, we were able to gather a lot of potential delegates. The main theme that our Ignatian Advocacy centers on is the curation of a personal stress management. As students who are taking up Psychology, stress is a construct that is not unique to us. We have gathered literature that deals with effective stress management, and yet we have come to a realization that what triggers stress is relative from one to another. From this realization, stress management techniques, albeit evidence-based, are relative from one person to another.

Our target population were undergraduate students. The reasoning behind this was the notion of how online classes have given a rise to stress levels to this specific population. Ranging from internal stressors such as ruminating thoughts to external stressors such as noise within the household.

The event day came and we were all nervous. All our efforts had been put to the maximum level to ensure the success of the webinar. Fortunately, the entire duration of it was smooth-sailing and we were all glad to hear the insights and questions raised by our participants towards the speaker.

This experience, the Ignatian Advocacy, opened another door for me to be immersed in. As a graduating and soon-to-be-professional, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity for us to help others through the application of what we have learned.

# data[].attributes.body
“Why do we have to do this?”

The implementation of advocacy was more meaningful for me as it brought me closer to my purpose. We weren't sure what we should be doing at first, but an idea for a stress management workshop was floated. Prior to the deployment, I honestly thought that stress management courses would be a common event for us. However, along the process, I did realize that this sort of webinar will never be common. It is current and relevant for people of all ages because stress is an inevitable, and unavoidable reality of life. It isn't always a bad thing if we teach people how to deal with it. In the days prior to the event, I was preoccupied with the notion of whether or not it would go well, if I could handle the event as a host, or if I would be too draggy or informal. At that time, I was plagued with a slew of concerns. But since I'm absolutely certain that this is only the beginning of how I'm going to unveil my purpose, I was able to regain my confidence.

What has become increasingly clear to me through my own challenging experiences and this webinar is that mental health and stress issues are both a cause, and a consequence, of health. One of the striving conversations that our speaker pointed out is that it is highly important to know the extent of your capabilities, and to know what you really deserve, you need to align your expectations with the context you are in. The webinar has become personal for me. As one of those individuals who wants to strive to be on top, I often exhaust myself. I often compromise my physical health. I needed this webinar to call out my perfectionist behavior andI realized that I really need to work on myself first before extending my purpose. Fill up my empty cup before pouring it out to others.

I think that the key to my future action is to shift my purpose to more conversations like this webinar so that, together, as a society, we can increase the demand for mental health and well-being. Why? because mental health and well-being are assets. They can help us achieve safer and more inclusive communities, more productive and healthier populations, thriving families, and happy and fulfilled citizens who all have something to contribute.

# data[].attributes.body
During the group meeting, Yza offered me a task role to be her partner as an event host for the conduct of the Ignatian Advocacy Webinar. Without hesitation, I immediately said yes to her, but after that, self-doubt poked me. It feels like there is a cloud of negative energy that creeps up over time to create questions such as; "Can I do this?" 'I don't think I can do this,' 'this isn't for me.' From the fact that public speaking is not my thing. I really avoid situations like this because I often feel laid bare standing under the spotlight with hundreds of eyes looking at me. It’s always a weird feeling that I would always anticipate, the feeling of unease that sweeps through my senses for all the wrong reasons, to the point that my hands and voice would start to shake, plus stomach pain and thinking that I’ll just make a complete fool of myself.

The Ignatian Advocacy Webinar helped me try things that I’m not interested in. I was able to hold and train myself to appear calm and composed. Such as managing agitation and nervousness, and when I speak out of my thoughts, I assure myself that there is nothing to fear from bloopers or mistakes. I also remember what Pia says during the start of the event to think of the session, not as a webinar but a conversation with a dear friend. As a host, then I tried to do the same. I imagined the audience as my closest friends that would allow me to speak confidently without the slightest fear. After the event, I gave myself a pat on the back for a job well done, it may not have been that perfect, but still, it was a good one.

After all, organizing an event is not just a part of a graduation requirement, it’s more about leaving a long-lasting heartwarming impression on the participants. A well-organized event should have unique goals to come up with a specific mission; to what cause are we promoting the event? and expectations the guest will have for the event? After conducting the webinar, this became a training ground to build connection and engagement as a future professional, such as connecting with our prospective clients, audience, or members on a personal level. Aside from that, this would also help solidify someone’s interest in our group or company that we will be working with soon. Of course, that would somehow establish and open opportunities for collaboration and partnership not just for personal gain but for a good cause.

# data[].attributes.body
It takes a special person to care for a child with special needs. As an advocate of Tahanan, Tahanan Na, it is my role to offer support and help to parents and give them the correct information about their child's needs. Researching and posting an awareness about different disorders, parenting techniques, self-care tips, and laws and services struck me the most. In this way, parents may have fact-based knowledge about their child's special needs, and they may also learn to help themselves by equipping self-care tips. What caught me in the process is maybe to be sensitive to people who have diagnosed conditions. Not everyone has the same care or compassion as I do with these people; there should be respect and boundaries for everyone. Being an advocate actively considers best interests, develops strong and good relationships, and fosters helpful learning environments. Our advocacy gave me a deeper understanding of how I viewed the world, in the sense of defending the human rights of people with disabilities. After my experience on our Ignatian Advocacy, I feel like I have gained good values, and it would allow me to help other people in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
As a fur parent myself, our group’s advocacy made a big impact on my life. It was also a humbling experience to be able to help an organization dedicated to helping and caring for neglected and mistreated animals. The whole process of preparing and conducting the advocacy was extremely fulfilling and fun especially for our team. As part of the creatives committee, It was fun looking for elements and pictures fitting for the project. As part of the communications committee, I was able to tap one of my dad’s old colleague from when we still had a pet shop. I was able to contact the owner of Dog Smart with the help of my dad, they were also kind enough to donate supplements for the animals as well as give us affordable prices so we can maximize our budget. Also, my cousin and I were able to donate a part of our commissions last February for the project. Overall, I think we all did a great job for this advocacy project. We were able to help the animals from ARRF and we also did learn a lot especially on how they take care of the animals and how they keep track of what supplements they need to take.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Vince Adrian P. Soner - KANLUNGAN: Building a Safe Space for Women and Children

# data[].attributes.body
The implementation of Kanlungan was one of the most memorable projects that I have ever had. It taught me a lot of things. Not only I learned from the subject matter, but I also realized the importance to tackle this social reality experienced by women and children.

The thing that struck me the most during the implementation was the week before the webinar. When we posted the link for registration, the group did not expect to gain 50 registrants in the first day. We underestimated the relevance and importance of our advocacy, undermining that it would only reach at most 30 participants in the culmination. In that day, I knew that our advocacy is very important that is why a lot of people wanted to take part to it. Aside from that, it caught my attention that a lot of participants shared their experiences in the evaluation form. There were many students who struggled from harassment cases. This solidified the need for our advocacy.

Furthermore, there were mixed emotions during the 4-day implementation. First, I am happy because a lot of people expressed their gratitude as we included them in the webinar. It warms my heart that many people benefitted from our initiative. Second, I am alarmed with the number of victims to harassment. As mentioned, there were participants who shared their own experiences. Some revealed their cases when we asked them in the evaluation form to send a message to the organizers. I was sad because they had to go through all those experiences. Third, I am challenged because I know that this advocacy must not stop here. I think that there is a need for me to do my part in the future to mitigate the cases and raise awareness on this cause.

Thus, as a graduating student and a future mental health practitioner, it is important for me to help those victims in amplifying their causes. I must help those people whose voices cannot be heard. I should also use my future profession to impart my knowledge and provide care for those in need. In other words, this advocacy is a preview on what I need to do in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
During our group’s planning phase, 1 couldn’t keep up with the implementation phase of our advocacy. Even though I was assigned for the technicals, I felt pressure in making things perfect for our group. I wasn’t used to being assigned for tech since I didn’t have the proper equipment to smoothly operate a full-blown webinar. The hassling part of my role is scouting for the right seller of Zo0m Premium for us to accommodate our participants for the webinar. The paid account was disabled after half a month without even using it for the webinar. At that time, I felt scared as to how I was going to explain to my group mates about the account since we spent 300 pesos on it. As I explained the situation to them, my groupmates remained positive and reassured me that we would figure it out. I just really appreciated how everyone in the group didn’t put me in a bad spot.

What I’ve learned and felt after conducting this advocacy is that there are some things that are beyond our control and being obsessed about it won’t make it better. Sometimes, being honest to yourself and telling the people around you about a messy situation will help. I am the type of person who worries too much and tends to obsess over uncontrollable things. Our not-so-perfect advocacy helped me realize that the outcome does not matter if you put your best into it.

Looking into the future, what makes this advocacy relevant is each one’s attitude in accommodating to every participant by educating them with mental health tips while leaving behind a remarkable achievement from our SIP subject. Through this, I can see myself using my acquired skills from this subject.

# data[].attributes.body
The whole journey of Tahanan, Tahan Na is undeniably memorable. As an advocate of this advocacy, I believe that our message through this advocacy reached all of our kind and cooperative audience. During the implementation phase, posting of awareness and laws and services for mental health struck me the most. I am glad to be able to share that kind of information to our audience because I am not just sharing, I am also learning. The thought of how hard it must be being a parent of children with special needs will always remain in my mind and heart, their sacrifices and the things that they are willing to risk for the comfort of their children. They will forever have my utmost respect. From the planning to implementation, everything was kind of overwhelming for me, especially researching for reliable information that we will post in the advocacy’s social media accounts. I am afraid that I might be sharing misleading information when one of our objectives is to be a safe space for our audience. Nevertheless, I am thankful for this advocacy particularly to my group mates for doing their best and for making this advocacy successful despite all the hindrances that we encountered. This Ignatian advocacy helped me realize a lot of things, especially in my journey as a psychology student. I will surely bring the knowledge, wisdom, lessons, and other things that I have learned wherever I will be in the near future.

# data[].attributes.body
As we implemented this Ignatian Advocacy Project, I learned and gained different outlooks.

While looking up to our Tahanan na, Tahan na platform on our Social Media Page, I am glad that I'm one of those who contributed to publishing supplemental information regarding mental disorders, laws, services, and primary self-care.

Thus, throughout this Ignatian Advocacy Journey of implementing our project, I am delighted to help those parents who struggle with their child who has special needs by giving them aid through our platform. Such as by sharing our knowledge through posting an informational handout and to our excellent speaker, who shared their real practical wisdom, particularly to the parents who had a problem handling their child that could benefit them a lot.

Lastly, relaying data and assisting these parents by giving them useful materials about different subjects or issues concerning children with special needs moved my heart because I could help them simply by providing them with facts and reliable sources.

# data[].attributes.body
As a psychology student, the idea of conducting this mental health advocacy was quite overwhelming for me. As if all the youth must participate in our upcoming webinar. As we have gathered everything from scratch to finalizing our social awareness campaign webinar, I've learned a lot throughout the process. To sum up everything, I've learned that in order to start taking care of our mental health, aside from being cautious about the warning signs, we must really be attentive to what our mind and body tell us. We must have self-awareness. In this case, we will be able to handle and think of ways to face the challenges we encounter daily.

Moreover, on the day of conducting the webinar, I was relieved when people were joining us virtually. I was grateful at the same time since our group was able to accomplish our goal to educate and sincerely inform the people on the importance of mental health awareness.

# data[].attributes.body
As a puppy lover,It was a great opportunity to show my love and support for the animal community. These animals are taken for granted by their owner, some of them were deposited out of the shelter. Through the advocacy project i was given an opportunity to donate goods to the community. Looking back to the process. My sister and I was one of the stakeholders.10 percent of the total sales in a given period time was given to the FURposely FURmazing project to buy donations for the ARRF shelter Davao Inc. Also i was with the logistics assigned to deliver the goods on the shelter near bago aplaya. It was a very great experience for my team to show our love and support for these fur babies.Also given the knowledge and learning that we get on these project we know we can do more in the future to help these communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Samantha B. Villarmea Mental Health Mission

# data[].attributes.body
I am able to arrange the phases of our forthcoming events because I am one of the creatives and the program head  in our Mental Health Ignatian Advocacy. For our social media platform interaction, I was also able to design publicity materials and posters . I am able to offer my creativity and expertise through Mental Health Advocacy. I've also learnt a lot about mental health advice that has helped me realize how vital it is to think positively. Mrs. Marie Joyce Tupas's presentation during the program made me realize that depression is a serious issue that each of us can experience without even realizing it.Upon listening  to the sentiments and sharing of other people during the program it has taught me that everyone has their own way of dealing mental health issues, but it one thing is important to know that when experiencing depression, anxiety, stress and other mental health problems you must learn to surround yourself with positive things  and stay as calm as possible it is only you who takes control on everything your mindset and inner self .This Ignatian Advocacy has had a significant impact on my views, especially in dealing with my anxiety; it has helped me appreciate how valuable and precious my life and health is; it has given me new perspectives and a positive mindset.I am grateful to be a part of this advocacy to spread awareness and also give significant advice about mental health issues.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Ness Angelica B. Fruto - KANLUNGAN: Building a Safe Space for Women and Children

# data[].attributes.body
The SIP Ignatian Advocacy project gave me a sense of fulfillment. During the implementation phase, we were having troubles with the advocacy we wished to pursue. The members contributed several ideas and insights that would lead towards our desire - to come up with a timely and relevant topic that is worth advocating for. As we brainstormed and deliberated, we eventually decided that our focus population will be Women and Children. Specifically, to help them overcome the issues they face in the virtual platform. The finalized topic itself struck me the most as it lacks emphasis in our society today.

As a publicity and communications member, I was amazed by the amount of people who showed interest in our project. This just goes to show that establishing a strengthened community support for Women and Children is more than possible for there are many people who share the same goal as us.

Moreover, I feel honored and fulfilled to be part of this Ignatian Advocacy. This invitation made me realize my worth, strength, and passion as a woman. I also felt the importance of children as a vulnerable population. After the implementation, I gained knowledge and more willingness to serve the community and fight against the injustices that make these people suffer more.

As a graduating student and a future professional, this experience allowed me to always do things with a purpose and to become intentional in trying to fulfill that purpose. Nothing feels greater than being able to see the product of your hardwork especially if it uplifts people and guarantees a more beautiful world for them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Sherisajad O. Laguiab - KANLUNGAN: Building A Safe Space for Women and Children

# data[].attributes.body
Before the implementation of our webinar culminating activity, I was really anxious and was thinking about the things that could go wrong. But then the implementation week came; I was surprised by how many people responded and told us that they were interested in coming. Although we experienced some challenges, our team handled them very well since we prepared as much as possible. We prepared backup plans if things didn't turn out the way we planned.

We talked about creating safe spaces for women and children in our advocacy. We discussed the importance of keeping our women and children safe and how we can support them. As a person majoring in Psychology, I believe it's essential to talk about these things. I think that it's vital that we reach out and speak up about harassment. Acknowledging the issue and talking about it helps us figure out ways to provide a solution to the problem. I am very grateful that we were given the opportunity to create something like this.

Through this project, I realized and learned a lot of things. It made me think about how we should be extra careful and brave to prevent and defend ourselves from experiencing harassment. The Ignatian Advocacy opened my eyes to many things and made me realize how rampant this issue is and how important it is for us to address it. I plan to continue speaking about our advocacy – I plan to keep on creating safe spaces for women and children. This serves as an invitation for me to speak up and reach out, use what I have to help and serve people, especially women and children. With that, I hope for a future that is free from harassment for women, children, and everyone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Zarah Claire T. Geralla - Tahanan, Tahan Na

# data[].attributes.body
As the project head of this advocacy, I was tasked to look for possible partners, specifically the parents of children with special needs. While doing so, I was interviewed by one of our partners, and she told me that it was her first time to hear such advocacy being prioritized here in Davao. In her words, she said that we were the first and hopefully not the last to be a voice for parents of children with special needs. Her words were one of the reasons why we were able to implement this project successfully. Being a voice of one of the voiceless helped me realize how lucky I am to be allowed to be a blessing to other people. God had shown me how blessed I was, so I used it to fuel my passion for helping those in need. This Ignatian Advocacy experience has shaped me to become more proactive in raising awareness of the different kinds of mental health problems that parents silently suffer from. Lastly, my experience had also inspired me to someday build a Tahanan not just for children with special needs but also for parents.

# data[].attributes.body
Our advocacy which is entitled as Mental health mission aims to provide mental health literacy to the youth population. Research have proven that the more literate a person is with regards to the facts about mental health the more they are confident to seek formal psychological help. In the project, I got assigned to the secretariat committee wherein my task was to reach out the possible guest speaker, the possible audience and documentation of the advocacy in the process of implementation. What struck me the most during the implementation of the webinar entitled “Mental Health mission: A primer towards seeking formal psychological help”, was a friend told me that the webinar was really enlightening and the topics discussed was very relevant. It was as if she got a glimpse of how was it like to be in the field of psychology. Which made me remember of that conversation we that friend and I had when we catch up, I remember us talking about our mental health, she opened up about what she was experiencing resulting to her becoming very grateful to have been able to attend our webinar. The result of it all felt very fulfilling, it felt nice to have been able to bridge the importance of mental health literacy because this way we will be able to somehow motivate those who are hesitant to formal psychological help that it is actually okay to ask for help. That here are the facts, that this is how they will know that they need to get themselves assessed. As a graduating student to me this meant that I have really learned a lot from the course that I chose. I was able to realize a lot of things throughout the years of learning. As a future professional I know that with this capability I will be able to somehow do what it needs to be done when I am already in the workplace.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cream And Maroon Minimalist World Mental Health Day Poster

# data[].attributes.body
Mental health-related issues taking the spotlight during the COVID-19

the pandemic illuminates the reality that this has long been a social issue. However, it was given less attention here in the Philippines, where there is no mental health framework that guides stakeholders on what shall be done and where we are headed. There is a shortage of evidence-based information that pushes individuals to consume readily available information without examining if the sources are credible or not, leading to reinforcement of stereotypes and misassumptions on mental health-related issues. Leaving the youth in an arena of challenges that further put their mental health at stake. This is what the Mental Health Mission aimed to address by raising social awareness campaigns in

mental health literacy.

I am fully aware that individuals, especially our age, have a limited

understanding of the entirety of mental health. When one talks about mental

health, it is common to hear stories from the first-person point of view. In the

implementation phase, what caught my attention were the few audience present

where in fact, we have a positive number of engagements in social media.

Although the actual number present was few, this made me realize that maybe,

just maybe, these were the ones called by God at that moment to be with us.

Their presence, experience, and encounter with us may inspire more youth to

engage in social awareness campaigns and take them to social media. What

struck me most in the implementation phase was the few people who attended

our webinar, most of whom were strangers. This has caught my attention as

there were undeniably few willing to spend their time and exhaust their efforts to

educate themselves and inspire their fellow youth.

As a future mental health professional/provider, I am excited about what awaits me working with the youth in the future. As I feel that our age gap might

be that close. However, thinking about the things and areas that need work-ups

to improve the mental health response of the country makes me hopeful that I

can be part of that progress in my ways to give back to the community, especially

to the youth. It invites me to practice kindness even in the most challenging

situations. It invites me to take a step back into the realities that continuously

unfold and enter into a serious dialogue between me and the external world out

there to embody empathy as a future mental health professional.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Sophia Kathleen M. Dumaguing - "WOULD IT WORK FOR ME?: Creating your own Technique to Achieve Affective Stress Management"

# data[].attributes.body
Had you told young Pia that she would one day speak and deliver a message of hope to the people who are in need, she would have laughed. Because as the famous saying goes, Writers are not great Speakers.

Growing up, I was often told that my words had power. I grew up confident with my writing, I was so keen to express myself through words, and I was often appreciated for such talent. But I was never one to speak in front of people, I grew up fully aware of the fact that writers are sometimes dull conversationalists, and so I was never comfortable with having to deliver speeches.

But I guess the road we painted for ourselves to follow is never really the road that we necessarily have to take. Because in this Ignatian Advocacy, I did not only write what I wanted people to know, but I also delivered the speech myself. Despite being so used to working behind the scenes, this event took me to a greater room with uncharted responsibilities that I had to figure out along the way. The smooth and efficient implementation of this Ignatian Advocacy opened a new door for me, a door filled with Passion and Wisdom alike.

Tabang lang, tabang lang hantod sa naa ka pay ika tabang.

Helping others seemed like the easiest thing for me to do. Despite not having the guarantee of receiving anything in return, I was always so eager and passionate to help others in all the possible means that I could only ever provide. So I guess what struck me the most in this Ignatian Advocacy is that it did not only open new doors for me but also allowed me to reach a higher potential -  to realize that I still had other ways of reaching out to people offering a helping hand.

With proper training or with consistent exposure, I genuinely do feel like this is something that I could continue doing. The methods for healing that I have stored in my mind need not only be shared inside the bounds of the room for therapy that I planned to build in the near future, I now know that I could reach out to more people, to speak of the things that I am most passionate about and ignite passion in their hearts as well.

So I guess as a graduating student and a future professional, this experience tells me that there are no boundaries when it comes to developing specific potentials for helping people, I am now more eager to explore more, to say yes to more opportunities, and to see what the world outside the academic setting has in store for me.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Kimberly Ann Nocete - KANLUNGAN: Building A Safe Space for Women and Children

# data[].attributes.body
I was left in great awe and fulfillment with how KANLUNGAN: Building  a Safe Space for Women and Children impacted our participants in many simple ways. There were a lot of unexpected achievements that we encountered during the implementation phase. We honestly did not expect that there would be 125 registrants and 76 people who actually attended our webinar. We also received several positive feedbacks from the participants during and after the event but there’s this one message that struck me the most. It was from a student who is a mental health advocate and an officer in their student council. The student extended their appreciation on our advocacy and webinar because we shared relevant information about online sexual harassment and the laws that protect women and children, which they can also further share to their constituents and use to address their concerns.

This issue is truly rampant and calls for immediate action. We, at KANLUNGAN, would want to amplify the voice of the survivor-victims who continue to remain silent. This message alone is a manifestation of how this act of courage of empowering vulnerable populations could create a ripple effect, and ignite a bigger change.

As someone who is genuinely passionate about pushing for gender equality and uplifting the rights of women and children, and as a woman myself, I felt more empowered to pursue this advocacy even after our implementation and initiate more programs in the future. Indeed, being a mental health practitioner entails offering support and addressing the needs of individuals and communities who experience exploitation, harassment, and discrimination. This advocacy could also be a stepping stone for creating more safe spaces especially in the online world. As lead advocates, we could also become an inspiration for others to what is speak up for themselves, stand up for what is right. From a much bigger perspective, advocacies like this could help build a society where each and every member could feel safe, represented, and respected.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Margaux Castro - KANLUNGAN: Building A Safe Space for Women and Children

# data[].attributes.body
The webinar culminating activity is easily the most significant part of our implementation that struck me the most. Aside from the fact that it is the main event of that implementation week, it was also the event that made us actually connect with the people we contacted during the prior weeks. It was the most meaningful to me when the webinar almost came to an end when I realized how important it is to make sure that those who we advocate for know what we are doing to them. In our case, we advocate for women and children most specifically about building safe spaces for them. With this, it is essential that we let them know and show them that we are a safe space where they can come to whenever they need help or even just a companion. It would be more effective if we openly and directly make them aware of this by expressing how much we mean well and how much we care about them. For instance, when we know of someone giving hints of her problem regarding the issue, we can send them a private message and talk to them directly. This way, we are able to offer help and make them feel like they have others who would want to help them in feeling safe and protected.

As a Psychology student doing this advocacy, I am reminded of how listening and actually taking the initiative to help others play a key role in almost everything. Especially when it comes to issues like harassment, it is of utmost importance that one should have enough knowledge and understanding in approaching them. Even in addressing or referring to them, one should know how to be really careful with the words they use. I also just learned that “victim-survivors” is the proper way to address, so this is somehow the first thing to do. Furthermore, I feel like this Ignatian Advocacy could perhaps be an invitation for me to rethink my future plans regarding proceeding with a career in Psychology. Through this advocacy, I realized that there is still so much in society that needs help. I envision a better and safer future for the world, so being in a helping profession can be a great avenue for me to actualize such ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
“Balik balik naman na oy.

“Ah stress management napud.”

“Kaboring ana oy.”

“Kabalo naman mi ana, kapila nami kaattend ug ingon ana sauna.”

When students would hear about “stress management seminar/webinar'', these comments would most probably be on top of almost every students’ mind. This has become a common and very familiar theme for students, but in our Ignatian Advocacy, we wanted to not just give students an already fixed manual that they can use to achieve effective stress management. We wanted our Ignatian Advocacy to be something that can be personal to them.

Upon the start of our event, a part of me was worried whether the participants would really listen to the talk or will just attend for the sake of attendance but as I was observing the zoom room, the participants were very active to react as well as respond towards our speaker’s questions. Few of my friends were present that time and while the talk was still ongoing, some of them really messaged me privately saying that the topic really struck them.

Even though I was one of the organizers, I also became a part of the target audience. I listened to Pia’s talk and also realized a lot of things. One that struck me was when she said these lines, “We said no to a lot of things because we were afraid of what we were gonna lose if we took the chance. And on the other hand, we said yes to a lot of things because we were afraid of what others were gonna think of us if we said no. We said yes, even if it means having a lot more to lose than to gain.” Most of the things that we miss in life are mostly caused by our fears. This made me realize that there is so much more in life if we only allow ourselves to engage and be more open to explore outside our comfort zone.

By the end of our webinar, I feel proud and happy that we pulled it off. I believe we did not just give them a mere webinar experience but we were able to make them feel comfortable and relaxed. Our speaker, Pia, started her talk very nicely as she assured the participants that her talk can be considered as a conversation you can have with a dear friend. Making others feel that they can have a safe space through us is fulfilling. Thus, validated the purpose of our Ignatian Advocacy.

As a graduating student and as a future professional, this became an avenue for us to practice and apply what we have learned as a psych major. Our Ignatian Advocacy has allowed us to reach out to people, build connections, and in a way touch other people’s lives.

# data[].attributes.body
Choosing advocacy that helps promote animal welfare is one of the best decisions I/we have made. Through this movement, we were able to express our affection toward pets, particularly dogs, who continuously make every individual feel loved and less alone. In this Ignation Advocacy titled “FURposely FURmazing: A Fundraising FUR your FURRY Friends,” I am glad that our team broadened the horizons in addressing social issues —which does not only happen to involve humans. We used the social media platform to educate the public about the challenges and mistreatment that dogs are experiencing at the hands of the people. Upon witnessing this concern first-hand, with our partnering organization: Animal Rescue Rehabilitation & Fostering Inc (ARRF) Davao, I quite felt distressed knowing that cases like this (animal abuse, animal abandonment, etc.) exist, wherein working hand in hand in slowly resolving such should be put into practice. I have realized in this project that even a simple act of kindness towards them could make an impact. It is about time to reciprocate the love that these animals give us, as to some extent, they made us feel appreciated, loved, and trustworthy.

What made this implementation remarkable was the efforts and sincerity we poured into this. With all the realizations mentioned above, I feel grateful for having the opportunity to raise awareness to the public with the help of this Ignatian Advocacy project. As a graduating student, I could say that my journey in Ateneo has become more meaningful because of this. I was somehow able to make an impact to the society where providing a safe space for the dogs has been heard by many.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Karla Isabella F. Pascual - KANLUNGAN: Building A Safe Space for Women and Children

# data[].attributes.body
Being the communications head for this advocacy allowed me to reach out to our resource speakers and various potential participants. What struck me was how much these people valued our advocacy of uplifting women and children by being a safe space in this society of dangerous social media. Furthermore, you cannot advocate for something that you do not find significant in the first place.

My realizations on the gravity of this advocacy were highlighted during the post-event, where I could read our participants' evaluation form. Even a Psychology major from Marikina sent me a private message thanking us for the helpful and empowering advocacy. The message consisted of five long paragraphs expressing her gratitude and enthusiasm to share her learnings with her organization-mates and schoolmates. Before the culminating event, several people from Facebook groups sent me private messages asking about the event. These experiences taught me how influential advocacies can be. It is a matter of doing it wholeheartedly and reaching out to the people.

Personally, our advocacy is very close to my heart because of my past experiences. It is empowering to know that so many share similar experiences and choose to stand up and be brave. They decide to speak up. During the open forum, some participants expressed personal experiences and questions, which reminded me of the relevance and timeliness of being a safe space for women and children. It feels fulfilling to see both victim-survivors and general social media users participating and educating themselves regarding different aspects of online sexual harassment.

The entire experience of sharing our advocacy makes me feel that my efforts toward this advocacy should not stop the moment I complete this course. Instead, it is a lifelong commitment to be an approachable advocate that allows women and children to feel confident to open up and speak up for their rights. Lastly, it is an invitation to keep reaching out to people since sharing such crucial information allows more members of society to learn and, in return, teach others. Consequently, I hope for a community where online harassment – or harassment in any form – would no longer foster.

# data[].attributes.body
FURposely FURmazing is an advocacy project initiated by a group of psychology students that aims to support ARRF Davao, which is an organization, dedicated towards providing care and compassion to lost, abandoned, and mistreated dogs. I'm grateful about this advocacy because It open my eyes to really build knowledge and passion for helping dogs and read more about the issues and needs about them. As one of the Social Media Committee members, I immersed to Researching, posting, responsibilities to attract and encourage them that these animals need help and support. It is also my job to make creative captions, educate the public about animal welfare and psychological benefits of dogs to us humans, and provide tips on how to take care of dogs. Importantly, I want others to see that I am passionate about speaking up for animals, and giving them the voice that they do not have. My entire experience is based upon advocating for animal rights, and how people can get involved in doing so.  I want others to understand that they can make a difference by getting themselves involved with an organization that works to help and save animals.
As a graduating student and future professional, this advocacy give me a heart  and passion to research more about how I could offer and help animals. In this, I'm planning to inspires other youth to make a difference and action in making personal and community-wide changes that will help the welfare of animals.

# data[].attributes.body
As a person who loves dogs, the FURposely FURmazing project has significantly impacted my life. Like the founder of Animal Rescue Rehabilitation & Fostering (ARRF), I was inspired to become an advocate for stray dogs when I found out that dogs caught by the city pound are likely to become a subject for euthanasia when their owners are unable to claim them within days. ARRF is an organization that gives shelter to abused and stray animals. I think that the public citizens of Davao should give this organization recognition to get more support for the shelter and the animals under their protection. Being the person in charge of communicating with the founder of ARRF, I gained some information on what goes on within their facility. How the founder is usually the only one who takes care of almost 100 sheltered animals, and how she is the only person who manages their social media pages. This made me want to volunteer for her organization and help her take care of the animals or even help her manage their social media page. The project made me realize that even animals are worthy of our advocacy and give them aid because they also deserve to live a comfortable life.

# data[].attributes.body
As part of our Senior Integration Program, we are expected to have an advocacy project before we graduate. However, for me, having this advocacy project is more than just a requirement for graduation. Although I haven't experienced being a "furry parent" or having pet animals such as dogs, I am an advocate of animal welfare and treatment since I know that it is incredibly important to give the animals the care they need and the love they deserve. Thus, I am very ecstatic to be part of a group who have the same advocacy with me. Our Advocacy Project, the FURposely FURmazing has given me an opportunity to extend my help to the lost, abandoned, and mistreated animals especially, dogs. As I was doing my secretariat tasks and as a member of the group's social media committee, this project has become an avenue for me to share my knowledge about the proper way of taking care of pet animals and the psychological benefit they can give to humans. Furthermore, throughout the implementation of our advocacy project, I've realized that humans are more capable of doing things that would make a great difference. For instance, saving one dog might not change the world, but for that one dog, the world has changed. Now, as I am graduating and soon to be professional, this project calls me to live a life in service of others, and animals are included. I’ll dedicate myself to extend a hand for those in need because I believe that it is more fulfilling when one can lift others up and that would make a great difference in someone’s life.

# data[].attributes.body
The FURposely FURmazing Project is close to my heart as I love dogs and animals dearly. Dogs deserve all the love, care, and attention from us in exchange for their loyalty, affection, and assistance to us. As one of the Social Media Committee members, it is my job to make sure that the voice of the Animal Rescue Rehabilitation & Fostering ARRF - Davao Inc (ARRF Davao) is heard by the public all social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Researching, posting, and talking to different people from different places are responsibilities to attract and encourage them that these animals need help and support. It is also my job to make creative captions, educate the public about animal welfare and psychological benefits of dogs to us humans, and provide tips on how to take care of dogs. Though this advocacy is only for the short term, I am happy to say that my group mates and I were able to think of this project and raise enough funds to provide for the needs of these animals, such as dog food, cat food, bowls, and worm rids.

Furthermore, I was deeply touched that despite the pandemic and difficulties that everyone has experienced during this COVID-19 captivity, the love for the surroundings, animals, and other people prevailed. I am also grateful for how my groupmates work hand in hand to make this project possible, as they put their heart into brainstorming to help these animals. With this project, I know that someday, more animal advocates will create new projects to help these animals be heard even more.

Now that I am a graduating student, this project calls me to pursue my love for these animals. I always dreamed of feeding street dogs whenever I pass by. I imagined myself buying dog foods and giving them to dogs in the street that are lost, hungry, and without their family by their side. I can also follow other people's footsteps of finding dogs, cleaning them up, and placing them in animal shelters for other people to adopt them. Other than that, our partners for the fundraising might decide to be in partnership with the ARRF permanently. Nonetheless, whatever happens in the future, my group and I will always be proud of the work we have made for the future of these animals.

# data[].attributes.body
As a fur mom myself, this project has become an arena for me to convey and communicate a message on behalf of the animals who are in dire need for love and affection. In doing such project, it has opened my eyes on the problems dealt by these animals and has allowed me to think of a possible immediate response to cater their needs and concerns. One of my responsibilities was to create striking publication materials that will make people within the realm of social media become aware of the animals’ current situation. Looking back on its process, creating these materials had the greatest potential to let other people know the stories of these animals that reside at ARFF to call for an action. My second task was to assist our project head in developing, collaborating, and foreseeing all of the involved partners and committees within the entire project. Such responsibility was tasking as we are to monitor each partners’ and committees’ progress to make sure that all of the project objectives are achieved. Hence, these roles have allowed me to look into each area of concerns in detail, which remained in my heart until now. Overall, this project has allowed our team to delve deeper into the root of the partner community’s problems. This invitation has allowed us to look into its possible solutions to create a more loving environment for the animals. Now, as I am graduating and soon to be professional, this advocacy project led me to realize that being able to help does not only rely on mere giving of material things, it is being able to connect and collaborate whole heartedly and with a conscience to help.

# data[].attributes.body
When I saw how the dogs in ARRF were weak, sick, and malnourished. It broke my heart to see how they were mistreated and abused in the streets, especially when I am a fur mom myself. Hence, this gave me the drive to use the opportunity given by the Senior Integration Program to spread awareness and raise funds for the dogs in ARRF. As the project head of the ignatian advocacy “FURposely FURmazing: A Fundraising FUR your FURRY Friends”, I was responsible for communicating and overseeing all of the respective committees. To also ensure that we were able to reach our goals and the funds needed for the dogs in our partnered organization Animal Rescue Rehabilitation & Fostering Inc (ARRF), by collaborating with small businesses in Davao. This experience showed me how we can make a difference in the lives of others even through our small little ways. It also taught me the importance of teamwork and collaboration because the project would not be possible without the help of my groupmates, partners, and all the people that supported this advocacy. In addition, this project opened my eyes to the reality of the world and how I should try my best to create change. Now that I am a graduating student and a future professional, I am invited to help the lost, sick, and marginalized. To assist them in anyway I can for the greater good. Lastly, to raise awareness and continue my advocacy in life.