12/05/2026
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๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
AGOO, La Union โ Under the theme โMind-Upโ, GE faculty members lit their inner flames through a reflective conversation on mental health during the third and final phase of IGNITE at the Conference Room of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) New Building on April 24, 2026.
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๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ
The resource speaker was no stranger to the room. Ms. Annabel Buendia, a registered psychometrician and fellow GE faculty member, led participants through a discussion on mental health awareness, stress management strategies, and what it truly means to be a mindful educator. Her dual identity as both practitioner and colleague gave the session an immediate warmth and rarely found in formal seminars.
Beyond the lecture, participants were invited to engage in meaningful self-assessment activities. One standout exercise had faculty members color a "Mental Health Tree", a reflective tool that allowed each teacher to visualize their emotional and psychological state. The activity was followed by an open sharing of personal experiences with stress and mental health, creating a rare space for vulnerability and solidarity among peers.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐-๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ
The Mind-Up session marks the conclusion of the IGNITE series, a structured, three-phase initiative designed to comprehensively equip GE faculty for the demands of modern education.
The program launched with a workshop on instruction and research, sharpening the academic core of the faculty. It progressed to a training-workshop on First Aid and CPR Basic Life Support, preparing educators to respond to physical emergencies. The final phase turned the lens inward โ addressing the mental and emotional well-being of the teachers themselves.
The progression was deliberate: sharpen the mind, protect the body, nurture the spirit.
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ
The IGNITE program was spearheaded by Department Chair Melody Pacis-Tumanan, whose commitment to holistic faculty development anchored all three phases of the initiative.
โThe IGNITE program of the General Education Department, DMMMSU-SLUC, stands as a testament to the belief that great teaching begins long before a teacher walks into the classroom,โ Chair Tumanan stated.
Under her leadership, the department moved beyond conventional professional development to address faculty needs across intellectual, physical, and psychological dimensions.
๐ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ก๐๐๐
As the seminar ended, the mood among participants was notably uplifted. Faculty expressed a renewed and positive outlook toward the coming semester, carrying with them not just new knowledge, but a refreshed sense of purpose and self-awareness.
For these teachers, Mind-Up was more than a seminar โ it was a reminder that caring for oneself is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for caring for others.
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