Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship

“Reclaiming Identity: Not Less, Just Different” by: Johanna Maratas (12th grade)

Hanna reflects on her experience as a young Filipina immigrant navigating between two cultures in the United States. Through an informative presentation, she encourages teens like herself to seek out safe spaces where they can be themselves and reminds them of the importance of reaching out for support when facing isolation and loneliness. Here are a few highlights 💎 from their presentation! 📝

“Identity is complex, especially when you’re balancing different cultures —and that’s okay. You don’t have to choose between where you come from and where you are now. It’s possible to belong while still being true to yourself. Reclaiming your identity means embracing every part of who you are.” -Hanna M.
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Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship 2026. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

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Happy Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! 🌻

Since 2017, FMHI-SF’s Usap Tayo! social media campaign has featured community members courageously sharing their stories to help reduce stigma and open conversation about mental health within San Francisco’s Filipina/o/x community. We are honored to continue this tradition by sharing original artwork created by this year’s students in the Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Program, alongside their Mental Health Toolkits; resources designed to help adult allies better support youth on their mental health journeys. Through this project, we center the wisdom, knowledge, and experiences of Filipino/Filipinx American youth while promoting collective healing within our community.

“Mirrors”
By: Myles Williams (10th Grade)

Through the art of poetry, Myles beautifully turns his reflections into a practice of truth-telling and reclamation. He reminds us that we carry memory, history, and our ancestors in our bodies; understanding that the self is rooted in community, not isolation.

Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship 2026. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

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Happy Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! 🌻

Since 2017, FMHI-SF’s Usap Tayo! social media campaign has featured community members courageously sharing their stories to help reduce stigma and open conversation about mental health within San Francisco’s Filipina/o/x community. We are honored to continue this tradition by sharing original artwork created by this year’s students in the Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Program, alongside their Mental Health Toolkits; resources designed to help adult allies better support youth on their mental health journeys. Through this project, we center the wisdom, knowledge, and experiences of Filipino/Filipinx American youth while promoting collective healing within our community.

In celebration of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and AAPINH Heritage Month, the Buong Loob Program and Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco are excited to host our 6th Annual Buong Loob Youth Led Community Knowledge Sharing!

Our student will be presenting their mental health tool kits for adult allies to use when communicating with youth on their wellness journey’s and sharing personal reflections from the past semester.

EVENT DETAILS
6th Annual Buong Loob Youth Led Community Knowledge Sharing 
Thursday, May 7th, 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Phillip & Sala Burton High School
Library (3rd Floor)
400 Mansell Street, SF, CA 94134

RSVP required. Space is limited. All are welcome. Light snacks and refreshments.

Link in bi0.



www.fmhi-sf.org/buongloob

Happy Mental Health Awareness month and Asian American Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian Heritage Month. 🤎

We want to thank everyone who attended “Pagsasaya ng Ating Pamana” 5th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference last week at SF State.

MARAMING SALAMAT to the youth, adult ally attendees, volunteers and workshop facilitators for co-creating an event centering intergenerational healing and joy in the Filipina/o/x community.

Thank you to our sponsors for 5 Elements Youth Collective , Filipino Mental Health Initiative-SF , Pin@y Educational Partnerships , SFSU Responsive Education for Access, Community, and Hope (REACH) .sfsu and Buong Loob Program.

Special thanks to Dr. EJR David for his keynote speech and reminding us that community healing is liberation.

Thank you, Manong Ben and Ate Cristina of for their generous donation and for hosting such a fun karaoke session.

Maraming Salamat sa inyong lahat! 🇵🇭

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👇🏽
Please join us for our culminating event in Buong Loob to see what our amazing youth have been learning all year.

Buong Loob Youth Led Community Knowlege Sharing
Thursday, May 7 from 5-7pm
Burton High School (library)

RSVP link in bio.

📸 Photos by Buong Loob Alumni, Kuya Brandon B. (12th Grade)

🌱 Adult Workshop Facilitator Spotlight 🌱

“Pagsasaya ng Ating Pamana” (Celebrating Our Heritage)
5th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2026

WORKSHOP FACILITATORS
Lewisa Erguerro(12th grade), Miyamarla Ventura (12th grade), and Dan Barrientos (12th grade)-Youth Contingency Leaders of the Buong Loob Program

Meet our Youth Contingency leaders who are facilitating the only youth-led workshop for Adult Allies at this year’s conference.

In this workshop we will talk about the experiences of Filipino and Filipina/x/o American youth and their exploration of identity. We will be sharing data findings and proposed solutions from our cohort’s Youth Participator Action Research projects, which focused on understanding the various mental health challenges faced by our peers in San Francisco. We aim to give adults insights on how they can support students in their wellness journey.

“Pagsasaya ng Ating Pamana” (Celebrating Our Heritage)
5th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2026
Hosted by the Youth Contingency Leaders of Buong Loob

Saturday, April 25th, 2026
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
San Francisco State University-College of Ethnic Studies
Ethnic Studies & Psychology Building
1600 Holloway Avenue, SF, CA 94132

        

fmhi-sf.org/buongloob

📣 Youth Workshop Facilitator Spotlight 📣

“Pagsasaya ng Ating Pamana” (Celebrating Our Heritage)
5th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2026

WORKSHOP FACILITATORS
꩜ Alysa Orillaza, Carolyn Chau, Claire Dandan, Eureka Soriano, Jeanelle Daus, & Milo Vitug of Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP)
꩜ Legacy Filipino Martial Arts

The teachers of Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP) will connect nature, poetry, and ancestral memory as an offering for navigating grief. Grounded in A.T.A.N.G. framework and pedagogy (Acknowledging the Transcendence of our Ancestors through Nature and Gratitude), created by Dr. Arlene Daus-Magbual, PEP educators share lessons from plantcestors to foster healing and kapwa. Legacy Filipino Martial Arts strives to give all who wish to learn the ability and knowledge to feel confident about being able to defend themselves. Students will learn how to defend against armed attackers as well as unarmed attackers. One of our specialties is the ability to use everyday items as a tool for self-defense. No experience necessary :)
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬.

“Pagsasaya ng Ating Pamana” (Celebrating Our Heritage)
5th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2026
Hosted by the Youth Contingency Leaders of Buong Loob

Saturday, April 25th, 2026
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
San Francisco State University-College of Ethnic Studies
Ethnic Studies & Psychology Building
1600 Holloway Avenue, SF, CA 94132

Cost is free. Space is limited. Lunch Provided.
Register at www.fmhi-sf.org. Link in bio.

        

REGISTRATION ENDS TONIGHT, 4/22, at 11:59 PM.

📣 Youth Workshop Facilitator Spotlight 📣

“Pagsasaya ng Ating Pamana” (Celebrating Our Heritage)
5th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2026

WORKSHOP FACILITATORS
꩜ Dr. Jeannie E. Celestial
꩜ Dr. Raju Desai

Dr. Jeannie’s workshop will offer a brave space to celebrate our unique heritages in the present moment with a halo’an/blend of traditional Filipino medicine (hilot), mindfulness, and radical imagination. In Dr. Raju’s workshop, we consider Filipino foodways as forms of care that sustain both body and spirit. Through participatory activities and youth-led reflection, we will explore how food connects to mental health, stress, and emotional well-being—while also holding stories of migration, family, and resilience.

“Pagsasaya ng Ating Pamana” (Celebrating Our Heritage)
5th Annual Filipinx Student Wellbeing Conference 2026
Hosted by the Youth Contingency Leaders of Buong Loob

Saturday, April 25th, 2026
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
San Francisco State University-College of Ethnic Studies
Ethnic Studies & Psychology Building
1600 Holloway Avenue, SF, CA 94132

Cost is free. Space is limited. Lunch Provided.
Register at www.fmhi-sf.org. Link in bio.

        

To wrap up May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’d like to sneak in one last mental health toolkit created by Buong Loob Interns Jarrod, Kai, Rocco and Xidane.

Their slide deck presentation features scenario’s with “do’s and dont’s” that explores various real-life family scenarios to highlight the importance of parental support, active listening, and healthy communication in nurturing a child’s well-being. Jarrod, Kai, Rocco and Xidane aim to teach parents about the power of listening, empathy, and positive communication in supporting their child’s emotional and mental health.

-Slide deck presentation and scenarios co-created by Jarrod Cantara, Kai Evangelista, Rocco Tugade and Xidane Mercado.

💕 Mental Health Tool Kits created by high school interns of the Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship 2025! 💕

Buong Loob: Filipinx Student Wellness Internship 2025. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

We’re honored to showcase original artwork from these amazing youth as part of ’s annual anti-stigma social media campaign in celebration of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.