ACAP Official

𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐘 | Pride Month

Every June, the world dresses itself in our colors.

Fifty-seven years have slipped by since the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. Thirty-two years since the first Pride March in the Philippines. Every year since then, June becomes ours for thirty days. And for those thirty days, q***rness becomes visible enough to be celebrated, photographed, marketed, and consumed.

Within the same fleeting month, rainbow banners are unrolled across storefront windows, corporate logos get a fresh coat of paint, and brands roll out carefully curated slogans, hashtags, and exclaim their solidarity with their own flair. A flag goes up in celebration one day, then it gets folded away without consequence the next. Every June, these flags appear like promises stitched into the skyline. But despite the spectacle, a promise is not the same thing as justice, and recognition is not the same thing as freedom.

In the Philippines, this facade feels especially hollow. We march down avenues lined with corporate banners, yet outside those commercial zones, the SOGIE Equality Bill has languished in the halls of the Philippine Congress for over twenty-four years, which makes it one of the longest-pending pieces of legislation in our history. It is a sobering reminder that a state can comfortably applaud our creative labour and market our culture, while systematically denying our basic human rights on the Senate floor.

We forget that when a handful of brave q***r Filipinos took to the streets of Quezon City in 1994, their voices carried a joint cry by protesting not just against homophobia, but also against the crushing weight of Value-Added Tax (VAT) and oil price hikes on their everyday lives. From its very inception, Philippine Pride knew that a q***r wallet bleeds the same as any other.

When Pride Month is reduced to a page on a calendar, we forget that this movement emerged from resistance and was never for visibility alone. Rather, it has always been a fight against bigotry, systemic oppression, and apathy—those enduring forces that decide whose lives deserve dignity and whose lives can be rendered invisible.

The reality is even starker outside the parade lines and festive colours. There, too, are q***r people in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan, and in countless places where survival itself has become precarious. Their lives are often treated as footnotes to larger political conversations, as though q***rness can somehow be separated from war, displacement, occupation, poverty, or state violence.

Yet oppression has never respected such boundaries: a bomb does not distinguish between identities; hunger does not pause to ask whom one loves; and the loss of a home does not become less devastating because the person displaced happens to be q***r.

To talk about Pride while turning a blind eye to these realities is to mistake representation for liberation. The rainbow was never meant to be a decoration, nor was it ever intended to become a corporate accessory or a seasonal costume. In fact, it emerged from a demand far more radical than just inclusion into the world as it exists. It emerged from a burning belief, and hope, that another world was possible—one in which freedom would not be rationed out by wealth, nationality, race, gender, or sexuality.

𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗘, at its most meaningful, is born from unrest, as it is the stubborn refusal to make peace with injustice or to settle for a world where freedom belongs only to a fortunate few. If our solidarity stops at our own borders, that is not liberation at all.

Pride is also not just the liberation of the LGBTQIA+ community alone. At its core, it is a protest meant to challenge the systems that oppress us. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹.

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”
— Audre Lorde, Black q***r feminist icon, poet, and civil rights activist

Written by: Ellione Bergola

Congratulations to the newly elected ACAP Alumni Officers for Batch 2026!

Your dedication, leadership, and commitment to serving the alumni community have earned you this opportunity to lead and inspire. As you begin this new chapter, may you continue to uphold the values of excellence, unity, and service that define the ACAP Alumni family.

Congratulations and best of luck, Batch 2026 Officers!

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 | Beyond Awareness Month: How Aspiring Psychologists Respond to a Nation’s Silent Crisis

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎.

In the Philippines, the mental health system continues to struggle with limited institutional support and a severe shortage of professionals. One psychiatrist serves an estimated 200,000 Filipinos, as reported by ABS-CBN News. Behind this data is a deeper reality: millions continue to face emotional distress, trauma, and other psychological struggles in silence. For decades, mental health concerns were dismissed as weakness, “kulang sa dasal,” or something people were simply expected to endure privately.

Yet inside the Santa Rosa City Auditorium last May 20, silence was replaced by conversation.

To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, the Association of Competent and Aspiring Psychologists (ACAP) of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Santa Rosa Campus (PUP SRC) held the convention proper of Psych Week 2026 titled “1st Master’s Class Session.” The event gathered more than 180 psychology students, educators, and delegates from various campuses and partner schools for a day focused on academic discussion, collaboration, and mental health advocacy.

According to Christine Jauculan, Event Director of the 1st Master’s Class Session, the convention was designed to help psychology students prepare for the realities they may eventually face as future mental health professionals.

“The event is basically all about bridging the gap between what we learn in class and how it actually works in the real world, especially through Sikolohiyang Pilipino,” Jauculan explained.

This year’s Psych Week theme, “Filipino Heritage: Understanding the Past to Build a Brighter Future,” highlighted how culture, history, and generational experiences continue to influence the mental well-being of Filipinos today. Throughout the convention, students participated in several activities, including the Spotlight Keynote Session, the interactive “Unmuted” Question-and-Answer segment, and a Quiz Bee competition.

One of the convention’s main highlights was the Spotlight Keynote Session, “In and Out of the Therapy Room,” led by renowned clinical psychologist, De La Salle University lecturer, and Psychological Association of the Philippines - Junior Affiliates (PAPJA) 2026 Chairman Dr. Peejay Bengwasan, RPsy, RPm, CSCLP, CSAP, BICBT-CC. Drawing from years of clinical experience, Dr. Bengwasan discussed the realities of psychological practice in the Philippines, emphasizing that psychology requires years of scientific training, intentional practice, and evidence-based methods beyond simple conversation.

“The field of psychology actually is a chance for you to integrate theory, practice, and science,” Dr. Bengwasan stated.

The discussion continued during the convention’s “Unmuted” Question-and-Answer segment, where Dr. Bengwasan addressed the current state of mental health training in the country. While acknowledging that the Philippines still has limitations compared to more globally advanced systems, he expressed confidence in the capabilities of future Filipino psychologists.

“We have a workable framework in terms of how we are being trained. And for as long as we’re able to do that, meet the minimum requirements of training, I think we’re doing well. We will do well.”

Among the students present at the convention, Dr. Bengwasan’s discussion connected deeply as it reflected the realities they may eventually encounter in the profession. Justine Sernechez, a third-year psychology student from St. Vincent College of Cabuyao (SVCC), shared that one of the most eye-opening parts of the session was Dr. Bengwasan’s discussion about choosing the right people and support system within the profession.

“It matters the most kasi we know that all of us are different, lahat tayo ay may kanya kanyang gustong ipaglaban at i-tackle as mental health advocates even though we shared the same program,” Sernechez stated.

She added that the discussion helped her realize that the responsibilities of psychologists extend beyond clinical spaces, stating, “The reality outside the clinic meant that your work doesn’t end when you take a step outside the room. Your environment, your thinking, your people, they all mattered.”

Beyond the academic sessions, the convention also encouraged collaboration among students through the Quiz Bee competition. Jaisy Mariano Omandam, one of the Quiz Bee participants, reflected on how the experience allowed psychology students to apply psychological concepts while developing teamwork and critical thinking skills.

“As psychology students, it hits different knowing na yung teamwork, critical thinking, at empathy na bini-build namin with each other ngayon ay the exact same skills na dadalhin natin in the real world,” says Omandam.

For many aspiring psychologists inside the auditorium, the convention became more than an academic event. It became both a reality check and a reminder that the country’s growing mental health crisis will eventually require their participation, competence, and compassion.

Although the shortage of mental health professionals in the Philippines remains a long-term challenge, the convention highlighted how aspiring psychologists are beginning to engage more actively with the realities and responsibilities of the profession through discussions on mental health awareness, psychological practice, and professional preparation.

This growing sense of responsibility was reflected in Dr. Bengwasan’s reminder to students that even small efforts can create meaningful impact in addressing the country’s mental health crisis, stating, “When you have the chance to volunteer for projects, kahit medyo mahirap and kahit na sa tingin natin very minimal lang yung contribution natin, actually malaki yung impact no’n.”

One against 200,000 remains a daunting statistic, but inside the auditorium, educators and aspiring psychologists spent the day confronting the issue not with silence, but with conversation.

Written by: Novelette Rose Elfa
Copyread by: Lowie Amor
Pubmat by: Nicolette Quiñones

𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍 | Pahina

Kung sa libro ay laging may panimula, gitna, at dulo—ganun din sa buhay ng isang tao.

Life starts with little things. ‘Yung pagmulat ng mga mata sa umaga, pag-inom ng kapeng banayad na itinimpla, pagbuhos ng malamig na tubig sa katawan habang naliligo, pag-aayos ng gamit, at pagsara ng pinto—lahat ay may kuwento, lahat ay may takbo. But after all of those little things, you will still never know how far the road of life will take you. Nonetheless, you will always walk ahead, hoping that at the end, there is always something worth fighting for, something worth staying for.

Psychology does not start with little things—it notices them.

Ang bawat hakbang na tinatahak ng isang tao ay laging may bigat. At ang bigat na ’yon ang laging nakikita, nadarama, at inaalala ng mga sikolohista. Idinidiin ng iba na madali lamang ito dahil kailangan mo lamang na may maintindihan. Pero hindi, eh. Hindi lamang ito simpleng pag-aaral ng kaisipan—kundi pag-intindi sa bawat pasaning dala-dala ng mga mamamayan. It might be one of the reasons why this course feels so challenging.

Hindi mo tansiyado at hindi mo hawak ang mundo ng mga tao, pero nakasalalay sa mga salita mo ang huling kabanata ng kanilang libro. Nakasalalay sa mga lalabas sa munti mong labi kung ang landas ba na kanilang tatahakin ay magiging maluwalhati. Nakasalalay sa iyong mga kamay ang maaari nilang maging estado habang-buhay.

With that, people will always let you lead. They will reach for you, pleading in moments of need. But that does not give you the right to hold them back when all they wanted was to be free, when all they ever asked for was peace. Kasi paano mo matitiis na mayroong nagdurusa dahil sa diagnosis na mali mong nabasa? Paano mo maaayos ang butas sa buhay ng isang tao kung ikaw mismo ang nagsira?

Dahil sa propesyong ito, hindi lamang isip natin ang sinusubok at winawarat—kundi pati na rin ang kakayahan nating manatili sa gitna ng lahat.

Ika nga ni Doc Peejay Bengwasan, “Everything begins with a small brave step.” Minsan, nagsisimula ito sa pag-akyat sa hagdan ng PUPSRC para umabot sa klase ng 8:30 AM, sa pag-akyat sa entablado para magsalita sa harap ng maraming tao, at sa pag-akyat sa jeep para makauwi at magmuni-muni.

May it be the faith that believes in you silently, may it be the friends who came along wholeheartedly, may it be your inner self who was always proud of what you had genuinely become—every step is still a step. ‘Yung path mo man kung saan ka kakain pagkatapos ng seminar na iyong dinaluhan, o ‘yung path mo man pagkatapos mong mag-aral sa kolehiyo—lahat ’yan konektado, lahat ’yan ipinapakita kung gaano katapang ang isang tao.

Tulad ng isang libro, kahit hindi tiyak ang dulo, patuloy pa ring isinusulat ang buhay ng tao.

Written by: Euanne Teodoro
Pubmat by: Nicolette Quiñones

The Association of Competent and Aspiring Psychologists (ACAP) of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Santa Rosa Campus participated in the second session of the seminar, “Empowering Future Crisis Responders through Orientation on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Psychological First Aid (PFA),” on May 22, 2026, at the Audio Visual Room (AVR).

Centered on Psychological First Aid, the session aimed to equip students with practical knowledge and appropriate response skills for individuals experiencing crises and emergencies.

Serving as the resource speaker was Prof. Raymund E. Mindanao, MA, LPT, RPm, Head of the Psychology Program of PUP Santa Rosa Campus.

During the seminar, he discussed the significance of PFA in supporting the emotional and mental well-being of affected individuals, while also emphasizing the importance of empathy, active listening, and proper intervention in crisis situations.

ACAP members from first-year to fourth-year actively engaged in the discussion and activities throughout the session.

As third-year psychology students taking the Disaster and Mental Health course, the seminar provided them with a valuable opportunity to connect their academic learnings with real-life applications in disaster response and mental health support.

Through this experience, participants were encouraged to further develop the compassion, competence, and readiness needed as future crisis responders.

📸 𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 📸

“𝙝𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞, 𝙨𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙮-𝙨𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙙”

Sa bawat kuha ng kamera, ramdam ang sigla ng Leadership Camp—mga 𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢, 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐰, 𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐨 𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐤𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚. Narito ang bawat larawan na patunay na ang pamumuno ay mas makulay kapag ito’y pinapalipad ng 𝐤𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚, 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐤𝐬𝐲𝐨𝐧.

#𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 #𝗙𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗡𝗴𝗦𝗶𝗸𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗮 #𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗦𝗮𝘆𝗮 #𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽

📝: Shaina Macapagal
🎨: Anne Arcan
📸: A. Cruz, L.Veraque, Z. Ciervo, Z. Batiquin, D. Salvacion, Q. Geganto

𝘼𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞 𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙩𝙖 𝙨𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙮, 𝙠𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞 𝙨𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙤.

Sa mga larong pisikal na nagsubok ng lakas, bilis, at pagkakaisa, lahat ng grupo ay nag-iwan ng marka. Mula sa paglikha ng watawat hanggang sa huling aktibidad, isang grupo ang nagpakitang gilas ng kanilang natatanging abilidad. 𝘼𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙤 𝙣𝙜 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙝𝙖𝙡 𝙣𝙖 𝙆𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙀𝙊𝙉 𝙨𝙖 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙥 2026. Sila ay nagpakitang gilas sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaisa, lakas ng loob, at sa tapang na harapin ang bawat hamon ng may determinasyon.

Ngunit hindi natatapos ang kwento sa iisang pangalan.

🥇 Team Mango Float — Unang karangalan at hindi nagpahuli sa tapang. Sa bawat galaw at pagsisikap, ipinakita nila na ang kahusayan at tunay na pinaghandaan ang bawat laban.
🥈 Team Gender Reveal — Pangalawa, ngunit hindi naiwan. Sa bawat hamon ng katawan at isipan, nanatili silang buo at panalo sa puso ng bawat isa.

Sa lahat ng Grupo, bawat pawis, bawat sigaw, bawat ngiti sa gitna ng pagod. Kayo ang Fiesta ng Sikolohiya.

𝗧𝗮𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗼. 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗻. 𝗗𝗮𝗮𝗻-𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗶 𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗸𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗮, 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝘁𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗮 𝗶𝘀𝗮'𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗮. 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗶 𝘀𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁!

#𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
#𝗙𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗡𝗴𝗦𝗶𝗸𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗮
#𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗦𝗮𝘆𝗮
#𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽


📝: Zeirel Batiquin
🎨: Prescious Bagorio