OFFICE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

The Office of Guidance and Counseling (OGC) as one of the responsibility centers under the Office of the Vice  Chancellor for Student Services, continuously innovates and transforms itself thru adoption of programs and  constant evaluation of the quality of its services, in order to take part in the university’s initiatives in filling in  the gaps and addressing challenges and contributing holistic and lifelong education. 

Towards a holistic, integrated and balanced lifelong learning. The Information Services of the OGC engaged  the students in college symposia, seminars, trainings and group guidance sessions that paved way to discussion  on a variety of topics. Last October 12, 2022, there were 120 IITians who actively participated in the Mental  Health Forum at the Mini Theater, with Dr. Sheila Marie “Shake” Guevarra-Hocson of the Phil. Guidance and  Counseling Association (PGCA) as the Resource Person. Dr. Shake was both amazed and surprised how  enthusiastic the students were in talking out in the open about mental health, accommodating questions even  from some of those diagnosed with certain mental health conditions. In the same way, the 5,242 First Year  students and transferees from the 7 colleges had listened to their respective counselors as well as from alumni  from their respective colleges who shared their own “there-is-no-success-stories-without-failure stories”  journey in the Dakilang Pamantasan, as well as tips that helped the freshies adjust to college life. The Student  Peer Facilitation and the Peer Tutorial, as two of the auxiliary services of the OGC are also geared towards  affording integrated and balanced learning opportunities for students by tapping on student leadership and  volunteerism in service to their fellow students. The organizational planning was held in April 27, 2022 while the 2-day Basic Helping Skills Training among 49 SPF and LAV aspirants officially placed these aspirants on a  position of having the advantage to help and reach out to their peers being recognized as newly-accepted  Student Peer Facilitators and Learning Assistance Volunteers. In effect, 20 peer facilitators and tutors served as  tour guides during the Campus Tour participated by 1,399 students as part of the weeklong Welcoming IITians  program in August 22-26, 2022. Consequently, in July 8 and November 23, there were 55 and 28 student peer  facilitators and learning assistance volunteers, who were given basic knowledge on Mental Health First Aid  (MHFA) from SPF alumnus Dr. Bruce Bill Buo, and Mr. Gabriel Sebastian Lazada of the Psychological Association  of the Phils. (PAP), as well as paid tribute to their senior co-volunteers who were graduating students then.  Lastly, the 44 peer volunteers attended the Capacity Building Workshop on the various roles they play as  volunteers that included program hosting, secretariat and technical work, macroteaching skills, and  documentation and evaluation report making. The 53 peer volunteers also had the privilege of undergoing the  4-part series of Transdiagnostic Sessions: Mental Health Check among Peer Volunteers on Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10  and 17, 2022, as it is vital for these frontliners to keep track of their own mental health as well. 

Achieving sustainability thru interdisciplinary and integrative approach. The Referral Service of the OGC is in  place to actualize how the counselors need the cooperation of the rest of the university stakeholders, with  students referred by the faculty and staff. A total of 164 student referrals forwarded to and accommodated by  the counselors and advocates of the university. Also, the top and middle management of the university was  oriented on the noblest aim of the Better Mental Health Access (BMHA) Project under the Student Assistance  Program (SAP) titled, “Gabay Tungo sa Liwanag: A Mental Health Program for Students,” thru a series of  meetings and presentations from April to November 2022. The BMHA Project was launched in the same year,  enabling students in need of further psychological assistance to avail of subsidized psychotherapy and/or  psychopharmacological services, with 7 mental health partners from Ozamiz, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.  Other collaborative projects of the OGC include being tapped by the Alumni and Career Center during the  consultative meeting attended by Ms. Charlane N. Gabutan, RPm, and Alay sa Graduates Program at the Gym.

Promoting a supportive learning environment. The very heart of the OGC is counseling, as its primary mandate  is to facilitate exploration of the students’ academic-educational, personal-social and career-vocational  concerns and challenges, as well as guide them through navigation of options and tapping resources available  to draw out positive insights leading to sound, informed and healthy decisions and resolutions. Across a three year span since 2020, the help-seeking behavior of MSU-IIT students indeed improved as captured by an  increase in the figures from 863 (2020) to 408 (2021) and 553 (2022), where this year marked growth in  counseling cases by 141%. The cost center’s efforts to make professional mental health care services accessible  to students was realized by a pronounced hybrid mode of providing both tele web and face-to-face counseling.  Counselor training on e-skills was a tool for the office to adopt to the university’s 70-30 hybrid learning milieu.  Consequently, a follow-up on counseled students also ensured consistency and sustainability of gained insights  and adopted healthy coping patterns. Additionally, there were 3,545 students who underwent the routine Initial  Interviews among the First Year and Exit Interview among the graduating students throughout the year. 

Establishing collaborative engagements for social transformation. Among the highlights of the year for the  OGC are widened linkages with professional organizations and fellow mental health advocates. October 2022  marked the celebration of the World Mental Health Day, delivered thru a line-up of activities such as the Mental  Health Forum with PGCA’s Dr. Shake Hocson as Speaker in October 12, Opening Parade participated by the 7  colleges and the representatives from the Assoc. of Non-Teaching Employees Union (ANTEU) in the same day, a series of audio podcast that featured SPF alumnus Mohammad Rakan Manalang and Al-Hassaner Madale of  Motivation Phils., contests on the Search for Faculty and Student Mental Health Ambassadors that declared Al  Raffy Sarip and Asst. Prof. Sasha Anne L. Valdez as winners, Digital Slogan Making, Short Filmmaking Contest, and Band Competition that hailed the Sumos Unos of the CON as the Champion. Collaborations with the City  Veterinarian Office as well as the Iligan-Pet Adoption and Rescue Team (PART) also was a first time for the OGC  and the OVCSS to host an animal welfare forum, anti-rabies vaccination and neuter operation among dogs and  cats inside the campus among IITian fur parents. Further collaborations were sealed in another SAP project, the  LGBTQ+ Counselor Training where Dr. Joey Marie Jegonia of the Xavier University, shared to 24 counselors and  advocates from MSU-IIT and other schools within Iligan, how important it is for counselors to develop an  improved mindset as well as competencies to appropriately meet the LGBTQ+ client on the stage where they  are. Solidified partnership with 7 psychologists and psychiatrists was also instrumental for the BMHA Project to  be implemented, subsidizing psychotherapy and pharmacological treatment for student clients assessed to be  in need of specialized interventions. 

Commitment to a mission-driven, technology-enabled and excellent operations. The OGC continued to  witness, experience growing pains of transitional leadership since the rotational headship among the 4  counselors, the office was manned again by former Acting Head Prof. Evelyn Dominguez in the first half of the  year, who then mentored the new Acting Head, Mr. Reynald P. Kyamko, RGC from July of 2022 up to present.  Being a truly ISO-certified university, the OGC keeps up with reviewing, evaluating and continuously improving  its process flow, controlled forms as well as procedures, without altering its mandates and commitment to  excellence. On May 26-28, 2022, the 10 OGC personnel had their departmental evaluation and planning at  Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, taking into consideration SWOT analyses of performance outputs as counselors, as  an office as well as the PAP’s of the office. The OGC also improved its document procedure’s manual (DPM),  assigned and labelled controlled forms used for each procedure, and eventually, underwent internal audit last  October 24, 2022. A series of orientation seminars hosted by OQuaMS on October 24-28 were participated by  Mr. Reynald Kyamko, RGC as the Acting Head and Ms. Tessally V. Saquin, RGC as one of the members of the  pool of internal auditors. Evident to the office’s commitment to excellence, OGC’s very own counselor, Ms.  Tessally V. Saquin, RGC was also recognized as one of the recipients of Gawad Dekano Award under the semi academic category during the Institute Charter Day on July 8, for outstanding work performance. Budget  utilization rate for the OGC was also at optimal performance in a range of 78 to 91% utilization of Fund01 and 

Fund05 respectively. In addition to the new Acting Head of the OGC, another Guidance Services Associate was  hired in the person of Mr. Jeremiah B. Bagalanon, RPm, who is assigned to the College of Sciences and  Mathematics, in lieu of the transfer of former Counselor, Ms. Charity M. Pagarigan, RGC to IDS as faculty  member. Technology awareness was also made evident with the use of Google Forms for booking counseling  appointments, Google Meet and other platforms for tele web counseling, as well as the procurement of 3  additional printers for office use. 

Promoting a smart, green and resilient infrastructure. The Testing Services and Individual Planning Services of  the OGC are also part and parcel of ensuring specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bounded  guidance program that are both needs-based and evidence-based. Utilization of individual student data profiles  and results of psychological tests served as objective basis of providing students with accurate constructs for  better self-understanding. There were 3,150 students who accomplished the Needs Assessment Surveys and  Work Values Assessment. Counselors also met with the test takers for the test interpretation of the work values  assessment. Continuing professional development courses were also taken by the counselors on various topics  during the PGCA Annual Convention in May 18-20, PGCA Regional Convention at CDO in September 8-9, PAP  Convention in Sept. 22-24, Unilab and PGCA RACE Against Suicide Gatekeepers Training at Manila in November  21-22, and second phase of CHED’s online Training of Trainors on Universal Prevention Curriculum on Substance  Use in Sept. 27-29. True to walking their talk on the vitality of practicing self-care, the OGC also engaged in  Diffusing Sessions on March 11 with Prof. Evelyn Dominguez as the facilitator, as well as the last leg of Self-Care  and Wellness Program thru an outreach among minor offenders at Pag-Asa Youth Home Center in February,  outdoor healthy Frisbee and teambuilding in March, friendly BINGO games in April, recreational singing in May,  creative art expression in July and a visit to Ground Zero at Marawi in August. The year-round Self-Care and  Wellness Program of the OGC not only served as reminder for the mental health care providers to take care of  their own mental health, but also laid opportunities for improved communications and team dynamics. 

2022 captured the reality that together, everyone achieves more. Such apt acronym for the word, “TEAM”  indeed described the year for the OGC as it looks forward to sealed partnerships, it endeavors to increase  student engagement in many of its innovative, relevant and relatable programs, tailored-fit to cater to the needs  of its clients, effecting significant contribution to its school community and the society.