By Eunhice Corpuz 

In a path of uncertainties and whispers of failure, the Far Eastern University Psychology Society (FEU PsychSoc) managed to push through a superb event entitled ‘PSYCH Assemble: Mental Health Summit’ last March 24. With a theme amplifying ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ the organization paved its way to a transformative path towards mental well-being. 

PsychSoc organized one of its biggest events for this year’s term. Involving diverse speakers who were invited for the Mental Health Summit. 

Including Dr. Eda Lou Ochangco, LPT, PhD; Karen Ann Macalinao; Jholyan Francis Fornillos, RPsy; Jun Angelo Sunglao, RPsy; and Justine Danielle Reyes, RPm. And they are not just talking about Mental Health but also providing a platform for everyone to connect and explore their yellow brick road. 

In an interview with FEU Advocate, third-year student and PsychSoc President Sam Angelica Baticos disclosed that the event was one of her plans when she ran for the presidency. 

“The ‘PSYCH Assemble: Mental Health Summit’ was a vision I carried with me from the very beginning, embedded in my specific plan of action. I had always envisioned a space where Psychology majors could come together—not just to learn, but to truly connect, exchange ideas, share experiences and resources, and champion meaningful causes,” she revealed. 

She viewed the event as a vision that became reality, where it became a stronger version of last year’s ‘Open Table: Mental Health Awareness Seminar.’ 

Additionally, the President mentioned that the summit is aligned to continue the legacy of PSYmmit, which was introduced during last year’s PsychFair, as a way of recognizing a large-scale mental health event. 

“This summit then became a stronger version of the ‘Open Table: Mental Health Awareness Seminar,’ an initiative from the previous term that we wanted to sustain and grow. At the same time, we sought to continue the legacy of PSYmmit from the last PsychFair, recognizing that a large-scale mental health event wasn’t just a worthwhile endeavor—it was a necessity, a responsibility, and an integral part of our program,” the president shared. 

However, unforeseen changes altered the path, challenging the event itself. Last March 24, the event was supposed to be conducted face-to-face at the FEU Main Auditorium but was postponed due to a transport strike. 

 Psychology student and Vice President of PsychSoc Marc Mico Bautista revealed that they had three contingency plans for the event. He described the decision-making upon the three options as a nerve-wracking moment since they had only prepared for a month. 

“We had three plans actually for this. First is to reschedule. Second is to have it onsite na naka-livestream lang, meaning kami lang ng organization and speakers ang andun [sa venue] and no onsite participants, and lastly is itong full online. Last Saturday lang din kami nakapag-decide ng final setup and it was really nerve-wracking kasi nga mahigit one month ‘yung preparation for this [event],” the vice president expressed. 

Despite these hurdles blocking the journey down the yellow brick road, both Baticos and Bautista commend their working committees for managing to push through amid the setbacks and uncertainties. 

Moreover, Associate Director for Events Management and second-year student Alwin Chester Deocareza, discussed the story behind the theme for this year’s summit. 

“The established general topical discussion for the event was ‘Psychology of Trend,’ which focuses on exploring psychological forces behind popular behaviors, ideas, and movements. During our brainstorming session, my co-proponents—Sam, Mico, Gab [Angelo Gabriel Chinlee], and I—discussed ways to creatively represent this concept. Actually, it was Gab who first suggested ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as a thematic inspiration, and it immediately clicked with all of us,” Deocareza said. 

He described that the parallelism of the theme and the goal of the event is woven flawlessly, as he conveyed that the characters’ trip perfectly represents the event’s objective. 

“The characters’ journeys in the film—searching for brains, heart, and courage—perfectly symbolized the event’s objective: guiding our audience on their own mental health journey toward self-awareness and collective responsibility,” he shared. 

The theme and the event displayed the exploration of finding courage while taking the long progression of uncertainties. For the people who tread the yellow brick road, they must have the bravery to find and scope the significance of mental health. 

Deocareza also mentioned that their event’s tagline is intertwined with the whimsical story of the chosen theme and the famous line from the University’s hymn, “Thy Happy Halls.” 

“As the Officer-in-Charge for Content and Marketing, I wanted to tailor it to our school; thus, I came up with the ‘Stepping in Thy Happy Halls onto the Yellow Brick Road’ tagline,” he said. 

For him, this signifies how the Tamaraws get on a transformative journey toward mental wellness—in the pursuit of development and self-nourishment. 

“This line blends FEU’s iconic phrase with the whimsical path from ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ symbolizing how students will embark on a transformative journey toward mental wellness—starting from familiar grounds and venturing into new realms of self-discovery and growth,” the Associate Director added. 

Further for quad completion, Associate Director for External Affairs and second-year student Angelo Gabriel Chinlee saw the event as an opportunity to deliver an advocacy on mental health not only to Psychology students but to every Tamaraw.

“Well, the summit’s goal was to bridge down the discussion of wellness, mental health, and psychology as a whole into a perspective of relatability and a timely discussion. Along with our gathered speakers—well, actually not just speakers, but esteemed professionals within the field—the summit provided ideas and the discourse not just the PsychTams [Psychology Tamaraws] needed but the entire Tamaraw community too,” Chinlee expressed. 

Chinlee regarded the event as momentous because of how the five Psychology professionals discussed the branches of mental health from different perspectives. 

“It was crazy. Can you imagine how incredible it was to witness five professionals, each advocating for psychology in their own unique way, engaged in a lively conversation and respectful debate? Their discussion alone truly highlighted how vast and diverse the field of psychology is,” he shared. 

This sentiment also resonated well with Baticos who revealed that the lineup was not only about bringing together well-known names but also assembling people who share the same vision and could influence the next generation. 

“In the end, our speaker lineup wasn’t just about bringing in well-known names—it was about assembling a group of individuals who truly aligned with our vision and could inspire the next generation of mental health advocates. And seeing the impact they left on our audience, I can confidently say that we achieved exactly that,” the president confidently remarked.

Psychology is indeed intriguing and diverse, and this goes the same with mental health: it is more than an idea or a concept; it is a day-to-day way of living one’s cognitive manifestation. Just like Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow, we have a unique desire to break free from our struggles. So, walking through the voyage of understanding this takes a lot of courage, willingness, and commitment to take the first big step towards mental wellness. 

(Photo taken from FEU PsychSoc’s PSYCH Assemble virtual session)