The University of Baguio recently hosted a webinar focusing on maintaining a healthy balance between multiple life roles as part of its dedication to promoting better mental wellness practices within the community.
Led by the Linkages Office in collaboration with the Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD), the webinar, “A Learning Session on Balance, Resilience, and Growth”, was held over Zoom on April 24, 2026. The event was geared towards the students of the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), individuals who are defined by their existing work experience, which is what qualifies them for the program. As professionals in the workplace, balancing their career alongside the pursuit of their studies while also ensuring that they don’t neglect their personal lives is of utmost importance. This webinar was an exploration of this very topic, bringing in two esteemed resource speakers who provided their insights on the matter to an eager audience.
The Juggle: Managing Stress, Fatigue, and Personal Responsibilities
Following the opening ceremony, the program formally kicked off with an address from Dr. Antonio Mangaliag, the Dean of the School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA). He gave a well-spoken introduction to the day’s goals and objectives, highlighting the importance of such events for professionals in the modern age.
Afterwards, the first resource speaker, Director Leny Estacio of the CCSD, took to the floor. Her opening segment, titled, “The Juggle is Real: Designing a Life That Works While You Study”, explored the everyday challenges of juggling academic, professional, and personal responsibilities. Often, when dealing with so many stressors at such a constant state, issues such as fatigue and time scarcity can worsen, impacting work productivity and academic performance. Ms. Leny emphasized the importance of maintaining resilience and having clear, established boundaries between different roles. To aid with this, she also introduced the resilience toolkit and outlined several key strategies for managing the demands of the different facets of one’s life.
Pressure to Power: Utilizing Coping Strategies and Building Routine
The following speaker, Dr. Wilfredo II Francis Mina, a well-respected mental health professional currently serving as the head of the Guidance and Counseling Program of the University of the Philippines-Manila, continued the meaningful discussion through his segment titled, “From Pressure to Power: Turning Stress into Sustainable Success”.
His talk opened with the introduction of three domains of stress manifestation: cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses. Acute stress in individuals triggers reactions in these domains, and if unmanaged, it becomes acute stress, which can cause serious health complications down the line. Dr. Francis highlighted different coping strategies that can prevent escalation to the point of needing medical help (though he encouraged seeking medical intervention when needed), such as spending time out in nature, building a healthy routine of adequate sleep, nutrition, and physical movement, and picking up hobbies like journaling, music, or just in general seeing a counselor regularly.
Nurturing a culture of mental wellness in the UB community
After both speakers had formally concluded their talks, Dr. John Balanquit, the Dean of the School of Business Administration and Accountancy (SBAA) was handed the mic to deliver the closing remarks and round out the program. His concluding insights highlighted the core message of the two speakers beautifully: although it takes effort to balance all of these different aspects of daily life, it is worth the peace of mind in the long run.
All in all, the event was a rousing success and was host to a total of 217 participants. It continues to reinforce UB’s efforts to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal No. 3: Good Health and Well-Being in its focus on ensuring that the community is aware of good mental health practices and has access to resources that can help maintain a healthy lifestyle.
