Baguio Central University’s commitment to nurturing academic excellence and the holistic well-being of its employees was demonstrated on February 16, 2026, as teaching and non-teaching employees across the institution gathered for Project H.E.A.R.T. — a whole-day development training centered on Health, Ethics, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork. Organized by the Human Resource Development Office in collaboration with the Guidance Services Office and the Office of the President, the training brought together faculty, staff, and administrators — including representatives from the Graduate School — in a shared commitment to building a healthier, more ethical, and more collaborative BCU community.
The day’s program carried a unifying message voiced early on by Vice President for Administration Dr. Perfecto M. Lopez who welcomed participants, and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Elma D. Donaal, who expressed expectations and ways forward with a simple but powerful declaration: ‘The way forward is collective.’ It was a message that would resonate across every session, reminding participants that individual well-being and institutional integrity are not separate pursuits, but deeply intertwined responsibilities.
Morning Session: Mind Matters — Caring for Your Mental Health
The training opened with a deeply engaging session on mental health facilitated by Christine Gina Dailay-Camsol, RPsy, Chapter Executive Manager of the Philippine Mental Health Association, Cordillera Chapter, Inc. Drawing on both clinical insight and cultural warmth, Ms. Dailay-Camsol invited participants to honestly assess their mental health on a given day — a simple but powerful act of self-awareness that set the tone for the morning.
Grounded in the World Health Organization’s framework, she described mental health as a state of well-being encompassing four key capacities: realizing one’s own potential, coping with the normal stresses of life, working productively, and contributing meaningfully to the community. Rather than presenting these as abstract ideals, she guided participants through personal reflection — encouraging each one to enumerate their own strengths and positive qualities, an exercise that drew both laughter and quiet introspection from the group.
Ms. Dailay-Camsol emphasized that mental health exists on a continuum — from a healthy, resilient state to one of reacting, injury, and illness — and that movement along that continuum can happen to anyone. Citing that one in five Filipinos is affected by a mental health condition, she dismantled the stigma surrounding the topic, reminding the audience that mental illness, like physical illness, is a medical reality requiring compassion and proper care.
She introduced the acronym DANGEROUS MINDS as a tool for early recognition of warning signs — from disturbed sleep and anxiety to social withdrawal and sudden behavioral changes — while also presenting MENTAL HEALTH as a practical framework for prevention, encompassing physical activity, self-expression, relationship-building, and the cultivation of resilience. From the GS and CTELA participant’s refection, she had a message which was both gentle and firm: “Exhaustion is not a badge of honor. If you are tired, go home and rest.”
Dr. Lourdes Trajano synthesized the morning’s insights, underscoring the importance of a holistic, bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to mental wellness — one that embraces families, workplaces, and communities as essential partners in care. Her summary closed with the speaker’s enduring invitation: “Make each day your favorite day.”
Afternoon Session: Working Better Together — Interpersonal Effectiveness in the Workplace
The afternoon shifted focus to the relational dimensions of professional life, with Ms. Liza A. Ngiao, Guidance Service Specialist from the University of the Philippines Baguio, leading participants through an immersive workshop on interpersonal effectiveness. Beginning with an exploration of emotional intelligence and the recognition of shared identity with others. Ms. Ngiao grounded the session in cultural values before introducing evidence-based communication frameworks drawn from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The session revolved around four core skills captured in the acronym CORE: Clarity, Openness, Regulation, and Empathy.
The D.E.A.R.M.A.N. framework taught participants to communicate directly and respectfully — describing facts, expressing feelings, asserting needs, and negotiating toward mutual solutions while remaining focused and composed. Complementing this was the G.I.V.E. model, which prioritized relational harmony: being gentle, genuinely interested, validating others, and maintaining an easy, open manner, especially in moments of conflict.
For emotional regulation, Ms. Ngiao introduced the T.I.P.P. technique — Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, and Paired Muscle Relaxation — as immediate, physiologically grounded tools for de-escalating heightened emotions before they derail professional interactions. Equally memorable was the F.A.S.T. model for protecting self-respect: being fair, refusing to apologize for one’s existence, staying true to one’s values, and remaining truthful even under pressure.
The afternoon workshop focused on a human note. Ms. Ngiao invited each participant to reflect on three commitments: one behavior to stop, one to start, and one relationship to improve. In a room of academic professionals carrying the weight of institutional responsibility, it was a quietly radical act — to acknowledge that relationships require intentional tending, and that being seen and understood by another is not a luxury, but a foundation of effective work. As she reminded the group: “It is not what you said, but how you make them feel that matters.”
Ethics in Action: Accountability and Professional Conduct
The training concluded with a session on ethics delivered by Prof. Reynaldo LL. Orille, Visiting Professor at Saint Louis University. With clarity and conviction, he challenged participants to move beyond legal compliance and toward genuine ethical practice — drawing a critical distinction: “Something can be legal but still unethical. Ethics begins where the law ends.”
Prof. Orille walked the audience through the core ethical standards expected of BCU employees: fairness and impartiality, responsible use of authority and resources, professional conduct and respect, and the careful stewardship of confidential information. He was particularly emphatic on this last point: “Access to confidential information is earned trust — not a personal entitlement. Privilege ends the moment confidentiality is treated casually.”
He also addressed the territory of ethical gray areas — the everyday situations where intentions may be good but justifications can quietly erode integrity. His message was clear: ethical culture is not built through grand declarations, but through consistent daily choices, especially when no one is watching. To help employees self-check, he offered a straightforward Values and Ethics Quick Test: Is it legal? Does it comply with our values? Would it make you feel bad? Could it withstand public scrutiny? If in doubt — ask, and keep asking until you get an answer.
He closed with a reminder both sobering and inspiring: “You carry the university’s name long after office hours end.”
A Shared Commitment, Beyond the Walls
The Graduate School’s participation in Project H.E.A.R.T. reflects its ongoing dedication to the principles that animate BCU’s mission — Veritas, Equitas, Libertas, and Justitia. The training served as a timely reminder that academic institutions are, at their core, communities of people — people who deserve care, respect, clear communication, and ethical leadership in equal measure.
As Ms. Jamaica Luisa Simon challenged participants during her closing remarks, the insights gained from this day must be translated into practice, brought into classrooms, offices, and every interaction within and beyond BCU. Project H.E.A.R.T. was not merely a training event. It was an invitation to build the kind of institution that BCU aspires to embody each and every day.
Photo Credits: Michael Rodriguez
#BCUProjectH.E.A.R.T.