TIMELY issues on mental health, depression, and self-care were highlighted at the Bedan Psychological Society (BPS) event with the theme: “Fire Within: Psych Week 2023,” held last March 25-27, 2023. 

The five-day event included a Quiz Bee and Poster Making contest, Psych Hunt, TEDTalk from Psychology students, an Intersex seminar, and the coronation of the new Mr. and Ms. Psychology, Paolo Miguel Mackay (II-BSP) and Carolyn Carranza (II-BAP) respectively.

The “I” in LGBTQIA 

One of the speakers-Jeff Cagandahan, Founder of Intersex Philippines and co-chair of Intersex Asia, advocated for inclusivity and body autonomy. “We are not rare. We are just invisible,” he said, as he narrated the issues and challenges being faced by the said community, such as “nonconsensual surgery on intersex babies,” discrimination, lack of legal recognition, and adequate healthcare. He called on the Bedan community to be an “Intersex ally” by helping spread awareness of individuals who share the same experiences as him. 

Inside Out

Joaquin Enrique C. Santos (IV-BAP) and Juliana Coleen P. Ragandan (IV-BSP) gave TEDTalks. Santos gave students a glimpse of his life growing up with multiple illnesses and how a solid support system was able to help him get through his life leading up to college. “I know deep in my heart na kaibigan ko talaga sila kasi they really teached me how to traverse the way of things.” 

Ragandan, for her part, gave tips and tricks on how to handle emotions. “Allow emotions to co-exist,” she said. She also mentioned that you can talk about how you feel because “connections create relationships.”

Beauty and Brains

Six students competed for the crown for Mr. and Ms. Psych. Aside from the Q&A portion and the attire categories, all candidates have created their respective advocacies to focus on timely societal issues: mental health, self-care, and battling against depression. The competition was judged by Michele Angela N. Okol, Stephen Legaspi, and Atty. Juan Ruffo Chong, College Dean. The night came to a close as 2021’s Mr. and Ms. Psychology, Reichmond Legaspi Bantilan (III-BSP) and Francesca Medina (III-BAP) passed their titles to this year’s winners, Paolo Miguel Mackay (II-BSP) and Carolyn Carranza (II-BAP).

Behind the Scenes

In an interview with THE BEDAN HERALD, Carranza said “getting out from her shell” gave her the confidence that led her to win Ms. Psychology. “I think the fact that I joined with no intention of winning, and more because I wanted to experience this, helped in getting rid of my nerves which made me more confident in what I was doing. I was just able to enjoy that instead of stressing over winning, and I think that was what gave me more of an edge in the pageant,” she said.

Sean Docena (III-BAP), BPS Internal Vice President, said the event this year was momentous since it’s the first major event held Face to Face since the Covid-19 pandemic. “The feeling was overwhelming,” Docena said, as there was a lot of pressure on the organization given how important Psych Week was for them, but they managed to keep their composure all throughout. 

“After the event, we all felt great relief and proud of ourselves for making such a successful and memorable event possible. It all felt surreal and touching because this might be our last big event before the academic year ends. Some of the officers will be graduating, and some might take a rest from being officers to focus on other things,” he added.