PsycServ(-ing) the People with Ginhawa and Compassion
Since being awarded the Gawad Pangulo in 2021, UP Diliman PsycServ continues to break down barriers, and create safe, supportive spaces for the entire UP community.
“It was quiet, serene, private, and literally comfy. Hindi ko naramdaman na I had a hard time sharing because of the whole vibe of the place,” says Zach*, an employee at the University of the Philippines. Recounting their experience at the UP Diliman Psychosocial Services (UPD PsycServ), they reflect on how the tranquil atmosphere of the space eased their initial apprehension about seeking help. “Nakatulong [ang PsycServ] sa akin; ang dami kong natutunan while I was there, as I struggled mentally over the past year. Never kong naramdaman na hinusgahan nila ako.”
Like Zach, UP students, faculty, and staff find refuge and support in the cozy counseling rooms of the UPD PsycServ at Vinzons Hall. Here, individuals find not just a safe space to express their thoughts and feelings, but also a nurturing environment where their struggles are genuinely heard, their emotions validated, and their spirits uplifted.
How It Began
Established nearly a decade ago, the UPD PsycServ has roots that stretch back further within the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. “We first attempted it in our own college 15 years ago,” shares current PsycServ Director Dr. Divine Love Salvador. “We then helped improve services in the OCG [Office of Counseling and Guidance] from 2015 to 2017 during Dr. Bautista’s tenure as Director (with Dr. Tuazon and me helping out as program development consultants).”
In a country where talking about mental health is still catching on, the visionary faculty at the Department of Psychology and the founding leadership team of PsycServ—Dr. Violeta V. Bautista, Dr. Divine Love Salvador, and Dr. Anna Cristina Tuazon—have long sought to establish a mental health and psychosocial support service in UP Diliman. In October 2017, the team established PsycServ after finding support from then-UPD Chancellor Michael Tan, who sought their help in establishing a new office that functions beyond guidance and counseling. “We started the work very much aware of [the] negative attitudes towards mental health, ginhawa, and the idea that a university could be a place in which people’s well-being are taken care of,” Dr. Salvador further reflects. “There were times we felt very much alone in the work.”
However, almost ten years later, the once-quiet movement moved from the margins of the UP community to the very center of the University’s culture. “We approach our 10th anniversary in significantly kinder times,” remarks Dr. Salvador, reflecting on the profound changes that have taken place over the years. “UP Diliman, for example, now has the UPD MHPSS Network, chaired by the OVCSA [Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs] and co-chaired by PsycServ.”
And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, PsycServ quickly shifted to telepsychological services to make sure mental health support stayed accessible and responsive to what Filipinos needed during that challenging time. Working within the Ginhawa framework, PsycServ developed an innovative range of online services focusing on telepsychotherapy, online training to faculty/staff/employees on psychosocial support, creation of streamlined systems for online service delivery, research initiatives on refined interventions, workshops addressing the challenges of the new normal, and advocacy programs that promote mental health awareness. PsycServ widened its scope beyond UP Diliman and reached out to meet the psychosocial needs of the broader UP community and external partners. Touted as one of the first groups offering free psychosocial support to the general public, PsycServ mobilized over 100 dedicated volunteer mental health workers during the first year of the pandemic and in the wake of Typhoons Rolly, Quinta, and Ulysses. These activities are complemented by psychoeducational workshops, engaging infographics, and a comprehensive resource database, demonstrating their commitment to the well-being of Filipinos.
In recognition of their tireless efforts, PsycServ was awarded the Gawad Pangulo sa Natatanging Serbisyo Publiko in 2021.
PsycServ, the Multi-awarded Public Service Program
After the awarding ceremony in 2021, “it was work and life as usual for PsycServ—” says Dr. Salvador, “but the Gawad Pangulo award came to us at a significant time in our growth and expansion as a mental health and psychosocial support service provider for the UP Diliman community.” This accolade shone a spotlight on their outstanding contributions in public service, especially during the challenging times of the pandemic. “We believe that this award came at the right time and helped to provide appropriate recognition of our ethos and vision as an organization, but also specifically the service that we offered during a critical time in national (and global) history, when people were struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Salvador adds.
For Dr. Salvador, receiving the Gawad Pangulo award is a testament to the University’s increasing acknowledgement of the crucial role mental health and well-being play in education. The recognition embodies PsycServ’s and the University’s shared vision of transforming UP into a supportive and nurturing community where everyone can thrive and experience ginhawa.
More recently, PsycServ enjoyed a remarkable boost in reputation and visibility both within and beyond UP, culminating in an impressive national recognition with a 2nd place award from DOH and DOST-PCHRD in the 1st GCARSIH. While enjoying well-deserved recognition, PsycServ wisely stays grounded and focused on understanding the evolving needs of its expanding clientele. “[W]hat’s more important is that these awards are key indicators of trustworthiness and high-quality service, which help assure our (actual and potential) beneficiaries and partners that when they work with and/or receive service from PsycServ, they are doing so with some of the best clinical psychologists and mental health professionals in the country.”
PsycServ isn’t in it for the spotlight. Their mission has always been clear: to provide ethical, high-quality mental health services that their team and their community can truly stand behind. And it shows. Over the years, PsycServ has transformed from being a university resource into a benchmark of compassionate, evidence-based mental health care. While many organizations might scramble for external validation, PsycServ finds its affirmation in the stories shared by clients and the trust they build.
What keeps them going? It’s not the applause but the impact. It’s their consistently high client ratings. It’s the growing reputation they’ve earned as the workplace for clinical psychologists and mental health professionals looking for meaningful, high-quality training and supervision. “We also value our consistently high positive client ratings of our services/programs as well as our reputation as the go-to employer for clinical psychologists and mental health professionals who want high-quality training and supervision.”
So, when PsycServ was honored with the Gawad Pangulo award, it felt more like a heartfelt gratitude than a finish line. “The Gawad [Pangulo] award has been a wonderful icing on this awesome cake,” Dr. Salvador said, with characteristic humility and warmth.
Because for PsycServ, the real reward has always been the work itself. It has always been the cake—not the icing—the quiet transformations, the communities built, and the lives touched.
"Be dogged."
“Be dogged,” says Dr. Salvador, encouraging aspiring leaders to do public service with the same passion and rigour.
Tenacious. Unyielding. The founders of PsycServ built something extraordinary not because it was easy, but because they believed it was necessary. And that belief has paid off—quietly but powerfully.
Having attained a roster of satisfied clients, high employee retention, collaborative partnerships, and national recognition, PsycServ is now a respected program in the mental health field. But more than that, it’s become a place where people feel safe to show up as they are and where professionals are trained with compassion and excellence.
Still, the team remains grounded. They know the work isn’t finished. “There is much work that still needs to be done and will perhaps always continue to be done. We are happy to see our own University’s willingness to work with and alongside us.”
“Sana magpatuloy pa ang programang ito. At sana maging bukas din ito sa public, hindi lang sa atin sa UP, knowing na marami pa silang pwedeng matulungan,” Zach contemplates. “Sana hindi lang ito yung maging program natin para sa mental health dito sa UP.”
(*Not their real name, the interviewee asked to remain confidential)
The UP Padayon Public Service Office has officially opened the nominations for the Gawad Pangulo sa Natatanging Serbisyo Publiko.
The Gawad Pangulo sa Natatanging Serbisyo Publiko aims to effect meaningful change across the UP System by identifying, supporting, and scaling impactful public service programs that deliver tangible benefits to communities and demonstrate the University’s role as a premier public service university.
Public service initiatives implemented by UP units, personnel, and student organizations from 01 January 2022 to 30 June 2025 may be nominated. Public service initiatives shall have already made significant contributions or impacts within the said period.
The awarding will be on June 2026 during the Linggo ng Unibersidad.
View the full mechanics on our website: https://publicservice.up.edu.ph/gawad-pangulo-sa…/
Cover Design by Chu Quinto
Edited by Trish Baes & AVP Mark Lester Chico
Photos from Mara Tamayo, PsycServ