10/10/2026
An anik-anik is a personal keepsake with a meaning known only to its owner. Some experiences are difficult to put into words, and some struggles remain indistinct by the people around us. In a national survey conducted in September 2026, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) found that 38% of adult Filipinos rated their mental health as only fair, while 2% rated it as poor (SWS, 2026).
Similar to an anik-anik that appears to be a companion in people's everyday lives, mental health struggles are often toted stealthily, something unseen by the people surrounding them until the weight is realized far too late. Behind routines of showing up and meeting deadlines, expressing such emotions remain hidden, and are buried beneath the expectations and pressures of life.
For many students, asking for mental health support can be difficult in itself, especially when access to services depends on whether their institutions have the resources and capacity to provide them. The University of the Philippines System faces a proposed ₱2.95-billion reduction in its budget for fiscal year 2027, from ₱29.47 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act to ₱26.53 billion under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (Department of Budget and Management [DBM], 2026). While this proposed reduction does not establish a specific cut to mental health services, it stresses serious concerns about the university's capacity to sustain and expand student services. Students’ rights and welfare must be backed by adequate funding and accessible services.
AKMA UP joins the global observance of World Mental Health Day under this year's theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.” Listening to lived experiences must stand for people to share their struggles, as well as in dealing with the oppressive institutional conditions that trims their access to care.
In line with this, AKMA UP reiterates its call for the hiring of a university psychiatrist and the expansion of basic student services in UP Baguio. We oppose budget cuts that debilitate state universities' capacity to fulfill their responsibilities to students and call for sufficient public funding for education and the services students need. Pondo sa Edukasyon, Hindi sa Korapsyon! If the university and the government are serious about listening to students’ lived experiences, those experiences must hold sway beyond awareness campaigns and statements of concern. Students must have genuine spaces to participate in consultations and decisions concerning student welfare, and the bare minimum of services that public institutions are responsible for providing.
EXPAND BASIC STUDENT SERVICES!
RESTORE PSYCHIATRIC CARE IN UP BAGUIO!
BUDGET CUT SA UP, TUTULAN, LABANAN, ‘WAG PAHINTULUTAN!
