First of all, I would like to congratulate all the new licensed and registered Psychometricians and Psychologists! And I’d also like to congratulate your parents, families, loved ones who are here celebrating with you. Pasalamatan natin sila kasi pinag-tiyagaan nila kayo nung nag-rereview kayo kahit na kayo ay masungit, walang tulog at di makausap.
You know, 2018 is a great year to celebrate this milestone in your life, because this year we also celebrated a milestone in our profession – the enactment of the Philippine Mental Health Law. A law that, just like the Psychology Act, took about three decades to get passed. The length of time it it took for these bills to get signed is a symbol of our struggle to make people understand the value of mental health. Yet, the fact that we now have these laws is also a symbol that finally, people are beginning to realize how important mental health is. Hopefully, this means that in the future, more people will recognize just how valuable our profession is.
Nevertheless, the journey ahead will not necessarily be an easy one. I realize that many psychologists & psychometricians are not yet practicing or making a living out of this profession. And I DO understand the frustration. But I also think it’s important for us to get some perspective. After all, we are only on our 8th year of licensure and only the 5th year of licensure exams - Unlike teachers, doctors, nurses that have been professionalized for more than 40 years. So in a sense, our profession is still in its early childhood stage. And unlike these well-established professions, many Filipinos still don’t understand what we do. There are those who think we can read minds. There are those who confuse us with psychiatrists or counselors. And there are those who calls us psychos.
So I guess my message to you all is to view today, not as an end to your journey. As you take your oath and wear your pin, I hope you view this not as having arrived but just getting started. I want you to remember that you belong to this generation that is shaping who and what we will become and as such, you are shaping and forging paths in our profession. Whatever you end up doing and wherever your path takes you whether it is in the workplace, clinics, schools, communities, hospitals, or even courtrooms – I hope that you see yourself as a part of a movement.
Whether you are aware of it or not, you have already begun. You studied, spent sleepless nights, drank excessive amounts of coffee, stress-ate, probably gained a few pounds, and read countless books and reviewers. At kahit gusto na ninyo mag-give up after Day 1, bumalik pa din kayo. You fought to get here by taking the risk to take exams that many others have failed. That you are here today is a testament to your fighting spirit. I hope you take this same spirit with you that led you here today because we need you to keep on fighting.
We need you to fight for our country -to help find humane solutions to our country’s many problems. One of the provisions in the mental health law is the offering of mental health services in all levels of society – in the workplace, in schools, in communities. My dream is for us to revise the Psychology Law and revisit not just the role of psychologists but especially that of psychometricians. I really believe that psychometricians can go beyond merely administering tests and think they can play a big role in delivering mental health services especially in communities. Why do I say that? Because today, I am working with many psychometricians at the local government and barangay levels in anti-drug abuse councils, or in government rehabilitation center and they are at the forefront of delivering drug recovery programs in communities. Some are employed, others are volunteers. I know these may not be the most glamorous or highest paying jobs – but they are doing very meaningful work. Maybe one day, if you can afford it or have some time to spare, please consider helping your communities and serving the people who cannot afford professional fees.
We need you to fight for our profession - to educate people that we can do more than read minds. We need you to show others how we can help them, what we are capable of, and what we can do that others cannot. I hope that one day, all Psychology students come out of college with basic counseling skills and more importantly, know how to deliver the basic mental health interventions like Psychological First Aid. I know this is possible because our undergraduate students are already being trained to deliver Psychological First Aid and they are not just doing this, they are also teaching others how to do this.
Even with the psychologists taking their oaths today, the ratio of licensed psychologist to Filipinos, is still about 1:100,000. There are simply not enough of us. That’s why I feel both psychologists and psychometricians can play a very big role in our being able to serve the people who need us most. But we need you to fight. We need you to fight to heal the wounded. To stand up for the discriminated. To care for the unloved. To listen to the misunderstood. To help the confused. To encourage the hopeless. To guide those who have lost their way.
Nag-uumpisa pa lang tayo sa propesyon na ito. Sana, sama-sama tayong magtaya, maglingkod at magsilbi sa tao at bayan.
You know, 2018 is a great year to celebrate this milestone in your life, because this year we also celebrated a milestone in our profession – the enactment of the Philippine Mental Health Law. A law that, just like the Psychology Act, took about three decades to get passed. The length of time it it took for these bills to get signed is a symbol of our struggle to make people understand the value of mental health. Yet, the fact that we now have these laws is also a symbol that finally, people are beginning to realize how important mental health is. Hopefully, this means that in the future, more people will recognize just how valuable our profession is.
Nevertheless, the journey ahead will not necessarily be an easy one. I realize that many psychologists & psychometricians are not yet practicing or making a living out of this profession. And I DO understand the frustration. But I also think it’s important for us to get some perspective. After all, we are only on our 8th year of licensure and only the 5th year of licensure exams - Unlike teachers, doctors, nurses that have been professionalized for more than 40 years. So in a sense, our profession is still in its early childhood stage. And unlike these well-established professions, many Filipinos still don’t understand what we do. There are those who think we can read minds. There are those who confuse us with psychiatrists or counselors. And there are those who calls us psychos.
So I guess my message to you all is to view today, not as an end to your journey. As you take your oath and wear your pin, I hope you view this not as having arrived but just getting started. I want you to remember that you belong to this generation that is shaping who and what we will become and as such, you are shaping and forging paths in our profession. Whatever you end up doing and wherever your path takes you whether it is in the workplace, clinics, schools, communities, hospitals, or even courtrooms – I hope that you see yourself as a part of a movement.
Whether you are aware of it or not, you have already begun. You studied, spent sleepless nights, drank excessive amounts of coffee, stress-ate, probably gained a few pounds, and read countless books and reviewers. At kahit gusto na ninyo mag-give up after Day 1, bumalik pa din kayo. You fought to get here by taking the risk to take exams that many others have failed. That you are here today is a testament to your fighting spirit. I hope you take this same spirit with you that led you here today because we need you to keep on fighting.
We need you to fight for our country -to help find humane solutions to our country’s many problems. One of the provisions in the mental health law is the offering of mental health services in all levels of society – in the workplace, in schools, in communities. My dream is for us to revise the Psychology Law and revisit not just the role of psychologists but especially that of psychometricians. I really believe that psychometricians can go beyond merely administering tests and think they can play a big role in delivering mental health services especially in communities. Why do I say that? Because today, I am working with many psychometricians at the local government and barangay levels in anti-drug abuse councils, or in government rehabilitation center and they are at the forefront of delivering drug recovery programs in communities. Some are employed, others are volunteers. I know these may not be the most glamorous or highest paying jobs – but they are doing very meaningful work. Maybe one day, if you can afford it or have some time to spare, please consider helping your communities and serving the people who cannot afford professional fees.
We need you to fight for our profession - to educate people that we can do more than read minds. We need you to show others how we can help them, what we are capable of, and what we can do that others cannot. I hope that one day, all Psychology students come out of college with basic counseling skills and more importantly, know how to deliver the basic mental health interventions like Psychological First Aid. I know this is possible because our undergraduate students are already being trained to deliver Psychological First Aid and they are not just doing this, they are also teaching others how to do this.
Even with the psychologists taking their oaths today, the ratio of licensed psychologist to Filipinos, is still about 1:100,000. There are simply not enough of us. That’s why I feel both psychologists and psychometricians can play a very big role in our being able to serve the people who need us most. But we need you to fight. We need you to fight to heal the wounded. To stand up for the discriminated. To care for the unloved. To listen to the misunderstood. To help the confused. To encourage the hopeless. To guide those who have lost their way.
Nag-uumpisa pa lang tayo sa propesyon na ito. Sana, sama-sama tayong magtaya, maglingkod at magsilbi sa tao at bayan.