Kapestorya: Caraga State U brews open dialogue to strengthen mental health
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The ‘Kapestorya’ at the New Admin Conference Hall of the Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City brews more than just free coffee-–the place is filled with aroma of shared insights, empathy and hope over a warm cup.
According to Doctor Ruth E. Sanchez, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in CSU, ‘Kapestorya’ is a combination of the words ‘kape’ and ‘storya,’ which means coffee and conversation in local dialect.
“This program features open dialogue that brings students together to share experiences to counselors and facilitators on-site. This aims to inspire understanding, hope and break barriers to strengthen the bond within the campus community,” she said.
“The Kapestorya is an initiative of the state university to support the mental health of the students and even the employees. This is spearheaded by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, especially the Psychology Department, in partnership with the Office of the Counseling and Career Services,” Sanchez noted.
She added, “This is conducted yearly, with the recent one on September 4, with 100 students who participated, and before and after major examinations to ensure holistic well-being and nurture the resilience of the learners.”
Meanwhile, Guidance Counselor III Joanne A. Salas of the Office of the Counseling and Career Services, during an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga, reminded the students, including employees who are experiencing mental health issues due to the series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao this month of October and with tremors that reached Caraga region, to call the dedicated numbers of the office for psychosocial support. “Since the university as of this time is on flexible teaching and learning modality, we have dedicated numbers that they can call and seek for help,” she said.
She also shared that for the recent earthquakes, most students had the opportunity to go home and be with their families. However, the office was able to receive a call from an affected student and support was fully given.
“The state university’s psychosocial support is for free and is offered to both campuses in the cities of Butuan and Cabadbaran,” she said. “Primarily this program is for learners affected by calamities, especially students in distress.”
She explained that the psychosocial support program can be implemented through face to face by visiting the Office of the Counseling and Career Services, and safe rooms are made available for conversation with the counselor or facilitator. Another is virtual or calling the dedicated numbers for the program. “In both scenarios, the individual will undergo assessment by the counselor or facilitator, and [other steps] if there is a need for further intervention such as counseling,” she said.
Christine Joy P. Aguipo, chairperson of the Psychology Department of CSU, also shared how the university brings the program closer to the students. “In 2024, a fire incident took place and burned some of the boarding houses, leaving 100 students affected by the incident. 14 of them sought assistance from the program.”
“Aside from Kapestorya, we also handle mental health forums and we work closely with the Public Information and Communications Office of CSU so we can disseminate the program and encourage more students to break the stigma and bravely seek help,” Aguipo added.
For the Caraga State University, serving as the second home of the learners, it is committed to give mental health and well-being utmost priority through awareness, compassion, and support, fostering a caring and inclusive campus community. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)
