Promoting Mindful Wellness: Laya West Community Holds Two Mental Health Roll-Out Sessions
As part of the ongoing implementation of Project MindWell: Mindful Wellness, the Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services, Inc. (CorDisRDS) continues to strengthen community-based mental health awareness through a series of roll-out activities in Barangay Laya West, Tabuk City, Kalinga.
Following the Capacity Building on Mental Health Orientation for Trainers, participants from Laya West—trained local resource persons—took the lead in conducting roll-out sessions in their barangay. These activities aim to promote mental health awareness, strengthen psychosocial resilience, and encourage open discussions on issues affecting community well-being.
Empowering Farmers and Seniors Through Shared Learning
The 5th Roll-Out Session was held with members of the Agriing Kayo Farmers Irrigators Association (AKFIA) and the Bayanihan Vegetables Organization, composed mostly of farmers from Laya West. Meanwhile, the 6th Roll-Out Session engaged members of the Laya West Senior Citizens Chapter, bringing together elders of the community for a day of reflection, discussion, and learning.
Both sessions covered topics on Mental Health Orientation, Parenting, Stress Management, and Indigenous Practices related to mental and emotional well-being. Through interactive discussions, workshops, and video demonstrations, participants learned practical ways to manage stress, practice positive parenting, and appreciate traditional healing and cleansing rituals that promote inner peace and social harmony.
A participants sharing his experience in Parenting
One of the local resource persons shared:
“Mental health is not just for those who have problems. Everyone has mental health, and we should all take care of it.”
Another facilitator emphasized the importance of positive discipline and open communication between parents and children:
“VAWC is not meant to stop parents from disciplining their children—it’s to remind us to discipline with love, not anger. Guidance should help them learn, not fear.”
A local resource person explaining stress and stress management
Indigenous Wisdom and Wellness
Participants also shared and reflected on indigenous practices that promote emotional balance and healing, such as gulgul, posipos, daw-es, and atang. These rituals, rooted in Cordilleran traditions, highlight the community’s long-held understanding that mental wellness is closely tied to spiritual and social harmony.
Community Feedback and Reflections
A participant sharing her insights and experience during the training
Across both roll-outs, participants expressed appreciation for bringing mental health discussions closer to the community.
A farmer and member of the local organization said:
“Adu ti naadal mi, mas lalo idiay stress management. Dakkel a pagyaman mi ta inyeg yu daytoy nga panagadal ditoy barangay mi.”
(“We learned a lot, especially about stress management. We’re grateful that you brought this learning activity to our barangay.”)
Senior citizen participants also shared heartfelt feedback, expressing how valuable the sessions were for them:
“Even at our age, we realized that learning about mental health is important. We hope this won’t be the last activity for us,” one participant said.
Members of Farmers Organizations in Laya West happily posed for a photo after the successful activity.
About Project MindWell
Project MindWell: Mindful Wellness is a mental health initiative implemented by CorDisRDS in partnership with local government units and schools in Kalinga. It aims to promote mental health awareness, strengthen community resilience, and integrate psychosocial support and advocacy for the implementation of the Philippine Mental Health Law at the grassroots level.