During preschool years, students often receive stars from their teachers because of their academic excellence. As they progress through their studies, maintaining the stars can cost much for it not to die. Aside from teachers, guidance counselors also help these stars remain illuminated. However, they are scarce in numbers. This makes it a struggle to keep thousands of stars alive on their own and needs much more aid than they can offer.

To identify mental health concerns, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) partnered with Miriam College to roll out guidance counselors and support staff training in school. According to CHEd Commissioner Prospero de Vera III, colleges suffer from guidance counselor deficiency due to the absence of the counselor’s career progression. The finding is counterproductive to the commissioner senate appeal to require aspiring counselors to take a master’s degree before taking a licensure exam.

Even so, it might be a growing concern that their services remain underused even if guidance counselors are scarce within the country. In the October 2021 report of the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI), “close to one in five Filipino youth aged 15-24 have ever considered ending their life,” however, few only seek professional help. Hence, these affected youth tend to navigate their struggles on their own, affecting their mental health and academic performance.

During the Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the CHEd’s proposed 31.6 billion pesos for the 2025 budget, Sen. Joel Villanueva inquired about the “alarming number” of students dropping out of college. He cited 40.6 percent of students dropping in 2021 and 39.3 percent in 2022.

However, CHEd Commissioner Prospero de Vera III explained that data from 2021 until 2023 are “slightly different due to the pandemic. In a meeting with the House in August 2024, he shared that 2024 dropout rates dropped to 29.4 percent from 41.03 in 2023. The cost of living expenses, the student’s issues with their families, and relocation are the primary reasons for dropout among them.

Amid the pandemic, mental health concerns took a toll on students and affected whether they should still pursue a college degree. Up until now, CHEd’s data showed that students’ mental health is still the primary reason to drop out in 2024 despite lower rates.

For Thomasians’ mental welfare

Among young people, anxiety remains a growing concern, and Thomasians are no exception, with the academic pressure and environment contributing to it.

In a 2022 interview with psychology experts by TomasinoWeb, it was confirmed that during the transition from online classes to face-to-face learning, students experienced heightened anxiety. This was particularly evident when they took assessments on-site while learning online. Their brains gradually “shut down” and fail to entirely focus on the exam at hand, affecting their examination results. While this may be part of the adjustment process, schools must recognize and support students’ needs during this time.

The University of Santo Tomas has 45 guidance counselors in various faculties and colleges. However, the number of enrollees for the first term of school year 2024-2025 is 35,685, which means that one counselor is equivalent to 1,200 college students. This ratio may seem detrimental to the mental health of the mental health experts, but it shows that the influx of students seeking help may affect the quality of service that a provider gives.

Among the programs by the Counseling and Career Center (CCC) includes Thomasian Resources for Intensifying Student Empowerment (ThomRISE) for counseling. At the same time, they offer physiological assessment and testing through the Thomasian Assessment for Competence and Empowerment (ThomACE), which is available to students.

Yna*, a third-year Thomasian, said that when she was in the middle of processing her leave of absence forms due to her “mental health declining,” she confided to the guidance counselors at the University.

“They guided me through the process, laid out all the options, gave moral and practical advice, and created a comforting and supportive space,” she said.

Every year, CCC holds focus group checkups to ensure that UST still cares for the students despite heavy workloads. However, as students are bundled in a Google Meet or classroom, they are uncomfortable sharing personal information with the participants and are concerned about their anonymity. These huddles can alter students’ responses to avoid vulnerability because privacy is at the forefront of addressing mental health issues.

In addition, Yna shared that instead of general messages like “mental health matters,” the University should specify their moves according to what the students actually experience.

“Mental health support groups could focus on specific issues students face, like academic pressure or family challenges,” the junior said.

UST’s counseling service implemented numerous publication materials featuring ways to improve one’s mental health and even Zoom sessions that showcase experts and advocates to help students in their well-being. Student participation has been a disease to most universities, including UST, since most of the publication materials were shared and liked by a handful and less than a hundred students for the sessions. Most students agree that they prioritize their rest or do their academic workflows instead of attending these events. This tells us that UST should refresh these tactics to engage their students in valuing their health.

Mental health is the cornerstone of success. Teachers and parents should not underestimate students’ academic excellence without understanding their pain to go to the top. Moreover, students deserve mental health support that advocates for them to be open and not be overshadowed by fear.

Excellent counselors and efficient programs are critical to helping stellar students regain their full glow after it has flickered over the years. After all, even the brightest stars could crash and burn, too, and that’s when they need realigning the most.

*Yna’s real name has been withheld upon request.