Heads Up PH is Unilab Foundation’s pillar that aims to help build a mentally healthy Philippines
23/10/2025
📍 Day 1 of the Children and Adolescents Risk Screener (CARS) training with schools, under the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Manila.
Twelve (12) identified schools—representing both primary and secondary levels—are set to officially roll out the CARS, a learner mental health screening tool designed to support early identification and intervention.
This training equips school representatives with the essential knowledge and skills to effectively administer the tool, and to accurately document, interpret, and analyze its results.
In alignment to the DepEd Memorandum No. 050, s. 2025 which mandates DepEd schools to conduct Learners’ Health Assessment and Screening (LHAS) for School Year 2025–2026.
18/10/2025
Following last week’s training with partner schools, a half-day training-workshop was held last October 16, with medical and mental health professionals at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) to cascade Heads Up Connect — a school-based referral and management program that equips schools with clear protocols for referring learners’ mental health cases, while strengthening NCMH’s capacity to receive and provide timely care for these referrals.
13/10/2025
On October 8, the Unilab Foundation, in partnership with the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), held a training-workshop on Heads Up Connect — a school-based referral and management program designed to equip partner schools with clear protocols for referring mental health cases, and to strengthen NCMH’s capacity to receive and treat student referrals. The initiative bridges the gap between classroom care and clinical support, ensuring timely help for learners in need.
Participating in the workshop were selected schools from the Schools Division Offices (SDOs) of Quezon City, Mandaluyong, and Navotas, who also serve as partners in the rollout of the Foundation’s Children and Adolescents Risk Screener (CARS) — a universal tool for identifying learners’ mental health risks.
Emphasizing the importance of closing the loop from identification to referral, the Foundation and the program’s lead authors reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the referral process, beginning with these pilot schools in Metro Manila.
10/10/2025
📍Pasig City Mind and Body Fest | “Alaga ang Isip, Alaga ang Pamilya”
We’re still here! Do visit our booth if you’re a participant. See you! 💚
10/10/2025
Back to back events, for mentally healthy learners and schools | On October 8, Wednesday, Unilab Foundation —through its mental health pillar, Heads Up PH—hosted two milestone activities for two of its initiatives on school mental health:
1️⃣ Heads Up Connect – in partnership with the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), a training-workshop that introduced the school-to-clinic referral process and emphasized building a School Crisis Management Process to ensure timely support for students in need;
2️⃣ Children and Adolescent Screener (CARS) Debriefing – a session with pilot implementors from schools in Quezon City, Navotas, and Mandaluyong. This served as a platform to present the results of CARS’ one-year administration, and to explore pathways for potential scale-up in schools.
Both sessions aim to strengthen the capacity of schools to respond to learners’ mental health needs, building responsive, stigma-free, and sustainable systems for the future. The sessions were attended by over 100 participants from the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Quezon City, Mandaluyong, and Navotas, and selected schools under their jurisdiction.
10/10/2025
The world is going through a tough time right now – news about disasters, calamities, conflict batter us daily. Whether we live through them or hear about them, these events may take a toll on our mental health.
This World Mental Health Day 2025 puts a spotlight to mental health in times of emergencies – reminding us that every investment in mental health is investment in recovery, resilience, and wellbeing worldwide.
08/10/2025
We’re ready to today!
In partnership with the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), Unilab Foundation is holding its first-ever training workshop for educators from the Schools Division Offices (SDOs) of Quezon City, Mandaluyong, and Navotas.
On its second phase, the module “Heads Up Connect” is a school-based referral and management program that aims to expand NCMH’s capacity to receive and treat student referrals from partner schools, bridging the gap between classrooms and clinical care.
The half-day event has gathered over a hundred personnel from 16 schools, and 3 SDOs.
Unilab Foundation
07/10/2025
Did you know? We use them interchangeably sometimes, but mental health ≠ mental health concerns. Check out the cards below to know the difference between these terms!
03/10/2025
Ano nga ba ang Heads Up PH? Anu-ano ang mga programa nito? Allow us to shed some light into some of the frequently asked questions we've received so far →
26/09/2025
Mental health struggles do not always look obvious - sometimes, they're masked and hidden. In a world where people learn to hide their true feelings, your kindness is a superpower.
Choose kindness, always. 💚
19/09/2025
Usap tayo saglit?
Pag-usapan natin ang mga salitang madalas nakakaligtaan, kung minsa'y nakakalimutan.
Ang mga salitang ito- tulad mo- ay mahalaga.
Halika, hinga ka muna. Hindi ka nag-iisa.
18/09/2025
How can we better support mental health in our schools?
Join this lecture-workshop with Dr. Sheila Marie Hocson, RGC, RPsy, as she provides practical strategies on "Strategies to Address Psychosocial Concerns, and Promoting Mental Wellbeing in Schools”
These sessions are a must for practitioners, educators, and advocates looking to turn knowledge into action and create positive change in their spaces.
Join our lecture-workshop with Dr. Sheila Marie Hocson, RGC, RPsy, as she provides practical strategies on "Strategies to Address Psychosocial Concerns and Promoting Mental Wellbeing in Schools."
These sessions are a must for practitioners, educators, and advocates looking to turn knowledge into action and create positive change in their spaces.
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Heads Up PH is Unilab Foundation’s mental health pillar that empowers communities to work together for mentally healthy young Filipinos.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), nine (9) in every 100,000 Filipinos, age 15-29 years old, die of su***de. Studies have also shown that an individual’s social, cultural, and biological aspects are factors of mental illnesses. Thus, there is an urgent need to amplify Filipino-centric mental health interventions, focusing on the said age bracket or simply, the youth.
Three months after the enactment of Republic Act 11036 (or the Philippine Mental Health Act) in 2018, Unilab Foundation heeded the call to establish its own mental health platform to strengthen campaigns and programs for the mental health and well-being of Filipinos.
In 2018, Heads Up PH (HUPH) was launched as Unilab Foundation’s mental health pillar. Under Heads Up PH are three sub-programs:
Play It Forward which enables access to therapeutic and developmental play for children;
Educ+ which enables schools, families, and communities to work together for mentally healthy learners; and
#MindYourHealth which empowers local government units in addressing the mental health needs of communities through youth engagement
These sub-programs take the mental health needs of children and young people in the forefront - from building resilience, cultivating positive education in schools, to empowering local organizations and individuals towards building mentally healthy communities. Through these, Heads Up PH aims to build a culture where mental health is a priority.
For almost two years, the program has made relevant impact to the communities that received its support’, championing one (1) national policy, and reaching more than 30,000 Filipinos.
With your help and support, we can reach more. Together, let’s build a culture where mental health is a priority.
