PLDT, Smart empower Passerelles numériques PH student-scholars through mental health awareness talks

Student-scholars of with Passerelles numériques Philippines (PNPh) join the three-part mental health talk series dubbed as “Better Today Conversations”. 

PLDT and Smart, through their Better Today program, partnered with Passerelles numériques Philippines (PNPh) to launch a three-part mental health awareness conversations series for the benefit of the student-scholars of PNPh.

The episodes centered on key topics that impact the mental state and wellbeing of today’s youth such as stress, fatigue, anxiety and managing strong emotions. The series also discussed topics on self-care, self-worth, and self-love. The series also delved on topics such as the effects of the internet and social media on mental health, as well as how to manage social media consumption to protect one's mental health and wellness.

“We are grateful to Passerelles numériques Philippines for collaborating with us to promote safe spaces and raise mental health awareness among their scholars. These collaborations remain guided by the goal we had when we launched Better Today in 2020, and that is to create and cultivate a culture of safe spaces, highlighting digital wellness and mental health. We hope this series has served as a reminder to the PNPh students that there are people and spaces that can bring them a sense of comfort,” said Stephanie Orlino, Assistant Vice President and Head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart.


Dr. Gia Sison is featured as one of the speakers of the conversations series.

With this partnership, PLDT, Smart and PNPh are furthering the promotion of safe spaces and breaking the stigma against mental illness among the youth. Some of the featured speakers included Dr. Gia Sison, content creator Macoy Dubs, and Riyan Portuguez or “Your Millennial Psychologist”.

“This event is a platform for us to explore more insights and learnings about mental health, and later on, about technology which we will use in doing community service for our senior citizens. These conversations will drive us into a brighter future and we thank PLDT and Smart for doing this wonderful series,” said Marilou “Luchi” Flores, Country Representative, Passerelles numériques Philippines.

Promoting digital wellness is a key part of PLDT and Smart’s continuing commitment to help the Philippines contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) #3 that stands for good health and well-being.