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Engage Engage: The Official Institutional Student Publication of De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute

Engage warmly extends its heartfelt birthday greetings to Felicia Jamir, its Managing Editor-in-Chief. May your special ...
19/10/2025

Engage warmly extends its heartfelt birthday greetings to Felicia Jamir, its Managing Editor-in-Chief. May your special day be filled with joy, fulfillment, and well-deserved celebration.

: Following the announcement of Governor Abeng Remulla, face-to-face classes for October 20 are suspended.All classes w...
19/10/2025

: Following the announcement of Governor Abeng Remulla, face-to-face classes for October 20 are suspended.

All classes will shift to online synchronous modality, while clinical clerkships and student internships will proceed as scheduled. | via OVCA

: As of 8:00 AM, Cavite has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 1 due to . Strong winds and moderate to...
19/10/2025

: As of 8:00 AM, Cavite has been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal no. 1 due to . Strong winds and moderate to heavy rainfall are expected to affect parts of the province within the next two hours. | via DOST-PAGASA

SA ATIN PA RIN ANG KORONA! 👑🇵🇭 : Miss Grand Philippines 2025, Emma Mary Tiglao, has been crowned Miss Grand Internationa...
18/10/2025

SA ATIN PA RIN ANG KORONA! 👑🇵🇭

: Miss Grand Philippines 2025, Emma Mary Tiglao, has been crowned Miss Grand International 2025 held in Thailand, succeeding fellow Filipina CJ Opiaza. This historic victory marks a back-to-back win for the Philippines, solidifying the country’s dominance on the Miss Grand International stage.

Screengrab from GrandTV/Youtube

: It takes a cat to know how to land on its feet, and in the jungle of Philippine politics, Representative Francisco “K...
18/10/2025

: It takes a cat to know how to land on its feet, and in the jungle of Philippine politics, Representative Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga III has mastered that art. His “meow meow” politics, a blend of humor, rebellion, and irony, has clawed its way into the nation’s attention. On social media, he purrs about reform and posts memes that make the establishment squirm. But behind the playfulness lies a deeper contradiction. Like a cat holding its own mask, Barzaga lives between two selves: the comedian and the public servant.

Kiko Barzaga, the 26-year-old first-term representative of the Fourth District of Cavite, wants to be seen as the new breed of fearless Filipino politician—sharp, witty, and unfiltered. Yet beneath the viral act lies something less noble. His brand of politics thrives on noise instead of nuance. Every quip, every post, every controversy appears calibrated for attention rather than accountability. In doing so, Barzaga risks mistaking clout for courage.

Barzaga’s defiance became national news after his public tirades against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Wearing his Philippine Army reservist uniform, he accused the AFP of distrusting the President. The outburst prompted the Army Reserve Command to recommend his delisting from the roster of reservists, according to GMA News Online and the Philippine News Agency last September 2025. Instead of reflecting, Barzaga stood by his words, treating the controversy as a personal victory rather than a national concern.

And controversy, for Barzaga, has become both fuel and armor. Headlines continue to follow him for all the wrong reasons. He clashed with House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez over alleged irregularities in Cavite infrastructure projects, and he called for President Marcos’s resignation, as reported by The Philippine Star last September 2025. When the House Committee on Ethics summoned him, Barzaga skipped the hearing and later claimed he had been “up late gaming.” These incidents built a portrait of a lawmaker who confuses performance with principle and shock value with substance. Barzaga’s jokes may draw cheers, but they echo over a country still waiting for justice.

His popularity among the youth reveals the changing face of political influence. He speaks their language, memes their frustrations, and mirrors their disillusionment. Yet popularity is not leadership. Behind every witty post is silence on the most urgent issues: inflation, education reform, and poverty alleviation. While others work toward unity, he works toward virality.

Supporters argue that he is authentic, a reflection of a new generation of unapologetic leaders. But authenticity without accountability is emptiness in disguise. If Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga III continues to treat governance as a theater, he will not be remembered as a reformer, but as an entertainer who mistook applause for achievement.

The mask will slip. When it does, the applause may fade faster than his relevance.

Written by JDO

: Ten fellows from the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute (DLSMHSI) presented their research on October ...
18/10/2025

: Ten fellows from the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute (DLSMHSI) presented their research on October 1, 2025, at the “Advancing Universal Health Care in the Philippines through Evidence Synthesis” symposium held at the University of Santo Tomas.

The event marked the completion of their Australia Awards Fellowship in Evidence Synthesis with JBI and the University of Adelaide, supported by the Australian Government, showcasing studies that advance evidence-based policymaking under the Universal Health Care (UHC) framework.

The honorees from DLSMHSI are Prof. Celso P. Pagatpatan, Jr., RN, MSN, DrPH; Prof. Alely S. Reyes, RN, MAN, PhD; Prof. Margel C. Bonifacio, PhD; Assoc. Prof. Diana Dalisay A. Orolfo, RPh, MPH; Assoc. Prof. Madelyn A. Gabrieles, MSc (Physical Therapy); Assoc. Prof. Kerwyn Jim C. Chan, RSLP, MSc; Asst. Prof. Michael Justin S. Valles, RN, MAN, CHRMO, CHQO; Dr. Jeriel R. De Silos, MD; Dr. Fredyrose Ivan L. Pinar, PhD (Science Education); and Ms. Zipporah M. Dery-Cruz, RL, MLIS. Each fellow presented a systematic review designed to inform evidence-based health programs addressing priority national issues such as digital health, rehabilitation, and health system governance.

Organizers emphasized that the fellowship was designed to build Filipino scholars’ capacity in evidence synthesis, enabling them to generate high-quality systematic reviews that can be integrated into policymaking, guideline development, and health technology assessments. The symposium also served as a venue for research dissemination and professional collaboration among policymakers, academic leaders, and health system stakeholders, underscoring the importance of translating global research standards into local health solutions.

According to DLSMHSI officials, this milestone positions the institute as an emerging hub for evidence synthesis in Southeast Asia. Moving forward, the institution plans to expand research training and partnerships to further embed evidence-informed decision-making within the Philippine health system. The fellows’ accomplishments reflect DLSMHSI’s continuing commitment to advancing Universal Health Care through scholarship, collaboration, and translational research.

Report by JDO

: Mental Health weighs the same importance as physical health. Despite our society progressing in its attempts to break...
18/10/2025

: Mental Health weighs the same importance as physical health. Despite our society progressing in its attempts to break free from the stigma that surrounds mental health, there are still remaining stigma we continue to be chained onto. In spite of all the awareness and advocacies we continue to voice out for, millions of people across the world still battle in silence with mental illnesses due to persistent lack of accessible, affordable, and effective mental health services. Through the Mental Health Awareness Month, celebrated every October of the year in the Philippines, we shed light to these existing problems.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2025, more than 1 billion people are living with mental health disorders, with such conditions like: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, bipolarity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc. Consequently, su***de remains as a devastating outcome to mental health disorders, in which 727,000 people around the globe take their lives every year. Additionally, in the Philippines, nearly 2,000 Filipinos committed su***de from January to June 2025. These numbers represent not just statistics, but real lives affected. These people who struggle with mental health are also students overwhelmed by academic pressure, workers battling burnout, parents coping with financial stress, and young people facing identity and self-worth issues.

Despite efforts to advocate for mental health, access to mental health care services still remains as a major challenge. Nowadays, access to mental health care seems more of a privilege rather than a right. In the Philippines, one mental health checkup costs ₱2,000 to ₱5,000. This cost is not inclusive of medications. Evidently, those who are of lower bracket families are not able to cope with the expenses of mental health care. Additionally, rural areas face difficulty in finding facilities and specialists. Therefore, most people who struggle with mental health often suffer in silence without any choice.

Beyond systemic struggles, stigma towards mental health disorders still remains. People who struggle with mental health problems are often either overlooked or made fun of. Mental health is recurrently viewed as a personal weakness rather than a medical condition. People who have mental health disorders are often labeled as weak, crazy, or dramatic.

These challenges reflect on how Mental Health Awareness Month must be more than just one month of recognition. It must translate into concrete actions that ensure that healthcare for mental disorders become accessible and affordable to all, and that stigma towards mental health disorders would be eradicated. As we observe Mental Health Awareness Day, let this be a constant reminder that behind every statistic is a human fighting an invisible battle.

Written by GMA

: Students from Cavite State University - Main Campus, National University, De La Salle University-Dasmarinas, Emilio A...
17/10/2025

: Students from Cavite State University - Main Campus, National University, De La Salle University-Dasmarinas, Emilio Aguinaldo College, and St. Benedictine initiated a protest at the People Power Monument, Dasmariñas today, October 17 for National Day of Action against Corruption.

The participants organized rallies in various forms and made different statements on their respective campuses, all with a unified goal: to advocate for change in the country's system, especially to address the corruption in education including budget cuts, tuition fee increase, and other human rights violations.

They also call to condemn the role of the US-Marcos Jr. regime in the continuous act of corruption.

Report by SHP

: Sa bawat tiklop ng pangarap, lumilipad tayo–hindi sa pakpak ng ibon, kundi ng pananalig.Written by LGLayout by NCD
17/10/2025

: Sa bawat tiklop ng pangarap, lumilipad tayo–hindi sa pakpak ng ibon, kundi ng pananalig.

Written by LG
Layout by NCD

: Half a century later, the Philippines still chases rice self-sufficiency, now at greater cost and deeper inequality. ...
17/10/2025

: Half a century later, the Philippines still chases rice self-sufficiency, now at greater cost and deeper inequality. What was once hailed as a miracle has become a cycle of dependence that continues to starve the Filipino farmer.

Written by JDO
Layout by JDO

: The College of Nursing (CN) Days 2025 from October 9 to 11 shone the DLSMHSI Animo Center with glitz and glimmer thro...
17/10/2025

: The College of Nursing (CN) Days 2025 from October 9 to 11 shone the DLSMHSI Animo Center with glitz and glimmer through their anticipated booths, pageant, dance competition, battle of the the bands, and sports fest, successfully wrapping up ‘Solaraith: Beyond All Seen, Beneath All Felt.’

: FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List Representative Brian Daniel Poe Llamanzares is pushing the implementation of “Nationa...
17/10/2025

: FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List Representative Brian Daniel Poe Llamanzares is pushing the implementation of “National School Feeding Cloud Kitchens Act”or the House Bill No. 2191 on October 16, Thursday, to provide public school students with nutritious meals while easing the workload of teachers involved in the current feeding program system.

Rep. Poe stated that the initiative seeks to improve the government’s existing campus feeding program by broadening the reach of the National Feeding Program to include secondary level students through cloud kitchens, “yet many of our secondary students attend class hungry, struggling to focus, and unable to perform to their full potential.”

The senator explained that these cloud kitchens would be operated by professionals and serve many schools, ensuring that meals are prepared under strict standards for quality and hygiene.“Teachers will be fully relieved from food preparation and procurement,” he affirmed.

Under the bill, a National School Feeding Council will be formed to oversee the program’s implementation with representatives from the Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Report by CLJ

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