Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU Psychology students earn major awards at int’l tilt in Jakarta

By Samuel Bermudez and Jay Reian Rocutan, 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴

Psychology students of Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) earned major awards at the Muhammadiyah Aisyiyah International Competition (MAIN Competition) 2026, held on August 4–7 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

MMSU was the only university from outside Indonesia to participate in the competition, which was attended by over 46 Indonesian universities. The MMSU delegation earned awards in debate, creative writing, scientific research, and poster presentation.

The competition was organized by the Muhammadiyah Aisyiyah Higher Education Psychology Association (APSI PTMA) in partnership with the Faculty of Psychology of Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka (UHAMKA).

This year’s competition carried the theme, “Mental Health Across Cultures: Integrating Science and Spirituality for a Better Future,” highlighting culturally responsive and interdisciplinary approaches to mental health and psychological well-being.

MMSU secured first place in Psy-Debate through Samuel Bermudez as Prime Minister, Nicole Angel Faith Pu-od as Deputy Prime Minister, and Mary Von Zelle Pablo as Whip.

The team advanced to the final round, where it competed as the Opposition on the motion: “This House Believes That Public Figures Should Openly Disclose Their Mental Health Conditions.”

Another MMSU team composed of Jay Reian Rocutan, Feanna Myr Casil, and Josh Rafael Fagaragan also participated in the competition.

Frenz Elijah Jahzerah Agbayani placed first in Short Story Telling for her original piece, “Before I Forgot My Name.” The work explored themes of identity and human experience through narrative and performance.

MMSU earned another first-place finish in the online Short Story Writing category through Precious Elysha Tabangcura for her original work, “The Suicide Prayer.”

The two entries brought creative perspectives on psychological experiences alongside the delegation’s academic and scientific presentations.

Sophia Danniela Hermano won first place in Scientific Article Writing for her study, “When Seeking Relief Creates Distress: Doomscrolling as a Maladaptive Emotion Regulation Strategy Among Young Adults.” Her research examined the relationship between digital media consumption and emotional regulation among young adults.

Thomer Briones earned third place in Scientific Article Writing for “𝘜𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩: 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘭𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩.” The study examined how cultural silence may influence the psychological well-being of Ilokano youth, bringing an indigenous and culturally grounded perspective to discussions on mental health.

MMSU also placed third in the Scientific Poster category through Dhanaya Alvianna Nicole Vera, John Natividad, Xian Andrei Ramos, and Ghavie Jenine Umayam for their entry, “𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘭𝘰𝘮: A Narrative Case Study on Sirena Encounters and Place Making among Bereaved Ilokano Families.” The study explored bereavement, place-making, and cultural narratives among Ilokano families.

Other MMSU Psychology students who participated were Nicole Edu, Kyn Achilles Maligsay, Annalie Wisha Nolasco, and Robin Abad.

Ahead of the competition, the MMSU Psychology delegation met with Dean Subhan El Hafiz, Vice Dean Ilham Mundzir, Program Head Yulistin Tresnawaty, and Ms. Atika Rahmania.

The competition also gave MMSU students an opportunity to exchange ideas with participants from Indonesian universities and engage with different perspectives on mental health, culture, and spirituality.

MMSU Director Jeanette Dials of the Internationalization, Linkages, and Partnerships congratulated the students for representing MMSU on the international stage and encouraged more opportunities for international student mobility, allowing more MMSU students to gain academic, cultural, and professional experiences abroad.