The Centre for Mindfulness Studies is a charitable social enterprise founded in 2011 in downtown Toronto. It is the leading professional development and service delivery organization for mindfulness-based interventions in Canada.

Its programs follow the Mindfulness Based Teacher Assessment criteria followed in Oxford, Bangor Exeter and University of California in San Diego.

Together with FriendlyCare and UP Diliman, CMS brought to the Philippines the 1st MBCT Facilitator Certification training in 2018.

With support from a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, FriendlyCare Foundation, Inc. (FCFI) developed Mindful Compassion and Wellbeing (MCW), an evidence-informed program designed specifically for Filipino college-age students. The program aims to enhance students’ well-being while cultivating pro-social qualities such as compassion, empathy, kindness, and greater awareness of self and others. MCW has also continued to be integrated into higher education settings. It is currently offered at the University of the Philippines Diliman as a PEII class, De La Salle University College of Law as a Formation Course, and Guang Ming College as a Life Education subject. Its continuing implementation across diverse educational contexts reflects its adaptability and relevance to the developmental and well-being needs of Filipino college students.

FriendlyCare has been giving Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Program to UP Diliman students, faculty and staff since 2018. UP Diliman sent faculty to the 1st MBCT Facilitator Certification Training Program in 2018. The University has once again played a key role in the Templeton-funded research with its Department of Psychology leading the research design, field implementation and analysis of results to be reported in Q1 2022.

FriendlyCare together with CMS developed special online programs for asynchronous and synchronous modalities for Guang Ming College--Practicing Mindfulness and Mindful U. Focused on Life Education, the college aims to provide learning that is humanistic and holistic to cultivate in its students' critical faculties and creative sensibilities to form their character.

The University of the Cordilleras is the other test site for the research project that qualified the Mindfulness for Health and Wellbeing course. It was offered as an NSTP course during the trial. To become familiar with Mindfulness, the Mindful U 6-week program was given to its professors and teachers prior to the start of the trial.

DOST-PCHRD provided the grant to run the MBRT project and continues to be a partner in championing mental health initiatives for Filipinos across the nation. Aside from the MBRT project, FCFI has also attended DOST-PCHRD events in support of its goals to fund science and technology projects that improve the quality of life of every Filipino. 

DOST-PCHRD envisions “a nation empowered by research-based knowledge, technologies, and innovations in health.”

Valenzuela City has been a strong partner of the MBRT project, not only as the first participants of the program, but also as collaborators in advocating for mental health and mindfulness to its employees. As the pioneering batch of the MBRT project, the City has ensured favorable conditions to keep MBRT a success through its outpour of support in all aspects of the project.

The City of Valenzuela is a first-class, highly

urbanized city in Metro Manila. Current Mayor Weslie Gatchalian’s Five Pillars of Good Governance are the following: (1) Education, (2) Health, (3) Housing, (4) Trade and Industry, and (5) Liveability and Disaster Preparedness.

The Psychology Department of Ateneo de Manila University is a key partner for the MBRT project as they handle all research-related matters, including the randomized controlled trial (RCT) run of the program. 

The Ateneo Department of Psychology dedicates itself to being “a transformative leader in Psychology, a community of care and a Department of Choice that develops healthy and humane societies” (from the Ateneo de Manila Department of Psychology Vision statement).

The Psychology Department of Ateneo de Manila University is a key partner for the MBRT project as they handle all research-related matters, including the randomized controlled trial (RCT) run of the program. 

The Ateneo Department of Psychology dedicates itself to being “a transformative leader in Psychology, a community of care and a Department of Choice that develops healthy and humane societies” (from the Ateneo de Manila Department of Psychology Vision statement).