Cognizant that student mental health serves as a vital pillar of academic success, student retention, and institutional quality assurance, Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF) entered into a monumental alliance with East West International Educational Specialists, Inc. (EWIES) and MARCo Health on August 6, 2026.
The tripartite agreement marks an action-oriented step by NCF toward enhancing its institutional wellness systems, primarily through the Guidance and Testing Center (GTC), through the integration of cutting-edge technology.
Pursuant to the partnership, NCF will deploy the MARCo Health application—an innovative, AI-enabled digital platform designed to provide evidence-based mental health screening, wellness assessments, behavioral analytics, early intervention tools, self-help resources, structured referral mechanisms, and real-time institutional wellness dashboards—originally developed by roboticist Jacob Boyle in 2018.
EWIES, operating as the exclusive institutional support partner of MARCo Health in the Philippines, brings specialized expertise to guide the platform’s rollout within Philippine basic and higher education frameworks.
The ceremonial signing was led by Mr. Mario C. Villanueva, NCF President; Dr. Dennis Franco M. Layug, EWIES President; and Dr. Juan Flores, EWIES and MyEduscape Director for International Partnerships, with Engr. Nelson Q. Remulla, President of St. Paul Technological Institute of Cavite serving as a key witness.
In his statement, President Villanueva highlighted that the platform is engineered to augment, rather than replace, human-centered care, aiming to build a more forward-thinking, responsive, and compassionate student support system across all academic levels at NCF.
Echoing President Villanueva’s sentiment, Dr. Layug emphasized that the landmark pact “empowers guidance counselors and school administrators giving deeper insights so they can focus more on human connection, care, and intervention,” noting that NCF and its partners are actively helping shape the future of mental health support in Philippine education.
The initiative will feature a phased rollout beginning with a pilot implementation among Junior High School (JHS) students during the first semester of the current academic year.
In preparation for the launch, EWIES will lead the comprehensive platform onboarding, administrator training, faculty and student orientations, and the distribution of implementation manuals leading up to full institutional adoption.
NCF and its partners stressed that the MARCo Health application functions strictly as a support mechanism for mental wellness and the early identification of behavioral concerns.
Therefore, it is not a substitute for formal diagnosis, psychotherapy, psychiatric treatment, emergency intervention, or other professional medical and psychological services, but rather a digital gateway to guarantee timely care and proactive institutional response.
By pioneering this technology-driven mental health strategy, NCF reinforces its commitment to nurturing a supportive, holistic, and digitally responsive environment for every NCean.