IN RECOGNITION of his contributions to psychological research and professional association development, Thomasian psychologist Prof. Marc Eric Reyes has been named a Distinction Awardee and Excellence Finalist by the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA).
Reyes was recognized under the Professional Association Development category for his service to the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), where he began as a junior affiliate during his college years before serving as board member, treasurer, vice president, and president during the pandemic.
In 2024, Reyes was also recognized by the PFPA under the Global Filipino Practice and Service category for his international engagements and efforts to expand Filipino representation in the global psychology community.
Beyond institutional leadership, Reyes has been among the leading figures in LGBTQ+ psychology research in the Philippines.
He was part of the core group that established PAP’s LGBT Psychology Special Interest Group, the first organized body of its kind in Southeast Asia. The group was formed to advance advocacy and research for a sector that remains underresearched in the country.
“Wala pa kasing ganon na disiplina, wala pang LGBT Psychology as a discipline sa atin. So bumuo kami. There were very few local studies at the time, so we realized we had to produce our own scientific data,” he told the Varsitarian.
Reyes said his work seeks to ground LGBTQ+ advocacy in data and scientific research, especially as discussions on gender and sexuality are often dismissed as mere opinion.
“Gumagawa ako ng research para hindi sabihin na opinion ko lang [ito],” he said. “If you look at qualitative studies, you cannot dispel na hindi totoo ’yung nararanasan ko kasi lived experience ko ’yun, and we also have quantitative data to support it.”
Qualitative studies and quantitative national surveys, including those conducted with The Trevor Project, show that Filipino LGBTQ+ youth face elevated mental health risks.
Central to Reyes’s research is minority stress, or the added burden of stigma, discrimination and prejudice experienced by marginalized groups.
He said LGBTQ+ individuals face ordinary life stressors as well as additional pressures, such as conditional acceptance in their communities, that heighten their risks.
Reyes has also pushed for “LGBT-inclusive Philippine Psychology,” which integrates LGBTQ+ perspectives into academic curricula.
Research findings are now being cited in courses such as Understanding the Self and Abnormal Psychology, where LGBTQ+ identities are discussed and clarified as no longer classified as mental disorders under modern diagnostic standards.
He warned against “conversion-type practices” in counseling, or subtle and often unintentional approaches that frame LGBTQ+ identity as the root problem.
Reyes serves as research development lead at the National Center for Mental Health, where he mentors psychiatric residents and helps turn their studies into publishable research.
Under his guidance, the center exceeded its initial research targets and produced multiple studies for journal review.
PAP continues to advance advocacy through its participation in congressional hearings and discussions on inclusive legislation.
Reyes underscored the growing impact of digital platforms on mental health, especially among the youth. He recalled a senator’s remark describing young people as “weak,” which he rejected.
“I believe this generation is strong, nagiging weak because of too many stressors and the inability to deal with them,” he said.
While social media can support identity formation and community-building, Reyes warned that it can also drive social comparison, oversharing and doomscrolling, or the compulsive search for negative news that harms mental health.
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For him, addressing the problem requires better social media control and emotional regulation.
“We need to regulate the use of social media, because social media takes out the regulating mechanism, walang nagfi-filter,” he said.
Amplifying Filipino voices
Reyes said his long-term goal is to ensure that Filipino voices are represented in local and global psychological research.
“We need to engage and collaborate not only locally but internationally to provide local samples,” he said. “Isa rin ’yan sa aking research agenda, international collaborations to provide for the voice of Filipinos.”
The PFPA awards were presented during its 13th Excellence and Distinction Awards on March 7 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni in Diliman, Quezon City.
