PH Embassy in Brunei Holds Occupational Health, Safety Webinar for OFWs

Dra. Regina Ausgusta Tan (center) serves as Resource Speaker for the webinar, assisted by Labor Attaché Melissa Mendizabal (right) and Ms. Zaleha Dollente of Philippine Nurses Association-Brunei Chapter. (Brunei PE photo)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 28 October 2020 – In line with its Filipino diaspora engagement under the “new normal”, the Philippine Embassy in Brunei successfully held a webinar on “Occupational Health and Safety Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic” to help raise the level of awareness on promoting the health and safety of Filipino workers in the Sultanate on 23 October 2020.

Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Christopher B. Montero underscored the importance of equipping Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with basic knowledge on occupational health and safety standards in the workplace, and its proper implementation by employers in order to prevent work-related accidents and illnesses. 

“Your participation is essential in order to implement solutions effectively. Even the best-prepared guidelines will have little impact unless you, our dear OFWs, are able to convey your own concerns and issues, and recommend proposals and solutions based upon your own experiences at your own workplace”, said Ambassador Montero. 

Dra. Regina Augusta Tan, a Filipino doctor who works as a Medical Officer at the Occupational Health Division of the Ministry of Health of Brunei Darussalam, served as resource speaker and gave a presentation on workplace hazards, measures on how to prevent and/or control these hazards, and the legal basis of Occupational Health and Safety for all workers in the Sultanate. The presentation was followed by a question and answer forum.  

The Embassy’s Labor Attaché Melissa Mendizabal answered queries of the OFWs regarding their working environment, including COVID-19 swab test procedures for OFWs who are departing Brunei Darussalam. 

The employment profile of the participants ranges from household service workers, semi-skilled workers, and professionals with female participants accounting for 72.1 percent of the total participants.

The webinar was organized in collaboration with the Philippine Nurses Association–Brunei Chapter, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Office (OWWA). It is also part of the Embassy’s Gender and Development (GAD) activities for the current year. END

Dra. Regina Tan gives a presentation on workplace hazards, risks of infection during the pandemic, and measures on how to control and prevent these hazards. (Brunei PE photo)

The webinar was streamed live on the Philippine Embassy in Brunei’s Facebook page in order for the larger community to participate in the online sharing forum. (Brunei PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.bruneipe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassybrunei.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinBrunei/.