PH Embassy in Brunei Holds Mental and Emotional Health Webinar For OFWs 

Speakers and participants of the webinar on “Maintaining Emotional Wellbeing and How to Overcome Depression in time of COVID-19 Pandemic.” (Brunei PE photo)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 03 September 2020 – The Philippine Embassy in Brunei, in collaboration with the Philippine Nurses Association – Brunei Chapter, held a webinar on “Maintaining Emotional Wellbeing & Overcoming Depression in time of COVID-19 Pandemic” through its official Facebook page, in line with its mandate to promote the welfare of the Filipino diaspora, on 01 September 2020.

In his welcome remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Christopher B. Montero strongly encouraged the participants to learn from the online sharing in order to equip them with valuable information on how to overcome the pandemic with a healthy mind and body. “The ongoing (COVID-19) pandemic may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about this new disease and what could happen can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions within us. Public health measures, such as limiting outdoor activities and social distancing, can make people feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. Coping with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger,” said Ambassador Montero.

Invited resource speakers of the Webinar were: Ms. Rufina C. Abul, MAN, RN, Mental Health and Psych Nurse at the Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines, who discussed how the pandemic and other crises or tragedies affect people’s way of thinking, and how to maintain emotional well-being through self-care; and Medical Officer II of Ministry of Health of Brunei Darussalam Dr. Joseph Ma. Anthony D. Castro, MD, who shared useful coping mechanisms, including lifestyle changes, in order to avoid falling into depression during these challenging times.  

The webinar was conducted with the support of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Office in Brunei Darussalam. It is also in line with the Embassy’s Gender and Development (GAD) activities, which are regularly conducted to promote gender and development for the benefit of Filipinos in Brunei, particularly for their empowerment and enhanced productivity. END

Nurse Rufina C. Abul, MAN, RN (upper right photo on left) and Dr. Joseph Castro (upper right photo on the right) gave presentations on how to overcome depression and maintain emotional wellbeing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. (Brunei PE photo)

The webinar 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/.