Speakers and participants of the Webinar on “Maintaining Emotional Wellbeing and How to Overcome Depression in time of COVID-19 Pandemic.”
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 1 September 2020- In line with its mandate to promote the welfare of the Filipino diaspora, the Philippine Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, in collaboration with the Philippine Nurses Association – Brunei Chapter, held a webinar on “Maintaining Emotional Wellbeing & Overcoming Depression in time of COVID-19 Pandemic” that was live-streamed through its official Facebook page.
In his welcome remarks, Philippine Ambassador 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,” the Ambassador said.
Invited resource speakers of the Webinar were: 1) 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 our way of thinking, and how we can maintain emotional well-being through self-care; and 2) Dr. Joseph Ma. Anthony D. Castro, MD, Medical Officer II of Ministry of Health of Brunei Darussalam, 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 and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 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 (left photo) and Dr. Joseph Castro (right photo) gave presentations on how to overcome depression and maintain emotional wellbeing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The webinar was streamed live on the Philippine Embassy’s Facebook page in order for the larger community to participate in the online sharing forum.