3 July 2020, Calgary – The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Calgary co-hosted with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Vancouver a webinar on “Overcoming Mental Stress During the Pandemic” on 27 June 2020.

 

The webinar featured two resource persons from the Catholic Social Services Alberta (CSS). Mr. Edwin Silang discussed the services of CSS for the temporary foreign workers (TFWs).  Ms. Janna Mullholland, on the other hand, explained the different stressors and mental health issues being experienced by TFWs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  She presented various physical, social, mental and behavioral strategies to cope with them.

 

The webinar was intended for the Filipino TFWs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories.

 

In his welcome remarks, Consul Zaldy Patron described mental health as a very relevant topic during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its impact on people’s social and economic well-being. He pointed to a survey done in Alberta in April 2020 which revealed that three-quarters of Albertans said they felt their mental health had been affected by the pandemic, with a third of respondents saying they felt “depressed” or “hopeless” at least once a week.

 

“With Filipinos in Alberta numbering to about 175,000, it is not far-fetched to conclude that some members of our community are among that 75% of Albertans who are dealing with mental health issues, one way or the other,” said Consul General Patron.

 

Labor Attaché Margarita Eugenia Fabon Victorino, on the other hand, encouraged Filipino TFWs to take care of their health, which she said was tantamount to “taking care of their families back home.”