Since it is still October I would like to point out that October 10 was World Mental Health Day. We all know that the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed so many people worldwide into despair because of loss of jobs, income and business. Some even lost their loved ones. Globally, as of 5:38pm CEST, 24 October 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 6,555,270 deaths
According to a scientific brief released by WHO in March, in the first year of the pandemic global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%. “Loneliness, fear of infection, suffering and death for oneself and for loved ones, grief after bereavement and financial worries have also all been cited as stressors leading to anxiety and depression. Among health workers, exhaustion has been a major trigger for suicidal thinking,” WHO reported.
Dévora Kestel, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use at WHO, summed up the situation: ”While the pandemic has generated interest in and concern for mental health, it has also revealed historical under-investment in mental health services. Countries must act urgently to ensure that mental health support is available to all.”
One person very close to me is doing her own little way in extending mental health support. She is multi-awarded freelance broadcast journalist Rachel Salinel who is widely known in the UAE for her stories on The Filipino Channel of ABS-CBN, starting with Balitang Middle East which became Balitang Global and now TFC News.
On October 11, she gave an online session on ‘Journaling to Heal and Succeed’ before more than 50 parishioners of the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati. It was organized by Fr. George Kutty under the parish’s HeartCares project which conducts a webinar every month to promote mental health awareness. The parish priest, Fr. Victor Yaptinchay Apacible, gave the welcome remarks.
Incidentally, HeartCares celebrated its first year anniversary on October 1 with the expansion of its free telephone counseling with its volunteer psychologists making it available 24/7. Its mission is to ‘develop, implement, and maintain a complete unified system to enhance mental health awareness, promote individual mental strength, along with treatment and services for brethren who need mental assistance and guidance’.
Rachel believes that journaling is an effective way in clarifying one’s thoughts and emotions which can lead to calmness and even inner healing. “It’s not enough that I report about the issues on mental health, depression and self-harm of Overseas Filipinos in the UAE and some countries in Africa. I can use my network or resources, time and skills to organize sessions that can help address these issues. Giving talks on journaling is to share one of my personal habits that have kept me grounded and focused ever since I was in college” she said.
As early as 2011, Rachel was able to identify and report on a sensitive topic that was not being openly discussed within the Filipino communities in the Middle East. The issue was about depression and her story was aired on December 10, 2011.
Rachel created the Facebook and Instagram page ‘Muni Muni’ advocating journaling to help address depression due to the pandemic and social-economic challenges. She is encouraging fellow Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to embrace journaling because ‘writing can provide clarity of thoughts and gain peace of mind, as well as can be used as a tool to gain success’.
Even before the pandemic Rachel has shared her advocacy before various OFs. In December 2018, she gave ‘Journaling 101’ in-person before 13 nannies in Jebel Ali, with members of the Ateneo Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (ALSE) UAE Alumni Group who donated journals and pens. In November 2019, she conducted a ‘Journaling Workshop to Combat Depression’ before members of the CFC community in Dubai. In December 2019, Rachel conducted again ‘Journaling 101’ before officers and member of FilCoMoz, the Filipino Community in Mozambique in southern Africa.
In June 2020, she was given the Dakilang Bayani (Noble Hero) 2020 Award by the Philippine Consulate in Dubai for her advocacy on Mental Health and Depression Awareness. Dakilang Bayani is the highest award given to a Filipino expatriate by the Philippine Consulate.
Rachel at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was a resource speaker in the following online sessions: Handmaids of the Lord in UAE on June 19, 2020 (and February 27, 2022); All Filipino Community and Sports Commission (AFCSCOM) in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia on April 23, 2021; Ateneo LSE Alumni from different countries on June 19, 2021; Youth For Christ in UAE on July 8, 2021; and Woodrose International School administration and faculty in Mozambique on November 5, 2021. In addition, she appeared in many social media live programs produced in the UAE such as The Global Filipino Magazine show and in the Philippines like the Fired Up Live Show with Kirby Llaban.
In addition, she has been collaborating with UAE-based Filipino educators Dr. Rommel Pilapil Sergio, Dr. Neda June Salazar and Dr. Djonde Frega Antiado of the Psychological Society of the Philippines – UAE Chapter in both in-person and online sessions, as well as in confidential counselling sessions. Another group Rachel has tapped is the Ateneo-based UGAT-SandaLine which provides crisis intervention and counseling for Filipinos, especially seafarers and Overseas Filipino Workers and their families. She has been assisted by Dagaz HR Consultancy& Recruitment Managing Director Christina Calaguian who is an active volunteer of UGAT-SandaLine.
This year Rachel was one of the speakers on the Healthy Living topics organized by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) of UAE on February 16, 2022 at Philippine Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai.
Aside from journaling, Rachel has been involved with a church-based volunteer group in the UAE which has initiated in-person and online creative activities in combating depression such as photography, painting, creative writing and playing of Ukulele. “Organizing activities like this is our way to relay the message, especially to those who are undergoing depression, that someone is listening and is doing something to help them cope with their situation. For them not to lose hope and to continue believing that together we can surpass any challenges we face while living and working overseas,” she explained.
The same group organized an online session on September 24 this year on ‘Breathing and Journaling’ with Saudi-based Therapist-in-training Arlene Lamatsch to belatedly highlight the National Suicide Prevention Week campaign in the United States held from September 10 to 16.
“As individuals, we can always extend help to someone who might be undergoing depression. You need not be a psychologist or a psychiatrist to share a moment to listen to someone. Depression man yan o isyung pang mental, Habang me buhay me pag asa,” Rachel added.
Rachel is a cum laude graduate of BA in Communication from Saint Louis University in the Philippines who started her career with a Japanese TV network as field reporter covering the Philippines, Asean and Micronesia. She was The Filipino Times ‘Journalist of the Year’ in 2015 in the UAE and was named as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf’ by Illustrado Magazine from 2016 to 2018, and in the Legacy 300 edition in 2020. Rachel was also included in the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award or Global FWN 100 in August 2016 by the Filipina Women’s Network (FWN), a US-based organization. In 2018, she co-authored a book on leadership entitled Filipino Women: Rising, which is the third book on leadership by FWN. To contact Rachel please Like and Follow https://www.facebook.