PHNOM PENH - ‘I’ when changed to ‘we’ turns ‘illness’ to ‘wellness’’ — these were some of the final words shared by Dr. Lucy Narag with the Filipino community in Cambodia during a seminar on mental health at the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh on 31 August 2019. Dr. Narag, the school counsellor of Singapore (Cambodia) International School Academy (SCIA), conducted the seminar entitled “Wellness: Beyond the Obvious”, which aimed to provide insights on how to keep a healthy mind and body, increase awareness on the distinction between health and mental illness/disorder, and remove the stigma on mental health issues.

About 40 members of the Filipino community came to attend the very first activity on mental health organized by the Embassy. In her welcome remarks, Ms. Myca Fischer, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the Philippine Embassy, informed the participants about the Mental Health Law that was passed in the Philippines in June last year. She said that the activity was part of the Embassy’s gender and development agenda, particularly on women’s right to health, and called for an end to the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

“Just as you would take a medicine or see a doctor when you are physically ill, so should you consult a professional counsellor when you have some mental health issues,” said Dr. Narag. She then proceeded to describe the various mental disorders, including the symptoms of mental sickness, after which she gave tips on how to keep mentally healthy.

After the workshop, there were one-on-one consultations during which Dr. Narag was joined by Ms. Gemma Bangcal (counsellor), Ms. Myrna Garde (pastoral counselling), and Ms. Debbie Alcantara (head nurse of the Central Hospital for psychiatric illness). END