Bayanihan for WellBeing invites all families to join the Philippines’ first-ever Filipino Family WellBeing Virtual Conference

The world came to a standstill as the Covid-19 virus struck homes and communities around the world. The prolonged quarantine in 2020  led to stresses never felt before by the Filipino family. It resulted to greater economic hardships and disruption of daily activities for the entire family. The lack of physical contact with schoolmates, friends, relatives and workmates caused children and parents to feel distressed and isolated.

A study entitled “Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines (Tee, 2020)” showed that a significant percentage, ranging from 13% to almost 17% of respondents have rated the psychological impact of the pandemic, its effects on depressive symptoms and anxiety levels to be moderate to severe. Meanwhile, the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) noted a significant increase in monthly calls from 80 pre-lockdown to nearly 400 during the quarantine.

Among the unprecedented social concerns that surfaced during the lockdown is families worrying over their children’s education when schools shifted to online, remote, or distance learning. Children who would normally play outside are required to stay within their homes and adults who have shifted to working from home now had to balance household and career responsibilities, according to a 2020 report by the Humanitarian and Social Research Center (INSAMER).

Role of Family Wellbeing

Family wellbeing is central to addressing issues associated with these challenges. The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFCE) defines family wellbeing simply as the “safety, health, and financial security of the whole family”, which encompasses both physical and mental health. The vision of the Bayanihan for WellBeing (BWB) Initiative is for mental health and family wellbeing to be holistic, inclusive, and empowering, targeting particularly families in the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to join the discussion. The BWB Collaborative is led by Unilab Foundation, Inc. through its Heads Up PH program with the support of the Philippine Psychiatric Association, Psychological Association of the Philippines, Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association, and Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.






Executive Director of Unilab Foundation Lilibeth Aristorenas shared, “Months long after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Filipinos still experience the effects of social confinement, financial disruptions, and burdens of work-life integration.

Amplified by different crises in the past year, these stressors continue to debilitate the youth, families, and communities from maximizing their daily life activities. “

“It is in uncertain times like this that mental health and wellbeing must be put at the forefront to address these stresses. Forming healthy familial relationships do not only help the youth cope with the effects of crises but are also essential helping them feel love and security, which impacts their brain development and sense of self and helps them grow up to become confident and resilient individuals,” added Aristorenas.

To help children and parents cope with the challenges of these crises, the Bayanihan for WellBeing (BWB) campaign, powered by Unilab Foundation Inc. and HeadsUp PH, with the support of the Philippine Psychiatric Association, Psychological Association of the Philippines, Philippine Guidance Counselling Association, and Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, is organizing the First-ever Filipino Family Wellbeing Conference on February 12 – 13, 2021, to be held on Zoom and consequently streamed via the Bayanihan for WellBeing (BWB) Facebook Page.

With the theme, “Pagsulong ng Pamilyang Pilipino sa Panahon ng Pagbabago”, the event highlights the importance of family wellbeing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, bringing together learners and youth organizations, parents’ and teachers’ groups, counselors’, doctors, and professional associations, NGOs, and government agencies.

The 2-day conference will have three sessions that will be delving into different aspects of Filipino family wellbeing, raise awareness on its value and impact on the mental health of the family, which can hopefully build meaningful partnerships and cultivate a culture of family wellbeing promotion.

To kick-off the conference, a panel discussion on the challenges and strengths of the Filipino family during the pandemic will take place on February 12 at 9 AM. The second session will take place on February 13 at 9 AM and will tackle how to provide a more active role in addressing family wellbeing through a panel discussion as well as activity-based target group sessions.

Lastly, the third session will happen on February 13 at 4 PM featuring a discussion of different types of Filipino families and their stories from young couples and single parents to OFWs to conclude the conference.

The Filipino Family WellBeing Conference is completely free and open to all from medical and health professionals and development workers to educators, parents, and the youth. To join the event, you can register at bit.ly/FFWC2021RegForm and watch the livestream at the Bayanihan for WellBeing Facebook page at facebook.com/BayanihanForWellBeing.