MIGRANT NEWS OCT 2020 | Page 10

P a g e 1 0 w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I F A C E B O O K P A G E M i g r a n t N e w s N Z I Job Board : www . asia2nz . com

Emotional intelligence in this time of crisis

( above :) PLIVIA ALABA Trainer
CHRISTCHURCH - Living through this pandemic period is like wading through thick mud ; clearing out emotional disruptions while moving forward feels more elusive than at any other time .
This explains the emergence of various mental health discussions these days to help ease the psychological impacts brought about by the pandemic . In this light , one of the notable topics covered is ' emotional intelligence '.
In an interview with now NZ-based Filipino trainer / graphic artist , Plivia Alaba , she shed more light on the definition of emotional intelligence .
" Emotional Intelligence is the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions / feelings and those of others , discern between different feelings
and label them appropriately and manage emotions to adapt and achieve one ' s goal ," she described .
" It is a key feature of a strong leader and a very useful people skill . Through this a person can manage conflicts , deal with changes , allow better teamwork and handle confrontations ."
She names its basic building blocks , namely : self-awareness , self-management , social awareness and relationship management and how these take part even in the simplest decision made .
" When we understand the origin and source of these emotions , especially when working in a team , we are more attuned to each other . Emotional intelligence becomes more significant in cross-cultural and global teams due to the increasing complexity of interactions and the expression of emotions ," she added .
Furthermore , in these unprecedented times , when there is a grey area between personal spaces and workspaces , emotional intelligence is applicable .
" When we improve our
emotional intelligence and take active steps to make changes , we ' ll find ourselves more productive and build more meaningful relationships around us ," she said .
In the context of shifting to the new normal paradigm emotional intelligence plays a vital role .
" Being emotionally intelligent enables us to adapt easily to a new environment and the changes that come with it .
“ It facilitates our capacity for resilience , motivation , empathy , reasoning , stress management and communication and our ability to read and navigate a plethora of social situations and conflicts ."
Plivia shared her journey towards learning more of the breadth of human psychology and behaviour despite the differences in the profession .
Reinforced with various training , including neurolinguistic programming , transactional analysis ,
emotional freedom and emotional intelligence , she has managed to translate her learning through talking sessions and mentoring .
" It really changed my perspective on things and I wanted badly to share this knowledge with my kababayans because it has
By Queenie Lee Tanjay
helped me a lot , not just for managing myself , but also for managing my relationships with people .
Plivia Alaba ( pictured extreme left ) training hotel staff
One of my projects was the motivational speeches I conducted for distressed OFWs back in the UAE ," she shared .
Plivia , along with other speakers , will talk more about this in a session called ' Surviving the Crisis ' ( the scheduled date was postponed due to the Level Two lockdown ), in the attempt to provide relevant information and tips to cope with the stress
brought about the pandemic .
Plivia is a crea t i v e director / graphic designer with experience in marketing and sales and building websites . She graduated with a bachelor ' s degree in
Advertising , Fine Arts and Design at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila .
In her leisure time she plays basketball for the Royals Women ' s Division 1 for the CBA ( Canterbury Basketball Association ) and volleyball for ' Fusion ', a Filipino team based in Christchurch .
Apart from those she also displays a penchant for make-up , playing the drums / guitar , decorating and hosting .
She has now lived here for around two and a half years , working for a software company .
For more details about this seminar please contact Pinoy C . A . R . E . S Canterbury via their Facebook page .
With masks becoming a necessity in today ’ s day and age , Filipinos are joining in and creating masks for the community .
Two ordinary Filipinos , Dennis Sayat and Kathryn Matencio , are creatively joining in and making masks for the community .
“ At the start I created the masks for my personal use only , but when I posted them on social media I got so many requests that I thought that there might be a demand for them , so I started making different designs for other people ,” says Dennis Sayat , creator of Sayat Masks .
Other than making masks for Sayat Masks , Sayat is a bridal machinist in Parnell which explains his experience with sewing in design .
Sayat began his venture in making masks first and

Migrants take

initiative to make in demand masks

By BERNADETTE BASAGRE
foremost for his protection , “ but being a designer I also wanted the masks to look good ,” he says .
“ I know that we are in a pandemic but people don ’ t want to go around looking like hospital patients !”
On the other hand , Kathryn Matencio is pursuing a career in becoming a vet , but sews as a hobby , learning from trial and error , Youtube videos and reading sewing books .
She originally made masks for her family in her free time and later decided to make more for sustainability .
“ I understand how much more sustainable and eco-friendlier the reusable fabric masks are … I wanted to contribute to a less wasteful option ,” she says .
The use of masks has become common in New Zealand , with it being mandatory when using public transport .
New Zealand is currently at Level 2 , meaning that public gatherings are restricted to 10 people for Auckland ( 50 for funerals / tangihanga ) and 100 people for the rest of the country and that social distancing must be maintained .
Due to demand , both Sayat Masks and Matencio ’ s small mask business have seen an overwhelmingly positive response from their followers .
“ I did not expect so many orders coming in , so I can say that in its own way , as small as it is , it is still a success ,” Matencio says .
“ The response is overwhelmingly positive . I have received so many orders and made numerous deliveries in just the first week after I posted
Dennis Sayat of Sayat Masks on social media ,” says Sayat .
Currently Matencio is selling her masks for $ 5 in plain black calico fabric and $ 10 for printed fabric masks .
For Sayat , he is selling 5 styles of masks at $ 20 each and they can be ordered from his Facebook page ( Sayat ) or Instagram (@ d _ sayat ).
“ Honestly , I think the demand will last for only as long as the pandemic is a threat … in the meantime I am here to use my talent and skill through these masks , to help motivate people to stay safe by helping make masks that are fun and fashionable ,” Sayat says .