DLSU sends psychological relief team to Tacloban

The Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA) in partnership with the Office of Counseling and Career Services (OCCS) is sending a team to conduct Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Psycho-social Intervention sessions in Tacloban, Leyte from December 17-19, 2013.

The team is composed of 11 volunteer professionals trained or experienced in counseling and PFA from COSCA and OCCS from DLSU Manila, as well as from the Science and Technology Center (STC) in Canlubang and DLSU Dasmarinas. Heading the team are COSCA’s Carmen Apuli, Resource Mobilization Coordinator, and Carl Fernandez, Civic Welfare and Training Service (CWTS) Coordinator.

PFA efforts will be focused on Barangay Tigbao, Tacloban, in coordination with SOS Children’s Villages Philippines, where over 1,000 children are estimated to be housed.

Apuli tells that during the ocular inspection of the area, conducted together with Fernandez, many of the children and even the social workers still showed signs of shock and severe trauma, with some children isolating themselves from the community.

The volunteers will be divided into teams to handle children, youth, and adults. Four sessions will be conducted throughout their stay. Counselors will also be on stand-by to assist any individuals who approach with requests for counseling.

The scheduled PFA mission to Tacloban is the first of a series of planned missions. While this week’s mission will focus on providing direct services to the people, the second mission planned for late January will focus on training sessions for the social workers and educators permanently stationed there.

“Yung training component yung pinakaimportante kasi kailangan mong i-capacitate yung community, para talagang long term ang tulong natin sa kanila [The training component is the most important because we need to capacitate the people [to sustain the psychological treatment program], so that the help we give is long term],” tells Apuli.

The second phase is planned for January. Meanwhile, the third and succeeding phases will be for the purpose of monitoring and following up the situation of the community.

All transportation expenses for this week’s mission going to and around the site will be sponsored by partner corporate agency, AES Power Philippines. During their stay, the team will be housed and accommodated by SOS and the Parish of the Blessed Sacrament, the parish priest of which was formerly with DLSU Manila.