Children in conflict areas in Agusan Norte get psychological first aid
By Nora
Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) – A total of 332 schoolchildren affected by conflict situations in the town of Tubay, Agusan del Norte received psychological first aid (PFA) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga
These
learners were affected by the recent armed encounter between the government
forces and the communist terrorist groups (CTG) in the neighboring area of
Tubay town.
DSWD
deployed a total of 17 social workers, assisted by 13 interns led by DSWD
Caraga’s retained community-based services head Michael Andohuyan, to provide
PFA to the students, together with the teachers of DoΓ±a Telesfora Elementary
School (DOTES).
DSWD’s
PFA team observed the cooperation and resilience of the children by sharing
their emotions and experiences.
With the
intervention given to them, the PFA team revealed no significant signs of
extreme stress among them that made them ready to resume their attendance at
school and join their classes.
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The psychological first aid team from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga conducted an intervention with the learners of DoΓ±a Telesfora Elementary School in Tubay, Agusan del Norte. These children were affected by the recent armed conflict in the area. Photo courtesy of DSWD-13.
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairperson of DoΓ±a Telesfora and a social work student, Guyle Ochia, expressed his appreciation for the intervention given to the children, saying, “Validating the mental needs of vulnerable children in times of crisis is very important.”
DOTES
School Head Liezel Santos expressed her gratitude to DSWD for the timely
response to their request, saying, “DSWD is ready to respond to our requests
during problems and crises that require their intervention.”
The PFA
intervention is designed to alleviate stress symptoms and support the positive
recovery of children and individuals after stressful and traumatic incidents
and experiences. It emphasizes its relevance in situations like human-induced
crises, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and even personal
crises.
The armed encounter between the government forces and the CTG was a result of the government’s efforts to stop and eradicate insurgencies in the area. (NCLM/ PIA-Agusan del Norte, with a report from DSWD Caraga)
