After relief efforts, DSWD gives stress debriefing to quake victims

Social welfare department thanks donors for extending support

After delivering the relief goods to the earthquake-stricken villages in Negros Oriental, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7), together with the Lakbay Kalinga Group, is conducting psycho-social interventions for the survivors in evacuation camps.

More than 40 health and medical professionals, social workers, church volunteers, members of the Pag-Asa Youth Volunteer Group from the DSWD in Eastern Visayas and other professionals from the Philippine Orthopedic Center and Pastoral Care Services led by Fr. Arnold Abelardo rendered services like critical incidence stress debriefing, play therapy to children, health and medical lectures, physical exercises, body relaxation techniques and hands-on livelihood trainings.

Nurses, doctors and psychologists from the Philippine Mental Health and National Red Cross also conducted debriefing sessions for service providers in La Libertad town.

The DSWD-7 thanked its donors for their support.

The Russian Foundation donated items worth P2,603,220, which included 45 big tents that can accommodate 4 families and 85 smaller tents for one family, 2,500 wool blankets, more than 27,000 pieces of canned goods, more than 12,000 pieces of canned fish and 4,000 kilos of sugar. The food items were distributed to Guihulngan City and Jimalalud town, while the 50 tents were installed in Ayungon (5), Guihulngan (20), Jimalalud (5) and La Libertad (20). The remaining 80 tents will be installed as needed.

On the other hand, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) provided 499 tarpaulin tents while the International Organization for Migrants (IOM) gave emergency shelter kits worth P1,300/kit composed of nails, bamboo and wood as their counterpart in putting up these tents.

The World Food Program (WFP) distributed 2,000 boxes of biscuits amounting to US$32,000. Each family received 20 biscuit packs. The Korea International Cooperation Agency also donated ready-to-eat chicken and beef fried rice and other non-food items like towels, paper cups, plastic water bottles, plastic bags and 100 tents worth US $200,000.

The DSWD-7 also received twenty units of solar panel kit from Second Harvest Japan for Guihulngan (10 units), Jimalalud (2 units) and La Libertad (8 units).

Various legislators also supported the relief operations by allocating a portion of their Priority Development Assistance Fund to help the affected families.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan allocated P999,000 worth of NFA rice that were distributed to the 10 towns in Negros Oriental. Sen. Loren Legarda also distributed family packs worth P125,000 to the 500 families in barangay Balugo in Guihulngan City while Sen. Pia Cayetano allocated P90,000 worth of food packs for distribution to the evacuation camps in Guihulngan.

Rep. Walden Bello also transferred P30,000 from his PDAF for the purchase of 22 sacks of rice.

Other donors included the Lapu-Lapu city government, radio station dyLA, St. Theresa’s College , some Pantawid beneficiaries in Ubay, Bohol and other concerned citizens.