UST to provide ‘psychosocial intervention’ to Kidapawan farmers

The University of Santo Tomas’s psycho-trauma clinic will extend its services to the drought-stricken farmers in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, who were violently dispersed amid their protest for subsidy and assistance last week.

Rev. Fr. Edgardo de Jesus, counselor at the UST psycho-trauma clinic, noted that hunger could be a traumatic experience that could affect one’s mind.

De Jesus added that the “violent dispersal” that the farmers experienced could contribute to their “traumatic stress.”

“Una, El Niño diba, may drought so walang food, yung gutom itself is already very traumatic sa tao. Pangalawa, yung nangyaring dispersal na violent na may mga namatay saka nasaktan, at yung mga cases na maaaring binigay ng PNP, yung violence na ’yan is also traumatic din,” De Jesus said over Radyo Veritas.

“So, technically posibleng panggalingan ng mga trauma symptoms nyan is from the community itself,” he added.

READ: 1 killed, 13 hurt after police open fire in North Cotabato farmer protest

But De Jesus said the farmers’ biological needs should be addressed first before a psychological intervention. “When it comes to intervention, una muna bago ka magbigay ng psychological intervention, ma-handle muna ‘yung gutom nila,” he said.

De Jesus assured the farmers that the UST psycho-trauma clinic was ready to coordinate and provide assistance to affected communities.

At least three farmers died and several others were wounded following the bloody dispersal of protesters at the Cotabato-Davao Highway in Kidapawan City last week. The farmers were demanding relief and subsidy for farm communities affected by the dry spell. RC