The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Claretian Pastoral Care of the Sick deployed volunteers to conduct stress debriefing to families affected by typhoon ‘Pablo’ in New Bataan, Compostela Valley today.

Thirteen Pastoral Care Volunteers led by Fr. Arnold M. Abelardo, conducted stress debriefing sessions to typhoon-victims to help them cope with the trauma brought by the calamity.

The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is a process that prevents or limits the development of post-traumatic stress in people exposed to critical incidents. Professionally conducted debriefings help survivors cope with, and recover from the after effects of the calamity.

Fr. Abelardo explained that sessions enable survivors to understand that they are not alone in their reactions to the typhoon and provides them with an opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings in a controlled, safe environment.

“We prioritized New Bataan because it was identified by the DSWD and the local government unit as one of the severely affected towns in Compostela Valley which resulted to high number of casualties” Fr. Abelardo added.

He continued that they will also conduct stress debriefing sessions in other typhoon-affected areas which will be identified by the DSWD and the local government units.

“The survivors will be subjected to different CISD approach while children will undergo draw-and-tell sessions to encourage them to portray their experiences through drawings  in the hope of mitigating the effects of their trauma,” Fr. Abelardo expounded.

“Many of the survivors have lost their livelihood and family-members.  Through the sessions, we hope to ease the tension, anger and other negative emotions brought by typhoon, Pablo” Fr. Abelardo added.

Meanwhile, as of December 18, the DSWD has deployed seven teams of social workers in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley to conduct stress debriefing sessions to typhoon victims.

Each team is composed of stress debriefers and camp coordinators. They conducted CISD to families for five days, after which, a new batch of stress debriefers  arrive to continue the sessions.

Social workers from the DSWD regional office XI, XII and Caraga were sent to Baganga, Cateel and Boston in Davao Oriental; and New Bataan, Monkayo, Compostela and Montevista in Compostela Valley.

DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman emphasized that the main goal is to relieve the survivors of the stress brought about by the typhoon.

“We are very thankful that faith-based organizations,  such as the Pastoral Care Volunteers are helping the Department provide much needed stress debriefing sessions to typhoon-victims,” Secretary Soliman said.

As of December 18, the DSWD has served 2,299 families housed in 25 evacuations centers in Compostela Valley. The DSWD also  assisted 97,477 families outside of the evacuation centers in Baganga, Boston and Cateel in Davao Oriental; and Compostela, Monkayo, New Bataan, and Montevista in Compostela Valley.

Meanwhile, the DSWD distributed 39,797 family food packs amounting to P29,847,750 to 19,199 families in Mabini, Maco and Nabunturan in Compostela Valley.

Each family food pack contains 10 kilos of rice, four cans of sardines, two cans of beef loaf, six   packs of noodles and six sachets of coffee.

“The DSWD continues to deliver relief goods to affected areas. We want to bring the supplies quickly, and in large volumes to serve all of the affected families especially in those hard-to-reach areas,” Secretary Soliman underscored.

Secretary Soliman added that the DSWD want to ensure that all affected families have food supply, safe water and clothing. “We are working as fast as we can to serve the residents in areas hit by typhoon Pablo,” she continued. ###