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 Doña 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.
The psychological first aid team from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga conducted an intervention with the learners of Doña 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 Doña 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)
