The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Offices in the Cagayan Valley (FO-2) and Bicol (FO-5) regions have deployed psychosocial first aid responders to help children and other vulnerable individuals cope with the trauma caused by the recent severe tropical storms that struck the country.

“The effects of the recent tropical cyclones that hit our country have brought emotional distress to some of our kababayans. To help them, the Department deployed psychosocial first aid responders in typhoon-hit areas to mitigate the traumatic impact of the recent disasters on the affected individuals,” Disaster Response Management Group Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said.

In Albay province, concerned personnel from the DSWD FO-5 facilitated a psychosocial support activity for 30 children at the Agos Elementary School in the town of Polangui, while 63 children attended another activity in Barangay Borabod in the Municipality of Libon.

The DSWD Bicol Field Office also provided psychosocial intervention to ease the emotional burden experienced by 21 bereaved families from Canaman and Camaligan towns in Camarines Sur whose loved ones died from the effects of the tropical cyclones “Kristine” and “Leon.”

In Milaor town, also in Camarines Sur, the DSWD conducted art therapy with storytelling as a form of psychosocial intervention for nine children while seven children from Sta. Cruz, Canaman received psychological first aid.

In Cagayan Valley, the DSWD FO-2, through its Social Welfare and Development Team in Nueva Vizcaya, provided psychosocial support services to two individuals from  the Municipality of Ambaguio whose loved ones died from the effects of tropical cyclones “Nika,” “Ofel” and “Pepito.”