Respond, Organize and Work (R.O.W.) Initiative Inc. and the Asia Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Friday to strengthen the emotional well-being and resilience of preschool children in Talisay City, Cebu.

The signing was witnessed by Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas, who suggested that the program begin in the nine barangays affected by Typhoon Tino.

Kimberley Therese Burden Gothong, president and chair of the board of R.O.W. Initiative Inc., told DAILY TRIBUNE that the project directly targets Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers in Talisay City.

“These ECCE teachers will be equipped with essential competencies to serve as primary pillars of emotional support for preschool children in disaster-prone environments,” she said.

“This initiative tests a scalable model to build early childhood resilience and establish sustainable emotional anchors in vulnerable areas,” she added.

The project is a one-year pilot program in Talisay City that will empower ECCE teachers to deliver vital Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in disaster-prone communities.

The project’s key components include a rapid baseline assessment, adaptation and localization of the SEL toolkit, teacher-first SEL master training, parent and caregiver workshops, an endline assessment on early indications of change, and recommendations for adaptation and scale-up.

Gullas said 30 to 35 ECCE teachers will initially undergo training over the next three months before the program is fully implemented.

Aside from ECCE teachers, or early childhood educators, the program’s direct beneficiaries will include 60 to 100 parents and caregivers of children ages 3 to 8.

The 12-month pilot program has a total budget of P1 million.

The benefits of SEL for children include fewer behavioral issues, greater willingness to play with others, including those who are different from themselves, better support for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, and stronger cognitive confidence and emotional resilience needed to transition successfully from home or ECCE to primary education.

R.O.W. Initiative Inc. is a rapid-response unit dedicated to mitigating catastrophic devastation across Cebu. The team has provided vital, life-saving support to affected families.

ARNEC Ltd. is a Singapore-based network established to build strong partnerships across sectors and disciplines, organizations, agencies and institutions in the Asia-Pacific region to advance the agenda for, and investment in, early childhood.