Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman recently visited the evacuation centers in Cagayan de Oro City, together with the volunteers from the Dynamic Teen Company-Caring Children founded by CNN hero Efren G. Peñaflorida, Jr. to observe the conduct of play therapy and sharing session at the centers.

The play therapy and peer counseling  sessions were conducted by five children volunteers, their advisers and guardians. The five children-volunteers, Zhenkie Joy Tubianosa, 14 years old; Cris ‘Kezs’ Valdez, 13; Raynold dela Cruz, 11; Joshua Trias, 15; and Jan Christian Advincula, 12, held story-telling sessions, games, and encouraged their peers who were victims of typhoon ‘Sendong’ to share their experiences to lessen their trauma.

Children from the Calaanan Tent City participated in the play therapy and sharing session held at the Pedro ‘Oloy’ N. Roa, Sr. Elementary School, adjacent to the tent city.

Likewise, about 20 young people, 13 to 17 years old participated in the sharing session held at the Macasandig Barangay Hall, Cagayan de Oro City.  The Macasandig Covered Court evacuation center temporarily houses 261 families composed of 997 persons. Out of this number, 448 are minors, zero to 18 years old.

Trained social workers from DSWD Central and Field Offices, local government unit of Cagayan de Oro and non-government organizations continuously conduct stress debriefing and psychosocial sessions to the evacuees.

“Children and youth  are among the most vulnerable sectors in times of disaster. We provide  play and art therapy sessions to young children while the older ones go through psychosocial sessions to help them cope with the trauma they experienced.  Hearing the stories of their peers who have also gone through suffering and hardships, although in different circumstances, gave them hope and motivation despite the tragedy brought by typhoon ‘Sendong,’ ”Secretary Soliman explained.

Out of the 20 young people who participated in the peer counseling and sharing session, 14 experienced ‘severe trauma’ when their houses were washed away by the floodwaters, some also lost family members, and the sharing sessions aim to help them cope with their feelings of grief and hopelessness.  ###  (DSWD-Social Marketing Service) January 28, 2012