The Department of Education (DepEd) has recognized ChildFund Philippines as one of its development sector partners. In the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Services (DRRMS) Terminal Report released in February 2023, the government agency cited the participation of the non-government organization (NGO) in the Education Cluster’s emergency response efforts particularly for communities devastated by Super Typhoon Karding in September 2022 and Typhoon Paeng in November 2022.
During these instances ChildFund Philippines partnered with REINA Federation of Parents Association and Ha Uman Association, Inc. to distribute learner and teacher kits; provide Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) to learners, teachers, and parents; and conduct MHPSS Training of Trainers (ToT) to frontliners, educators, and community leaders in affected communities in Quezon province and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM),
MHPSS include providing compassionate counseling services, equipping individuals with effective coping strategies to manage stress and anxiety, promoting self-care practices such as exercise and relaxation techniques, establishing safe and supportive community groups where individuals can share their experiences and extend support to one another, and fostering awareness about mental health issues to eliminate stigma and foster a culture of seeking help.
“Through the seminars, we were able to help our students move on and realize the importance of education especially during difficult times,” said Mark Jade Alpajora, Teacher-in-Charge in Anibawan Elementary School in Anibawan, one of the most devastated barangays in Burdeos. “Eventually, they were able to return to school and continue their interest in learning despite the challenges. For our part as educators, we are confident we can now do the same and help our students carry on in case disasters hit our area again in the future.”
According to Erwin Galido, DRM Program Specialist in ChildFund Philippines, ChildFund Philippines’ focus is to provide support that would equip key members of local government agencies and partner schools on the basic skills of providing MHPSS sessions so they could “help children and other people in their area to immediately overcome the emotional and mental stress they are experiencing and emerge with better disposition despite the disaster.”
