DOH-7 team off to quake-hit Surigao to conduct stress debriefing for teachers by earthquake

A nine-man team from the Department of Health Central Visayas office (DOH-7) left for Surigao City on Thursday to conduct stress debriefing for teachers affected by the 6.7 magnitude earthquake which hit the city last week.

The DOH-7 team will be working with other teams from the Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao areas, said Dr. Joanri Riveral, medical officer of DOH-7.

Riveral said they needed to help prepare teachers for the resumption of classes on Monday. “We need to prepare them (teachers) so that they can also handle their students well and at the same time conduct stress debriefing for children in schools,” Riveral told Cebu Daily News.

Riveral said around 150 teachers coming from public schools in Surigao City were expected to attend the stress debriefing scheduled from Friday to Monday. During the debriefing, teachers will be asked to share their personal experiences when the earthquake hit. The process is expected to help lessen the teachers fear especially on aftershocks that they continue to feel.

On Thursday, Surigao City residents felt at least two earthquake aftershocks, he said.

“We need to prepare their mind, body and soul in case another aftershocks will be experienced,” Riveral added.
Meanwhile, Leah Quintana, information officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) reported that they already completed on Thursday the delivery of 30,000 food packs to Caraga regions for families affected by the earthquake.

The food pack contains six kilos of rice, four canned sardines, four canned corned beef and six sachets of coffee worth P400 each.

Quintana said they also sent to Caraga region non-food items which included 10,000 pieces of malong, 5,000 pieces of blankets, 5,000 plastic mats, 5,000 mosquito nets and 900 pre-cut laminated sacks.