Sara Duterte: Cebu flood victims need DSWD debriefing, psychosocial support

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday called for the immediate deployment of psychosocial support teams to flood-hit communities in Cebu, saying she met many survivors who showed signs of trauma after the sudden, intense floods.

“Napansin ko, madami ang nangyari sa kanila noong panahon ng pagbaha. And mukhang… Meron silang trauma at kailangan sila ng debriefing sa mga trained na mga social workers,” she said in an ambush interview.

(I noticed that many things happened to them during the floods. And it seems… They are experiencing trauma and need debriefing from trained social workers.)

Duterte said the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is endorsing affected families to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which she said is the lead agency for stress debriefing and emergency assistance.

“Sa ngayon, sir, ini-endorse namin siya sa Department of Social Welfare and Development… Sila yung trained for stress debriefing especially sa mga panahon ng emergencies,” she said.

(For now, sir, we are endorsing them to the DSWD… They are trained for stress debriefing especially in times of emergencies.)

Duterte noted that the evacuees admitted to having been caught off guard by the floods brought by recent typhoons.

“Ang unang sinasabi nila is nabigla sila… Ang pinaka-importante sa lahat ng emergencies and disasters ay yung kahandaan natin,” she said.

(The first thing they would say is that they were shocked… The most important thing in emergencies and disasters is our preparedness.)

Although typhoons and floods cannot be controlled, households are in control of their readiness and preparations.

She advised families who tend to panic or forget steps during emergencies to write their plans down.

Duterte also clarified that the OVP provides augmentation to national and local agencies. She added that the DSWD must review its list of affected families to determine what kind of food and non-food support is needed.

The Vice President said she visited evacuation centers in two flood-hit areas in Cebu City and was scheduled to proceed to Mandaue City afterwards.

She also urged communities to take disaster preparedness seriously in the face of both natural and man-made hazards.

“Ang mensahe ko… Kailangan natin isaisip at isapuso… Ano iyong mga kailangan natin na paghahanda sa mga disasters,” she said.

(My message is that we must keep in mind and take to heart the preparedness that we need for disasters.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News