TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) has conducted a three-day Psychological First Aid (PFA) intervention for students and personnel of San Jose National High School (SJNHS), days after a campus shooting that claimed the lives of three students and injured 20 others.
The psychosocial intervention, which opened on Wednesday, June 23, is part of DepEd’s immediate response to help the school community recover from the June 22 tragedy, considered one of the most devastating incidents to hit a school in Tacloban City in recent years.
Conducted in partnership with the Department of Health, mental health professionals, government agencies, and faith-based organizations, the program aims to provide emotional support and help affected students, teachers, and school personnel process the trauma brought about by the incident.
DepEd Tacloban Schools Division Senior Guidance Coordinator Julienne Rosa Saballa said all teaching personnel will undergo the intervention, while priority is being given to students who directly witnessed or were most affected by the shooting.
“If these experiences are not addressed now, they may manifest later in adulthood. Among students, one sign is when they no longer want to attend classes or lose interest in school, and that could have a significant impact on their future,” Saballa said, translating her remarks from Waray.
She said early psychosocial intervention is vital because untreated trauma may lead to long-term mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, poor coping mechanisms, and feelings of helplessness and isolation.
Saballa also urged parents to remain vigilant for changes in their children’s behavior, emotions, or school performance and to seek professional help if needed.
The intervention is being conducted at St. Roch the Healer Parish and San Jose Parish in Tacloban City’s San Jose district. It is facilitated by DepEd nurses, Department of Health personnel, trained guidance counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health practitioners from both government and non-government organizations.
Participants engage in storytelling, art therapy, emotional processing activities, and individual and group counseling sessions aimed at helping them express their feelings, regain a sense of safety, and begin the healing process.
According to DepEd, the intervention follows the internationally recognized Psychological First Aid framework anchored on the principles of “look, listen, and link,” which focuses on ensuring safety, listening with empathy, validating emotions, and connecting affected individuals to practical assistance, social support, and specialized mental health services.
The psychological intervention is part of DepEd’s continuing efforts to restore a sense of normalcy at San Jose National High School as students and teachers gradually return to classes following the deadly shooting.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
