TACLOBAN CITY-A training program called “Connecting Communities through the Creative Arts” was held at Leyte Normal University (LNU) by Spark Philippines with the Apl.de.ap Foundation on June 17-19, 2014. The training is an approach for trauma healing and community reconciliation through the use of different forms of arts in the affected areas of the supertyphoon Yolanda. The training was participated by educators, barangay health workers and people who are dealing with children (facilitators) for them to learn and gain knowledge on how to use arts for recovering from the trauma that Yolanda caused. The entire training program for the facilitators covered different procedures such as the creative arts, theatre of the living, hands-on activities, individual/group discussion, sharing, and presentation; teaching moments, personal/group reflections, storytelling, case studies, scenario-building, simulations, and documentary snippets. The Spark Philippines and the Apl.de.ap Foundation organized the gathering for children to learn and enjoy something, in the same way that facilitators will be able to use different procedures in dealing with children. “We are one nation; whatever happens in one place also happens in the whole country. So, we want to tell them that we are doing everything that we can to help them in the best way that we can,” Kate Alyzon Ramil, Sparks Philippines project coordinator, said. After the three3-day training program, a practicum well be held at the New Kawayan for children with the facilitators. The pilot training was in Tacloban and they will also visit the other places who are hit by disasters such as Cebu, Bacolod and Bohol. (KAYE ANNE ORALLER LNU-Intern)
