Almost two weeks after the bomb blast that killed 15 individuals, including a pregnant woman who died yesterday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to provide appropriate interventions to blast survivors and bereaved families.

Currently, the Department is conducting psychosocial interventions such as stress debriefing sessions to survivors and their families in order to recover from the trauma that they are experiencing because of the incident.

During the visit of DSWD Undersecretary Vilma B. Cabrera in Davao City, she spearheaded a short training in conducting  Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) to senior staff members of DSWD Field Office -XI who in turn provided a crash course on CISD and its actual demonstration and application to social workers who are scheduled to debrief the direct victims, indirect victims, and hidden victims of the bombing incident.

CISD is a process that prevents or limits the development of post traumatic stress in people exposed to critical incidents. Professionally conducted debriefings help survivors cope with, and recover from the after effects of a traumatic experience.

A total of 48 social workers and 20 City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) social workers were trained and deployed to handle the debriefing sessions of blast survivors.

Aside from blast survivors and their families, the social workers also conducted stress debriefing to 11 massage therapists who are manifesting physical discomforts. In addition, the Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) also gave each of them P5,000 cash assistance.

“It is important for the government to provide the necessary interventions to blast survivors and their families in order for them to regain their normal lives. We want to show those who did the crime that we will not falter because we are a strong nation,” reminds DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo.

To date, out of the 91 injured victims, 26 blast victims are still admitted in different hospitals. The Department has already extended a total of P285,000.00 financial assistance to the victims in addition to the assistance provided by the city government such as food, medical, and financial needs.

Over the weekend, Sec. Taguiwalo was in Davao City and visited the survivors at the different hospitals where they were admitted. #