Fixing Society

Battle of Emotions: Typhoon Pablo Aftermath Over the past weekend I got to experience first-hand of the characteristics of stress debriefing in practice. This was an interesting experience for me as I have a particular interest in psycho-social interventions. As a field of study, psycho-social interventions addresses how adequately deal with issues concerning Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).It was on this experience where I personally felt how challenging psychologically and emotionally to be a psychologist in practice. January 13, 2013, 3:30am Sunday, a group of psychologists set off for a stress debriefing at Lower Cogonon New Bataan, Compostela Valley. Fortunately I was a part of the said group. On board in a L300 KIA Van accompanied by another container van full of relief goods for the victims of Typhoon Pablo, I felt dizzy so I decided to sleep since the travel time is almost 3 hrs to reach the said location. IT was already 6:30 am when we reached the New Bataan Parish. My eyes evidently saw mountain of uprooted coconut trees entrusted by Pablo to the Parish. The only word I can utter was “Hala ka grabe ani oy”. All of us were dumbfound as we cannot visualize how Pablo did such an act of an environmental crime. In my mind I know now that the community was really in distress. This meant that PTSDi or Post traumatic stress disorder interventions would be grueling job this time. Traversing the road to Lower Cogonon, I saw the ruins of Typhoon Pablo. The skeletal houses, relocated mountain rocks, mud mixed with sand, iron sheets on the roofs crumpling like paper. It was bedlam. Finally we arrived at the chapel. The parokyanos were hearing mass, so we decided to settle first at a gone out of business sari-sari store fronting the chapel. Amidst the widespread devastation brought by Typhoon Pablo, I saw the people smile at us and accommodated us warmly. After talking to some of them at the sari-sari store bench, Fr. Mon and the GKK purok leader