CAS faculty train Negros Occidental gov’t employees in psychological first aid

Faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of the Philippines Visayas conducted two batches of psychological first aid training organized by the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) from Aug. 3 to 4 and Aug. 5 to 6, 2026, in Bacolod City.

Prof. Dr. Johnrev Guilaran of the Division of Social Sciences led the training team, composed of Asst. Prof. Janelle Rose Tan and Ms. Jezzebelle Baldo-Villanueva of the Division of Social Sciences and Asst. Prof. Helen Grace Concepcion Fernandez of the Division of Professional Education.

Key personnel from the Negros Occidental PDRRMO, Provincial Human Resource Development Office, Provincial Health Office and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, as well as disaster response personnel from various cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental, participated in the training.

Ms. Irene Bel Ploteña, head of the Negros Occidental PDRRMO, said the training aimed to address the need for disaster responders in the province to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide psychological relief to survivors in the immediate aftermath of disasters and other emergencies and to support one another during and after disaster response.

The psychological first aid training is part of the Negros Occidental provincial government’s efforts to improve disaster response, including addressing the mental health and psychosocial well-being of survivors and disaster responders. (Dr. Johnrev Guilaran via UPV-IPO)