DSWD-7, volunteers conduct psycho-social interventions in quake sites
CEBU CITY, March 30 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Field Office-7 teamed up with Lakbay Kalinga Group to conduct back to back psycho-social interventions to the incident survivors who up to now are still taking refuge both inside and outside the evacuation camps in Negros Oriental.
More than 40 health and medical professionals, social workers, church volunteers, members of the Pag-Asa Youth Volunteer Group from DSWD in Eastern Visayas and other para professionals from the Philippine Orthopedic Center and Pastoral Care Services led by Fr. Arnold Abelardo simultaneously conducted Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing (CISD), play therapy to children, health and medical lectures as well as physical exercises, body relaxation techniques, hands on practical livelihood trainings introduced to the survivors.
Also last week nurses, doctors and psychologists from the Philippine Mental Health and National Red Cross also conducted debriefing sessions to the service providers in the town of la Libertad who were also identified as indirect victims of the tragedy.
Lakbay Kalinga project was formed late last year after the killer flash flood Sendong hit the northern regions in Mindanao.
The group, which is under the Orthopedic Centers’ Parish Pastoral Care Services, had been conducting psycho-social works in disaster areas partnering with government through DSWD.
The group also augmented the man power support during its relief distribution efforts in the previous calamities that hit some parts of the country.
A disaster may it be natural or human induced is usually looked upon as a sudden and unexpected situation that threatens both the physical , safety and unity of the family.
At such time separation anxiety is greatly heightened. The more severe a crisis, the more serious is the chance of emotional breakdown and loss of family members, thus a psycho social intervention is required, the group said.
With all these social welfare interventions, DSWD hopes to see the victims and survivors mainstream back to their communities, and eventually become a resource and no longer a victim.(mbcn/hfg/PIA-7 & DSWD-7)
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IR 13 to put up tax filing centers in Cebu’s big shopping malls‘as deadline of ITR is set on April 15’
CEBU CITY, March 30 (PIA) -- Starting tomorrow, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) 13 based in Cebu City will be installing eight tax filing centers (TFCs) in selected department stores to accept, even exempt, refundable and second installment income tax returns (ITR) from taxpayers for taxable year 2011.
The TFCs will be manned by revenue officers and will run until April 16. The deadline for the filing of ITR is usually on April 15.
BIR 13 Regional Director Rodita B. Galanto said the TFCs will open daily except on Sundays and holidays at 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the following shopping malls namely Elizabeth Mall, Country Mall, SM City, Park Mall, Metro Gaisano-Colon, J. Center and Ayala Center.
“These filing centers will help decongest taxpayers filing at our district offices,” stressed Galanto.
Out-of-district ITRs for 2011 filed by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, public school teachers, professors and instructors will be accepted by authorized agent banks or revenue collection officers for taxable returns and at the TFCs. This is based on a Revenue Memorandum Order 3-2012 dated last March 22.
Meanwhile, hard copies of the new BIR forms 1700, 1701 and 1702 will be made available at the TFCs.
Taxpayers who shall be using eFPS (electronic filing and payment system), however, can file their returns using interactive forms made available at the BIR website. (PIA-Cebu with BIR PR)