MANILA, Philippines — The Landbank of the Philippines (Landbank) on Saturday announced that it has given psycho-social support (PSS) to more than 2,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) of the five-month-long Marawi siege that took place from March 23 to October 23, 2017.
The project under Landbank’s Gawad Angat Bayan (Gabay) Program was funded by the Department of Finance (DOF) under the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau-Interest Differential Fund (KfW-IDF), according to the bank’s press release on May 23.
Since the implementation of the program in January 2019, Landbank said it has partnered with Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (BFMI) “to conduct various PSS activities that have so far benefited 1,673 internally displaced adults and 455 internally displaced children in ten (10) barangays and transitional shelters in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur.”
The Landbank media release said the PSS activity, called Mashwara Para Ko Kapamulong (Conversations for Healing), is designed to provide space for community sharing and community-building among IDPs and other individuals affected by violence.
It further said that the program also aimed at identifying and prioritizing issues within the communities, and come up with common hopes and possible actions to address the identified issues.
“The Landbank Gabay Program embodies the Bank’s commitment to help communities grow and recover. Since the implementation of the program in 2019, we were able to give hope to many of our brothers and sisters in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur, helping them rebuild their communities from the catastrophic impact brought about by the five-month-long siege in 2017,” Landbank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said.
The bank said it facilitated post-PSS activities, such as the Mashwara Corners, in partner-communities where participants shared their personal journeys since completing the Mashwara Para Ko Kapamulong activities.
The bank has also conducted a series of Children’s Festival which included games, storytelling and learning sessions for the internally displaced children.
Landbank said the PSS activity has a unique feature that incorporates eco-therapy where Landbank mounted various workshops and hands-on trainings on natural farming as a sustainable way of living and healing.
Landbank added that it also held a series of trainings of trainers on PSS, with a total of 101 graduates as part of the main components of the Gabay Program.
“The graduates eventually served as facilitators in the conduct of PSS activities and other interventions for the conflict-torn communities,” the advisory said. – /mbmf
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