La Trinidad, Benguet- The Balili Elementary School conducted its first batch of Mental Health Care and Awareness for Parents and Teachers, March 19.
Sixty Kindergarten-parents and thirty-two teaching staff attended the activity. This is the first batch out of six or seven more batches to come to a per grade-level seminar to help teachers and parents in understanding and dealing with the mental health needs of students- especially during this pandemic. Honorable mayor Romeo K. Salda and vice-mayor Awingan including Municipal Social and Development Office’s Social Worker III- Mrs. Christina Anioway attended the activity.
The activity was headed by school principal Mrs. Remedios B. Lamsis and barangay and school Child Protection Committee chair– Mrs. Ester B. Dorencio. The activity was encouraged by municipal mayor Honorable Romeo K. Salda, who also gave an inspirational message during the event.
Professor-Dr. Hoover Agyao- child advocate and vice president of the Development Organization for Families and Communities in the Cordillera (DOFCC) gave the event message. He emphasized the importance of communication among family members, bonding and meditation, ways of dealing with isolation due to the current pandemic and the issue on suicide. Dr. Agyao’s non-profit organization has been conducting the past 4 years activities to educate teachers, families and community volunteers about relationship improvement and family welfare.
“Balili Elementary School is honored and blessed with the support from the barangay and municipal levels regarding this issue and we hope to continue the next batches of parent trainees with the same success”, said organizer Mrs. Ester B. Dorencio.**by Desa A. Castillo
