SU psychosocial team extends support to Typhoon Tino survivors in Canlaon City
The Silliman University Psychosocial Processing (PSP) Team provided psychosocial support to evacuees and survivors affected by Typhoon Tino during evening sessions held on December 15, 2025, at the Canlaon City Gym Evacuation Center and the Macario Española Memorial School (MEMS) Evacuation Center in Barangay Mabigo, Canlaon City.
For the first time, the PSP interventions were conducted simultaneously in the evening, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., to better accommodate the availability of displaced residents. A total of 170 individuals participated in the sessions, including 38 evacuees at MEMS (20 adults, eight teenagers, and 10 children) and 132 at the Canlaon City Gym (67 adults, 22 teenagers, and 43 children).
The 33-member PSP Team was composed of Silliman University faculty members, counselors, staff, students, and alumni from various academic units and offices, including the College of Nursing; the College of Arts and Sciences’ Psychology and Social Work Departments; the Divinity School; the Office of Student Services’ Guidance and Testing; and support personnel from the Office of Community Engagement and Service Learning and Facilities Management Services. The team was led by Dr. Edna Gladys Calingacion, with Dr. Theresa A. Guino-o serving as co-team leader.
Participants were grouped according to age and sector—adults, senior citizens and persons with disabilities, teenagers, and children—to ensure developmentally appropriate psychosocial interventions. Following the established PSP process guide, adults engaged in facilitated storytelling and sharing sessions, while children and teenagers participated in age-appropriate therapeutic and expressive activities. Each group was handled by trained facilitators and process observers to help mitigate trauma, encourage emotional expression, and foster resilience.
The intervention forms part of Silliman University’s Continuing Calamity Response Program, which integrates relief assistance, psychosocial intervention, and rehabilitation or rebuilding. The PSP component specifically aims to help individuals and families cope with disaster-related trauma, restore a sense of safety, and strengthen community well-being in the aftermath of calamities.
In support of the psychosocial mission, various University units and partners contributed relief items and logistical assistance. Personality Enhancement Program (PEP) students donated family packs, dignity kits for adults, and school kits for children and teenagers. The Social Work Department and the Social Work Society provided kitchen utensil sets and family packs for evacuees at the MEMS, Mabigo, and Panubigan evacuation centers. SU High School Class ’62 donated blankets and towels, while Cecile Canada and the staff of the F & C Guesthouse extended food and accommodation support to the response team.
Relief packs were also distributed to evacuees at Mabigo Elementary School, Masulog Elementary School, Panubigan Barangay Hall, Binalbagan Barangay Hall, and Panubigan Elementary School. In addition, the University Strategic Partnership Office, through the dean of the College of Business Administration, facilitated the donation of 150 five-kilo rice packs, which were distributed through the Barangay Pula United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), together with family packs from the Social Work Society and school supplies from the School of Basic Education and the Student Organizations and Activities Division.
