DAVAO CITY (November 6) — Close to 400 children affected by last month’s earthquakes in Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental are receiving psychosocial support through child-friendly spaces set up by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)–Davao Region.
According to social welfare officer Rachel Guerrero, the initiative has so far assisted 388 children — 157 from Davao de Oro and 231 from Davao Oriental — who were displaced after the series of strong tremors that struck southeastern Mindanao.
“These spaces allow children to participate in purely child-friendly activities while inside the evacuation centers,” Guerrero said in a press briefing Monday.
The spaces, she explained, are designed as safe areas within evacuation centers where children can play, draw, tell stories, and interact with peers under the supervision of trained facilitators.
Beyond recreation, the activities also help social workers assess children’s emotional state and identify those who may need referrals for medical or psychological interventions — though no such cases have been reported so far.
Guerrero said the child-friendly spaces aim to support the psychosocial recovery of children who may have experienced trauma from the earthquakes and aftershocks.
Several non-government organizations (NGOs) and local government units (LGUs) are likewise conducting complementary psychosocial activities and learning sessions in affected communities.
“These small spaces of comfort help children feel safe again, even amid uncertainty,” Guerrero added.
