MISSION TO ALBAY

This is Mayon Volcano, situated in Legazpi City, Albay. She is hailed as one of the more majestic and picturesque volcanoes in the world, owing to her almost pefect cone.



And this is the havoc that she left after Typhoon Reming.










Typhoon Reming(International Name: Durian) which arrived in the Bicol Region last November 30, created a mudslide of volcanic ash and boulders that killed an estimated of 1,000 people and destroyed an estimated PHP 274 million worth of property. (As of press time, official death toll has risen from 198 to 450, with more bodies still to be dug.)

Last December 7 to 9, UGAT staffers Kay Vardeleon and Carlos Lagaya joined the Simbahang Lingkod Bayan and the Ateneo de Manila Psychology Department in conducting psychological debriefing to the survivors of the Albay mudslide.

The SLB-PsychDept team left for Albay at around 8pm via Isarog Buslines from Cubao. It was a 12 hour drive from Manila to Albay. A team of Ateneo High School students was also present to assist the Relief operations.

At around 10:30am, December 8, the team, headed by Lyra Versoza, conducted a crash course on Critical Incident Stress Debriefing to volunteer debriefers from the Diocese of Legazpi.




After lunch, the group started debriefing in Binitayan Elementary School (evacuation center) and to survivors at the Daraga church.

At December 9, scheduled debriefings of the team had to be cancelled as some evacuation centers had to be re-evacuated in lieu of the upcoming storm. The group decided to help out the group seeking temporary shelter at the Daraga Church and engage them in one on one debriefings when possible.

The SLB-PsychDept team left for Manila at around 2pm.

Lyra, UGAT's Caloy Lagaya and Kay Vardeleon remained and met up later with UGAT volunteers Mark Antony Abenir and Nerisa Dimapilis to join with ABS-CBN Foundation's and Dreams 71's Paul, Emong and Mam Vicky. Nerisa and the Dream 71 staff started debriefing as well that morning. Further plans for debriefings had to be cancelled as well in lieu of teh re-evacuations that are going on. The ABS-CBN team continued with their relief operations, soup kitchens (shall I say lugaw kitchens) and entertaining the survivors.

The team resumed debriefings December 10-11, 2006 and had an opportunity to visit ground zero at Caraga and Sto. Dominggo, as well as converse with the survivors.
The team left for Manila at around 6pm of Monday.

What are we waiting for this Advent?

Last November 25, 2006, UGAT conducted a Psycho-spiritual Intervention Seminar for Teachers for public schools in Montalban. This is the 5th run of the seminar, a joint project of UGAT and the Montalban local government.

In the spirit of formation, UGAT conducted an Advent Recollection for its volunteers. The Recollection was facilitated by Bro. Jordan Orbe, SJ and held at Valle Verde 4 in Pasig City (one of our long-time sponsor, Ms. Aurora Dee, generously lent her home for this event). Advent is a season of waiting, but do all of us know what we are waiting for? I hope we do, because waiting for Christ and His Kingdom to come is something that is guaranteed to give you joyous anticipation. The advent retreat was followed by a Christmas Party for the volunteers.

Mission To Rome

Fr. Nilo E. Tanalega, SJ and Jimleth Dulla went to Rome, Italy last November 13- 29, 2006 to give Peer Counseling and Family Ministry Seminars to Filipino communities there. The seminars were organized by the Sentro Pilipino-Chaplaincy of the Diocese of Rome under Fr. Albert M. Guevara, Jr., CS.



The seminars were as follows:

Orientation Seminar for Lay Pastoral Workers on Family Ministry (November 16 and 23)
Training Workshop on Counseling for Religious Workers (November 18 and 25)
Training Workshop on Peer Counseling for Family and Youth Volunteers (November 19 and 26)

The seminars were held at the premises of the Basilica di Santa Pudenziana, Via Urbana 160 in Rome.