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.

PSI for Teachers continued...

The third and fouth batches of teachers from the municipality if Rodriguez were given the Psycho-spiritual Integration for Teachers last October 27 and 28 , 2006.

Mining for Gold

Inside every hurting person is the potential for greatness. Few people can actually claim to understand suffering and compassion unless one has traveled that particular path themselves. In this regard we give you MINA--- the unearthing of the jewel underneath the coarse rock among children of the abandoned and the separated.

Last October 29,2006 UGAT gave a MINA seminar to scholars of the St. Joseph Foundation for Children and the Aging. The seminar was facilitated by Carlos T. Lagaya, Kay Vardeleon, Nicolai Dacum and Sherry Ann Magsalin.

God has promised to b father to the fatherless (Psalm 68: 5). David in his faith believed that "Though my father and mother has forsaken me, the Lord will recieve me." Psalm 27:10.

The Need for Counsel

Jesuit Communications' early morning segment "Kape at Pandasal" in ABS-CBN's Magandang Umaga Pilipinas celebrated its two year annversary October 18, 2006. To celebrate this event, free counseling services for family issues were conducted by UGAT Foundation to the watchers of this show. The counselors who had participated are Fr. Nilo E. Tanalega, SJ, Brother JR Orbera,SJ, Brother Eric Escandor, SJ and Karen Vardeleon.

With UGAT's landlines and cellphones announced to the public, UGAT's phones had been ringing all day. It really was a counseling telethon for the group. The enormous response to this program hits home a very solid reality--- that there are so many hurting families in the country,and they thirst for counsel.

Last Saturday, October 21, UGAT also gave a Peer Counseling Seminar to formators of Thursday's Servants' communities. Details to follow.

September Fun

Ah, September! Christmas is in the air....the -ber months are in!

Last September 2- 9, 2006, Fr. Nilo Tanalega gave a course on Pastoral Counseling at the John Paul II National Institute for Studies on Marraige and Family in Bacolod.

Braving rain and flood, UGAT appeared in DZMM's Usapang Kapatid with Bro. Nono and Sr. Bubbles last September 9, 2006 to talk about migration.




September 11, it was off to Iloilo for a meeting of Bayaning Pilipino winners from Iloilo. The meeting was held at the Sta. Maria Parish and was attended by Elvira Bernal, Lilia Teves, Tessie Pagay and Joe Eric Indico. The past winners shared their experience after the BPAwards and contributed ideas on how to promote the program in their area. The first leg of BPA promotions followed: in Aklan, Antique, Bacolod and Roxas City.

Last September 15 UGAT conducted an ANAK (Anak ng Nangibang-bansa Aruga at Kaagapay) seminar-workshop for the children of overseas workers from Ateneo de Iloilo (Santa Maria Catholic Church). The next day, it was the parents' turn. UGAT conducted a support-group style program for wives of migrants and seafarers also at Ateneo de Iloilo. Both seminars were graciously organized and sponsored by the Grade School and High School Parent-Teachers Association headed by Mr. Reynaldo Daguman and Dr. Melanie Tendencia respectively.





Afterwards it was off to Angono, Rizal for the Family Interventions for Social Workers seminar-workshop for the Christian Foundation for the Children and the Aging. Pictures sure to follow....