Last August 19 – 21, 2023, the UPD Ugnayan ng Pahinungod conducted ocular visits across multiple communities in Laguna, Bulacan, and Quezon provinces to explore the possibilities of working together with UPD NSTP units for the purpose of serving relevant partner communities through volunteer initiatives.
The second day took place on August 20, Sunday, at the Damascus Foundation in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.
Upon arrival at the mess hall of the Damascus Foundation, the Pahinungod team, together with Ms. Joan Tolibas, and the staff of Damascus, initiated the consultation meeting.
Mrs. Tiangco started by explaining the history and origins of Damascus. She shared that the foundation started in 2007, as a rehabilitation center for drug dependents and troubled youth. Fast forward to today, Damascus now has an established day care–with meals and school teachers, and employs its residents to work as staff after they graduate from high school. Damascus’ goal, as an institution, is to help troubled children achieve a better life–both for themselves, and their families.
Junior Project Associate, Alessandra Uy, then proceeded to introduce the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod. She discussed its vision and mission, as well as its projects and programs of the in detail, namely: (1) Gurong Pahinungod, (2) the Affirmative Action Program (AAP), (3) the Tutorial Service Program, (4) the Teacher Development Program (TDP), (5) Buhay Pahinungod, (6) the Psychosocial Support Program (PSP), (7) the Integrated Volunteer Program, (8) the Social Services and Wellness Program, and the (9) Internal Support Committee. All of which have been geared towards fulfilling the vision of the Pahinungod to propel the efforts of the university into serving disadvantaged communities through volunteerism.
Following this orientation, Mrs. Tiangco expressed great interest in the Pahinungod’s education-focused programs–particularly the (1) Tutorial Service Program, the (2) Teacher Development Program, as well as (3) Gurong Pahinungod. These programs would very much strengthen the foundation’s pool of teachers as well as aid in the learning of its residents and children.
Likewise, the Damascus staff shared that Psychological First Aid (PFA) sessions would be beneficial for both residents and teachers. These could aid in stress debriefing for its participants, while this could also serve as modules for parasocial workers within the foundation.
Then, they continued on to share their struggles as an institution. Due to the pandemic, and rising inflation, the foundation has seen a sharp decline in donations from private entities, as well as funding from the local government. Likewise, throughout the years of operation, the number of residents have continuously risen. This has led to a tremendous shortage of staff, resources, and room capacities.
Further, the foundation has expressed social concerns. Many residents struggle with their academics, and have lost the motivation to study. The boys have been uncontrollable and have no guidance in their lives. Many have no ambition for themselves, and have no interest in bettering their situations in life. This is largely due to them no longer having families to go back to. Thus, there lies a sense of hopelessness within them.
From these discussions, both the Pahinungod team and the Damascus staff identified possible key points for collaboration, and cooperation–with the long-term goal of sustained partnerships in mind. Several opportunities were discussed, such as the implementation of education-based programs, exploration of alternative livelihood activities, introduction of alternative learning systems (ALS), marketing workshops, as well as psychological first aid (PFA) training for both children and adults alike. The meeting concluded with a group photo of all attendees.
In the afternoon, the Pahinungod team was taken around the Damascus grounds, and facilities to conduct ocular visits in order to have a better understanding of the foundation’s operational setups. The foundation has several facilities for livelihood activities–these include a bakery, a water refilling station, and a shared service facility for sewing bags and garments.
