The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) successfully concluded the 2025 Psychological First Aid (PFA) Workshop for School Personnel last April 24–25 at Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan Macasandig Campus. This year’s workshop, organized in partnership with the Women and Gender Institute (WAGI) and supported by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), marks a continued commitment to mental health and child protection, building on the successes of its 2023 and 2024 runs.
The two-day event began with a warm opening message from the CEAP President, Fr. Karel S. San Juan, SJ, affirming the Association’s strong commitment to child protection and safe learning environments. He even stressed the urgency of protecting students from violence and emphasized the need for schools to respond with greater sensitivity and care. The CEAP Executive Director, Mr. Narcy F. Ador Dionisio, also delivered a message emphasizing the intrinsic connection between educational reform and emotional well-being, as reflected in the EDCOM 2 report. He emphasized the role of Psychological First Aid (PFA) in empowering educators, building school resilience, and fostering emotional safety. He encouraged participants to commit to making mental health and emotional support central to education.
The first day of the event featured sessions focused on the Philippine situation of Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children (OSAEC), as well as practical strategies for psychological situations. First, the sessions covered identifying the patterns of abuse in a local setting and the legal parameters of disclosing cases of violence to the authorities. The ‘Philippine Situationer on OSAEC’, delivered by WAGI Executive Director Ms. Melanie M. Reyes, together with Atty. Allen L. Espino, WAGI Legal Consultant on the legal comprehension of the topic.
On the second day, Prof. Pacita D. Fortin, Faculty Associate of Miriam College presented the practical approaches to Psychological First Aid (PFA), highlighting its core principles, objectives, and effectiveness as a support mechanism for children experiencing distress. Supporting this was a workshop and open forum on the best PFA techniques to be used in dealing with children under traumatic online sexual abuse and exploitation. Ms. Frances Therese G. Zabala, WAGI Project Coordinator, facilitated the workshop and open forum, where the participants shared their understanding of Psychological First Aid as well as experiences in dealing with victims of online sexual abuse.
The two-day program concluded with the presentation of action plans from subgroups of 142 participants, which revealed the following recommendations:
-Create a program for Psychological First Aid and escalate into concrete policy
-Capacitate teachers about Psychological First Aid through training and updating on the legal understanding of sexual violence and abuse. Include as well other stakeholders like parents or guardians and family members.
-Empower community members through OSAEC awareness campaigns and encourage volunteers for social advocacy and engagements.
-Anchor research studies to the actual situation on OSAEC.
These collective recommendations were echoed and affirmed by CEAP Region X Trustee Mr. Jay A. Velez in his closing message. He encouraged participants to take concrete steps in realizing their action plans, stressing that the real work begins after the workshop—as schools, communities, and educators continue to build safe, nurturing spaces for learners.