This is now the third week after the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that every Boholano would like to forget but cannot and must not for so many reasons. By now all the inventory and assessment of damage are more or less complete but the damage to the human psyche of Boholanos and the loss of their cultural heritage cannot be quantified. Only the physical damage is quantified and as of Friday’s briefing by the PDRRMC, the destruction to road, educational, health, and church infrastructures was already valued at P5.7 billion. That is about half of the amount of people’s money (read: PDAF, DAP) that was lost to human greed and corruption.

In time these infrastructures can be replaced or restored. Government has the money to fund their replacements and restoration. It may not be done immediately but in reasonable time it will be. What cannot be replaced or restored are the lives of almost 200 Boholanosthat were lost. What will take a longer time to heal are the psychological wounds that that the earthquake inflicted on everyone who was in Bohol on that fateful day and particularly and especially on the family of those who died and were injured. Up to now, more than 10 days after the earthquake, there are thousands of families who chose to stay and sleep in their makeshift tents along the roads and streets or outside their homes even for those whose houses have not been damaged. It is not the need to be counted for relief goods and assistance that made them chose to be exposed to the elements that could bring them further misery of illness and disease. It was their traumatic experience that keeps them away from their houses and work stations.

These are the people who need to be helped with food and healthcare. For now there may not be a problem with food item assistance as besides government resources the outpouring of help from everywhere in and out of the country is substantial. But there is always a limit to resources. This tent population now must be coaxed to return to their homes by helping them rebuild their destroyed houses. But more than just helping them to rebuild their houses, government and private institutions must collaborate and work together to repair and heal the damaged psyche of the victims of that harrowing experience. Unless that is done there can be no complete recovery for Bohol. In a few years there may not be any sign of the earthquake on any of the infrastructures of Bohol. But if the damage inflicted on the psyche of the human person by the earthquake is not addressed simultaneously with the material need of the victims today, they will always live in perpetual fear of any unusual movement of their surroundings. And that is fatal to a people known for their warmth and hospitality.

Government and the private sector must work out immediately a program that will provide psycho-social debriefing to the most affected victims and the public in general. The Department of Education in Bohol under Schools Division Superintendent WinnieBongcalos is already doing its part by training the teachers how to conduct psycho-social debriefing to the school children when classes resume on November 5, 2013. The training started last week and will continue until October 31. Last Friday the teachers learned the Pinoy“Laughter Yoga” to throw away stress and heavy emotions. I was glad to have joined them. The teachers will only be helping the school children. What about their parents who must make decisions on the daily life of their families? Here is where the private sector and other government agencies can come in to organize trainer’s training on psycho-social debriefing especially among communicators like information officers, community organizers and leaders, church cluster leaders who can reach out to the people to make the complete healing faster and organized. This is the next phase of the Boholano life that is critical today after that October 15th earthquake. Relief assistance can continue for as long as there is need and as long as the resources are pouring. This is the time to rebuild and repair the damage to the human person and his environment.