Group urges regular check up on mental health of IDPs in Tandag

By BEN SERRANO,
Correspondent

TANDAG CITY — Non-government organization Community Medicine Development Foundation, Inc-Philippines (Commed) urged regular check-up on the mental health of the more than three thousand lumad evacuees still staying for more than two months now at the Surigao del Sur Sports Complex in Baran-gay Telaje, here, and the indigenes also still staying at the Marihatag Municipal Gym in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.

In a press conference Friday, Dr. Julie Caguiat, Commed medical director said aside from other illnesses like diarrhea, pulmo-nia, sore eyes and other respiratory and digestive diseases a check on the mental health condition of the more than 3,000 indigenes must also be looked into by the Departyment of Health (DOH).

Caguiat added that living conditions of the indigenes at the evacuation center are exposed to cold or too much cold, their makeshift tents flooded while during sunny or hot weather conditions, evacuees exposed to too much heat sometimes unbearable, may have affect some mental health issues only psychiatrist and psychologist can assess.

“This (mental health) must be looked into as soon as possible considering that as of now there is no single psychiatrist, psychologist or expert on mental health that will address this problem. They may have some mental health issues considering on their continuing stress, frustrations because some already eager to go home, day to day worry and total depression experienced by lumad evacuees who have been at the evacuation centers for two months now,” Caguiat said.

“Most common diseases the evacuees are suffering were respiratory and digestive illnesses This maybe because of their day to day living conditions at the evacuation centers and exposed to the elements, in fact majority of them wanted to go home,” Ca-guiat added.

Meanwhile, International Fact-Finding Mission (IF FM) presentors to media and community headed by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, Bishops Modesto Villasanta of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and Rhee Timbang of Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) maintained that the IFFM is completely legal in response to Philippine Army’s statement against the mission.

“What is illegal are those in authority who are providing firearms or arming civilian groups like Magahat and Bagani,” said Zarate.

“What is illegal are continuing human rights violations and abuses but the delegates of the fact finding mission were all legal not illegal since human rights invoking the right to live and live peacefully are universally accepted rights by which our country is signatory in the U.N. as it draws no boundaries or nations,”  Zarate added.

Presentors claimed it is sad that the military and even some in the Philippine government do not know the universally accepted human rights that does not distinguish race nor nationality.

Sister Felicidad Solatorio of the Missionary Sisters of Mary (MSM) and Rosanilla Consad of NGO-FD HRV reasoned that foreigners at the International Fact Finding Mission were regular foreign donors of the Alcadel tribal school and communal garden who donated funds who wanted to verify for themselves on what happened to the tribal school they helped build.