The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) promotes the well-being of its workers by ensuring to provide necessary interventions to ensure physical and mental health of its workers. With the, DSWD Field Office Caraga conducted a two-day stress reduction workshop cum team building for its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) staff.

During the Training Needs Assessment last March 2015, the need to manage and handle stress was verbalized by the 4Ps workers. Thus, the workshop seeks to manage stress at work effectively, improve productivity in their assigned areas, and develop harmonious inter-personal relationship with co-workers and partners.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for this rare opportunity of going back to ourselves, unmasking our feelings and vulnerabilities, and becoming a better version of who we are in the work place, with our families and as a person. We cannot say thank you enough, only God can,” Ruth Tambura, provincial link officer of Agusan del Norte, cited in her Facebook post.

Facilitated by the Learning and Development Section (LDS), the workshop helps workers re-discover their own personal difficulties, reflect upon stress management and relaxation strategies, and become more effective in handling everyday pressures in a sustainable way.

“This is a reality that one has to overcome in order to maintain the equilibrium required to achieve optimum level of functioning in the Agency,” Anafe Lecciones, 4Ps regional training specialist and LDS head, said.

The workshops were per Provincial Operations Office (POO) cluster. The topics include discussed during the sessions include (a) Stress and Reduction Techniques, (b) Personal Role in Stress Creation and Reduction (c) Personal Action Plan with Stress, and (d) Teambuilding Concepts.

“While our staff cares to serve, they too deserve to be given timely and appropriate interventions. More so the people in the field who are weakened by the demands of their work, and the emotional instability caused by living away from their family,” Lecciones added.

Moreover, this time of pandemic has affected people from different walks of life. Some developed anxiety and some succumbed to depression. Frontline workers from DSWD are not exempted to this phenomenon especially with the recently concluded Social Amelioration Program (SAP) validations and payouts.

“We highly appreciate your efforts to equip us to become more stress resistant and empowered not just in work but in our personal dealings as well,” Cherry Gabotero, provincial link of Dinagat Islands, said. ###Social Marketing Section/DSWD Field Office Caraga)