Fr. Merwin's program on intervention key in coping with tragedy and loss

For Rev. Fr. Merwin Kangleon, teaching has always been a second calling. The priest believes that nothing compares to the fulfillment of shaping the lives of young people. But while the challenges of teaching thrill him to the core, the summer of 2006 brought him an experience far beyond what he could ever expect.

It all started when he joined the thousands of volunteers who responded to the desperate call of Guinsaugon in Southern Leyte when a massive landslide covered the entire village that fateful morning of February 17, 2006. Fr. Merwin was then in Sogod town, a one-and-a-half-hour ride away from where the tragedy struck.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, he was among those who went to the site the second day of the rescue efforts. At least 1,000 perished in the tragedy and many still were left homeless including students who were only saved because they were in school when the incident took place.

Fr. Merwin later learned that 21 public school students that survived the landslide had to take back subjects for them to be able to complete high school. As educator and school head, he could not let the opportunity to help pass by, thus, resolved to let the 21 students finish their high school education.

But the endeavor was more than just bringing the students to Sogod town. It was taking charge of young people -aged 16 to 22- whose lives had just been ravaged by extreme misfortune and who were experiencing trauma. All 21 were either orphaned or lost a family member.

St. Thomas Aquinas College, the school that Fr. Merwin heads, did not only enroll the students for summer classes for free, it also addressed their need the truth of the tragedy. On top of teaching the regular subjects, teachers incorporated psychological and spiritual interventions that formed part of the students' rehabilitation process.

The students, 16 boys and five girls, underwent specialized counseling and were slowly made to get involved in recreational activities. Teachers brought them to areas that could relax their minds such as parks and resorts.

Fr. Merwin believed that socialization was key to bringing the students back to the "normal" world, something that they could not experience in the evacuation centers. That summer, the students even got a chance to interact with other "regular" students who were also taking up summer classes.

During that time, the other survivors of the landslide that were residents of Guinsaugon were sheltered at the Cristo Rey Regional High School in St. Bernard town proper, however, recovery could only be sluggish in a hostile environment such as living in tents with very limited privacy and under harsh weather conditions.

And because the students were still experiencing trauma, patience was paramount in undertaking the activities.

This was what Fr. Merwin and the teachers experienced one time when, while at a farm resort, the students witnessed another kid hurt her arm when she fell from a zip line. Fr. Merwin recalled that seeing blood on the girl was enough for memories of the landslide to return making the students shiver in fear, some of them stunned completely.

Fr. Merwin said the shift in the students' behavior made dealing with them more difficult but no one gave up. The teachers instead viewed it as an opportunity to be able to process the situation with the students and make them learn from it.

The impact of the landslide was so tremendous that the students believed it was God's way of punishing the Guinsaugon residents for their sins. It was also tremendous because it pulled down the students' morale and self-confidence. In processing the incident at the farm resort, the teachers explained to the students that accidents or tragedies can happen to anyone, anytime and that their experience of loss was not isolated.

As days passed by that summer, the students' behavior became more and more positive. Because they lived in groups in a convent in a boarding house, they slowly learned to establish friendships, as they did household chores together.

"Psychologically, it's important for the person to grieve when he experiences loss because grieving would help him move on easily," Fr. Merwin said.

Teachers admitted that the students' receptiveness in their classes was but very limited, as some even do nothing but stare in empty space inside the classroom. They also observed that they the students were usually out of focus, as the students themselves admitted that memories of the tragedy pops out of their minds more often than they expect them to.

But it was something that the teachers completely understood for they were dealing with a situation so sensitive that one false move could either make or ruin a young person's life. The teachers were ready to render no less than special attention and utmost patience.

Fr. Merwin said dealing with the students was an experience very much refreshing for all of them in the school. And just when the efforts came to a peak and the students have regained a certain amount of dignity and self-importance, the summer had to end. Both teachers and students had to face the lesson they tackled together -letting go.

The night the school gave the students a farewell dinner was very emotional, especially seeing the kids hesitantly bid farewell to those they have already considered friends, even family. But Fr. Merwin said what tugged their hearts was when the students shared their thoughts, saying they have come to realize that they were still blessed to have survived the landslide. They even promised to live their lives the best way they could.

Those words, Fr. Merwin said, took every bit of stress off the rigorous process.

"Before, they were only thinking of the present so we are glad that they have also learned to look forward to the future, and think of what it would bring them...I hope their time with us would help them accept the reality of loss, that goodbye is part of life," he added.