PARA PO SA ATING MAHAL NA MGA PILIPINONG NANGINGIBANG- BANSA

AT MGA KAPAMILYA NG NANGINGIBANG-BANSA:

Sandalan: Counseling Hotline

+639159389715

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

There are many hidden and explicit crises in migration, and a considerable number of Filipino expatriates could benefit from a more personal psychological assistance, specifically counseling service, as some Filipinos abroad cannot ventilate/cry through mail and would be greatly benefited by a care provider speaking in his native language.Some troubled Filipinos abroad do not know where to go for counseling and/or cannot spare the expense of going to crisis centers. The telephone remains the most accessible and affordable medium of communication that is the second best thing to face-to-face contact.

Most counseling service providers are situated in the Philippines. Due to the practical and logistical concerns of sending missions abroad, there may be a lack of trained mental health professionals that can cater to their needs.

Sandalan literally means “someone you can lean on,” which is what this project essentially means. Ugat Foundation and Global Filipinos, a non-partisan coalition of overseas organizations, envision a free counseling/crisis hotline(s) that caters specificically for the concerns of Filipino expatriates and their families here in the Philippines. The lines would have the following features:

*Free and confidential counseling service through voice or sms (text) for both the ones abroad and the remaining family members to address psycho-spiritual concerns brought about by their involuntary separation. Consultations through Instant Messaging (Chat) and Electronic Mailing are also to be provided.

*Provides a linkage to a local network of volunteer counselors for follow up remaining family members in various localities in the Philippines. These counselors, called UGAT Core Group Members, are counseling trained individuals/organizations commonly composed of Family and Life Workers of the church, guidance counselors, NGO staffers and staff of local government agencies who have volunteered their services to migrants. In more serious cases, referrals to shelters and specialized organizations might be arranged.

*Information service for access to specific services (i.e. personal finance consultation, legal and mediation assistance, investment opportunities, low-cost housing etc.) for migrants.

*Feasible venue for a personal pre-departure consultation/ orientation of Filipinos planning to migrate. The crisis that migrants and their family members face are well-documented and an informed choice is always a good advocacy. The present system though has its limitations namely: there is no premium in making migration a family decision and that PDOS (pre-departure orientation seminars are often conducted after the migrant has already paid their departure dues and job placement fees which makes any realisation gathered there as purely academic.