In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines dispatched to Japan a Medical Assistance Team of three medical doctors (composed of Dr. Maria. Paz P. Corrales, Team Leader, Dr. Aida L. Muncada and Dr. Sharon J. Triunfo) , focusing on psychosocial counseling etc . , from June 28 (Tuesday) to July 13 (Wednesday). The team, together with Japanese medical doctors and clinical psychologists, completed their mission to engage in mobile medical assistance operations for disaster victims including families of Filipino nationals in Iwate Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture. They paid a courtesy call on Ms. Makiko Kikuta, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs on July 12 and thereafter returned to the Philippines on July 13.
They visited hospitals, evacuation centers and the houses in Iwate Prefecture (Ofunato city, Rikuzen-Takata city, Morioka city, Kuji city, Noda mura, Otsuchi cho, Kamaishi city) and Miyagi Prefecture (Kesen-numa city, Sendai city, Minami-Sanriku cho) and had psychosocial counseling etc. for around 200 Filipino women, their Japanese spouses and their children.
The victims of the earthquake consulted Filipino doctors about their frightened experiences, feelings of loss of their loved ones, anxieties over disconnection to their families, difficulties in life after the disaster. They shared these using their mother tongue, Tagalog.
The doctors said they were able to conduct their counseling effectively, using their mother tongue, for treating victims' depressed moods and psychological trauma after the disaster.
The Government of Japan deeply appreciates the assistance extended by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines through the medical team.
The medical team returned to the Philippines on July 13 (Wednesday) on Manila International Airport. Minister Motohiko Kato, Consul General of Japan received them and welcomed their return at the airport, expressing profound appreciation to their activities in Japan.
Japanese Version
