In a heartfelt ceremony held on Monday (05 May) at the Katapatan Boardroom of the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City, Secretary Rex Gatchalian extended his sincere gratitude to the dedicated members of the Philippine Rapid Response Deployment Team (PRRDT). These volunteers made significant contributions to the relief efforts for the survivors of the March 28 magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar.

During the event, Secretary Gatchalian honored the eight-member DSWD psychological first aid team, which consisted of trained social workers and a psychologist from the agency’s Central and Field Offices. The team included Social Welfare Officers Imee Rose Castillo, Rizaline Sta. Ines, Nolibelyn Macabagdal, Joseph Salavarria, Clenson Tibangay, Hidie Mendoza, and Christina Tatoy, along with psychologist Karen Arvie Gabriel.

The ceremony was attended by members of the DSWD executive and management committees, who joined Secretary Gatchalian in recognizing the invaluable contributions of these volunteers.