CBCP reaches out to women and children from two Mindanao dioceses via counseling

WORKING toward the institution of a parish-based Center for Women and Children, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Office on Women sponsored a series of seminars dedicated to training potential counselors and life coaches last May 3 to 10 at the St. Anthony Hall of the Cathedral of St. Augustine, Cagayan De Oro City.

The said event was attended by 28 delegates coming from the dioceses of Digos and Cagayan De Oro City. As a collaborative effort between the CBCP Office on Women and the local parishes, this project seeks to respond to the need for parishes to create Women Crisis Desks, which would satisfy the needs of women and children in crisis through offering counseling and referral services for free.

Spearheaded and facilitated by Pro-Life Philippines Founder Sr. Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS and Pro-Life Philippines Program Officer and Life Coach Edwina Meily, the project yielded success. Included in the week-long itinerary was a counseling training workshop was conducted by a well-adept and licensed counselor Sr. Grace Butalid, RGS.  It was followed by an orientation on the promotion of the culture of life as conducted by Pro-Life Philippines. Also held during the series were a short legal discussion about the legal implications of RA 9208: Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act with Atty. Beverly Musni and  a talk on Domestic Violence and The Dignity and Vocation of Women (based on the Apostolic Letter of the late P.John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem) by Meily. Plans and strategies for setting up the women’s desks eventually followed after all of the talks.

Aside for the seminars, Sr. Pilar and Meily also teamed up in giving a One-day Teen Sexuality Seminar to high school students from Camiguin Island in Camiguin National High school.  The activity was part of a month-long live-out summer camp of high school students from different schools island-wide. Weena S. Meily