Projects
Tails for Taal
On January 12, 2020, Taal Volcano had a phreatic eruption, causing grave damage and casualties. As advocates of “mutual healing” and “stewardship”, Communitails organized a post-disaster animal-assisted activity (AAA) called the Tails for Taal for the 103 Grade Six students of Subic Elementary School located in Agoncillo, Batangas. The AAA was divided into 5 batches, where each of the 5 Human-Animal Teams accommodated 4 to 5 students for 10-12 minutes for each batch. Results showed an increase in energy and participation among the students. Previous studies suggest that the AAA may have improved the students’ ability to express and interact with others, as animals have intrinsic qualities that help “catalyze” social interactions. The AAA also relieved the students’ traumatic stress caused by the eruption and helped create a newfound compassion towards human-animal bonds.
Philippine Human-Animal Bond Conference
The 1st Philippine Human-Animal Bond Conference was an online professional forum on evidence and best practices in animal-assisted interventions and their applications in mental health, animal welfare, and overall environmental health in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day 1 was about Clinical applications of Animal Assisted Interventions in the morning and AAA practices in academic settings (adapting to the new normal during the COVID pandemic) in the afternoon. There was also a Mindfurness session before the research presenters.
Day 2 explored more of our life with animals and will have its first session on pet ownership and its second session on Human-Animal-Environment Interactions, tackling topics on wildlife and conservation!
Implementing trauma-informed animal-assisted therapy as complementary mental health intervention for survivor leaders of the Philippine Survivor Network: A Pilot Study
This study explored the co-design and pilot implementation of a trauma-informed animal-assisted therapy (TI-AAT) program with survivor leaders of the Philippine Survivor Network (PSN). Recognizing the emotional demands placed on survivor advocates, the project aimed to create a culturally relevant intervention supporting mental health and human-animal bonds.
Using a co-design framework, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) modules were developed collaboratively with survivor leaders, human-animal teams, and trauma-informed practitioners. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Ethical approval was secured through the Ateneo de Manila University Research Ethics Committee with Protocol ID: AdMUREC_23_030. Data analysis is currently ongoing.
Global Mental Health in Asia 2025 Innovation Fair
Communitails shared its trauma-informed animal-assisted therapy pilot for survivor leaders at the Global Mental Health in Asia 2025 last February 2025 at Singapore. Through a research poster presentation, the team explained more about what we learned and a call for action for victims of trafficking and exploitation through trauma-informed care and the human-animal bond.
Alagang PAWsitibo: Development of Animal Assisted Intervention as a Wellness Program in the Workplace for the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Personnel
One of the current projects of Communtails, Alagang PAWsitibo tackles the development and pilot implementation of an Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) as a wellness program for personnel at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). This is the very first time AAI is being piloted at a hospital facility in the Philippines.
The project responds to the urgent need to support the emotional well-being of healthcare workers facing chronic stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue, conditions that have been further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained institutional demands. The pilot seeks to demonstrate that AAIs can serve as a low-barrier, culturally responsive wellness strategy that complements existing support systems for healthcare workers. Findings from this pilot will inform the potential scale-up and institutional integration of AAI in hospitals and even in public health programs.