The Freudian Slip Of A Bacolodnon

Introduction In 2007, Candoni's maternal death rate was 5.69 per 1,000 live births, making Candoni among the municipalities in the Negros Occidental province that have high maternal mortality rates. The leading causes of maternal death in 2007 were post-partum bleeding and complications of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Candoni is a poor municipality (4th class) situated in the Tabla Valley at the South part of Negros Occidental. It is surrounded by Cauayan, Ilog, Hinobaan and Sipalay. It has a Main Health Center and barangay health station in every 9 barangays within the municipality. Maternal Mortality and Infant Mortality are among the leading problems of the municipality, thus, when I was deployed as doctor to the barrio in November 2007, I made it a personal goal to reduce maternal mortality and infant mortality rates by half. What has been done: To address the maternality mortality rate problem, I decided to ask help from the community and make them realize that the only sol...

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Due to the persistent floodwaters in the recently-storm-stricken Luzon, cases of Leptospirosis have been increasing in the areas. In fact, last October 16, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque declared an outbreak of leptospirosis in the barangays of Tumana, Malanday, and Concepcion I in Marikina, Metro Manila. As of October 17, the Department of Health has recorded a total of 1,665 leptospirosis cases and 104 deaths in 15 hospitals in Metro Manila. It is important therefore to know what is Leptospirosis and how one can get infected with this deadly disease. Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by a particular type of bacteria called a spirochete. Leptospirosis can be transmitted by many animals such as rats, skunks, opossums, raccoons, foxes, and other vermin. It is transmitted though contact with infected soil or water. The soil or water is contaminated with the waste products of an infected animal. People contract the disease by either ingesting contaminated food or water or by br...

I failed to share what happened during the 14th day of the tenth month of the 9th year of this century. The day began with a phone call from my wife and kids. "Happy Birthday!" they all screamed at the phone. And it was the best way to start the day. None of my friends were able to remember actually that it was my birthday, except for a few close ones. My RHU staff also called me up and started singing the birthday song over the phone. However, despite the birthday greetings, I could not help but feel that the day was going to end just like any regular day. I started to miss my family (It was my first birthday away from them). Even a quick stroll at SM Mall was not enough to get rid of the feeling of boredom. It was not until the 10th hour after noon that I started to feel "loved" and "remembered". While helping out my batchmates finish their gallery for the presentation the following day, Compadre Marc entered the hall with a birthday cake and a package. ...

I must confess that before I began my work as a public health officer 2 years ago, I had no idea on how to do my role. While I have many ideas floating in my head, saturated by the pre-deployment training we had at the Department of health, I was still lost on what to do. I was hoping that there was some manual or guide of some sort that would help me what to do or teach me the first step to take. In the absence of such, I had to rely on my intuition, limited knowledge, creativity and my blind faith in the community I was assigned as a Doctor to the Barrios. Two years after, I have learned a lot about my work. I have experienced so many obstacles that I was at some point of my life not confident whether I could survive the life in the barrio. Basically, the role of a Doctor to the Barrios is to ensure that the health systems are in place and should be efficiently and effectively working for the people. I was fortunate that when I arrived in Candoni, there was already some semblance of ...

The national government has recently launched the Nurses Assigned to Rural Services program or the NARS program. This program is spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment and in coordination with the Department of Health and Professional Regulatory Commission. The objective of the NARS program is to provide first and foremost job opportunities to many licensed nurses who either cannot afford to pay the affiliation fee in hospitals where they aim to volunteer or are those waiting in line to leave the country and find greener pastures abroad. The second objective of the NARS program is to augment the dwindling manpower in the rural areas where medical professionals are scanty due to lack of ample compensation. The rural areas are running out of doctors, nurses and midwives. Many of the medical professionals are concentrated in the urban areas where private practice is perhaps more lucrative than public health. Some of our medical professionals are in fact leaving the country ...

( link ) I will run a thousand miles for you will swim the widest ocean for you will brave the storm for you break through walls for you dive into the deepest dark and fight the hidden creatures beneath in search of you I will not mind the sweat that weighs me down nor the gaping wounds that drain my spirit. I will leap over cliffs and fly across the longest canyons if you say so, I will, even if I have to climb the tallest hill and walk barefoot over the hottest desert, if you say so, I will, I will do these things and more, while I carry you in my arms, and every night as I tuck you into bed, and plant a kiss upon your forehead, I will do these things everyday, for you, my son. -BEN

We just got back from the birthday party we threw for our son Rien. He turned 7 last October 14 and since I was attending the 35th CME of DTTBs, we had to move the birthday party to a much later date. So, after a month of preparation supervised by my wife and mother-in-law, we had our Ben-Ten inspired birthday party just this afternoon at Lopue's East East Hall. I was happy that despite being a weekend and a week before the exams, some of my son's classmates, his closest friends, came to join him in his party, not to mention his second cousins and god-siblings. I was particularly happy that a few of my high school classmates were there: Fred, Edd, Bryant and Goy. I have not seen them for a quite a while and I was happy that when I asked them to come, they all went. Fred is my son's godfather. Goy is Joem's fiance, who happened to be my son's godfather as well. Others who came were my wife's relatives from Himamaylan, my cousins from both sides of the family, eve...

I cannot help but comment. There is this group launched in Bacolod which called themselves Save Bacolod Movement. The SBM was organized by a local broadcaster (whose local cable TV show was actually defunct) named Romy Nieri, and was launched with the objective of sparing Bacolod from the clasps of corrupt and plundering politicians. As soon as they were launched, it was however very clear that, the movement was conceived out of the loins of partisanship, contrary to their self-proclaimed neutrality. The SBM started to "expose" Bacolod Congressman Monico Puentevella, arch-rival of incumbent Mayor Evelio Leonardia, for his alleged corruption regarding the 52 million peso funds for the BASOC during the hosting of Bacolod of the Southeast Asian Games in 2005. My comment will not dwell on the allegations against Monico Puentevella. The congressman can defend himself and I am pretty confident that he has intelligent lawyers who can defend him. My comment will dwell however on the ...

Taking pictures of underwater creatures at the Manila Ocean Park.

While Doc Jen Coritico was describing the awardee of the Grand Distinction Award for the graduating Doctors to the Barrios for Batch 23, my heart was beating very fast. The description was very clear. She was actually describing the efforts we initiated in the municipality of Candoni. More specifically, she was actually describing the pet project I implemented in Candoni: The CHART, the Community Health Allies and Reform Team. The CHART came to be out of an inspiring experience during my first CME as a doctor to the barrios. During that first CME, we had a session on Primary Health Care. I was captured by the words enscribed in the Alma Ata Declaration: "The people have the right and duty to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care." I felt I discovered the missing link and the answer to the riddle of sustainability. As soon as I came back from that first CME, I immediately designed a module, gave out invitations to key...

Snapshots of Batch 23's Last days (35th CME)

It was an honor to be affirmed last Thursday, October 15, 2009, with a grand distinction award by the Department of Health under the Doctors to the Barrios program. The honor however does not entirely belong to me. It belongs to the people of Candoni, whose unquestionable support for the health programs, pushed me to persevere in the DTTB program. At the same time, the distinction also goes to my family, especially my wife and children, whose unparalleled support became my source of inspiration. It was a weird feeling during the graduation of Batch 23 Doctors to the Barrios last Thursday. I could not distinctively describe what I was feeling at that time. I was happy that it was over and at the same time I was feeling sad that I had to say goodbye to so many friends, not just within Batch 23 (ABYAN KA) but also from Batch 24 (KABAGIS). The tribute given by Batch 24 to the graduating class was very touching and moving. When they started projecting the video clips of my children and wife...

Speech for the Graduation of Batch 23 Doctors to the Barrios, to be delivered on Oct 15, 2009 at Oxford Hotel, Clark, Pampanga Ladies and Gentlemen. Has it been that fast? My memory of our first encounter as one batch of doctors to the barrios remains vivid, renewed almost everyday, or at least every 6 or 5 months when we meet here in our twice-a-year CME. Almost 2 years have passed since that very day we asked each other’s names, shared light moments during meal time, told each other’s stories, taught ourselves our very first dance steps, took our first steps as one batch, but not before we named our group ABYAN KA. ABYAN KA stood for Alay sa Bayan, Yaman ng Kalusugan. It was our shared reiteration that our role as Doctors to the Barrios was to make our respective communities aware of the abundance of opportunities this government has provided its citizens under the programs of health. We are not, and never did we pretend to be, the very source of this wealth, nor did we imply in our ...

Just in time for Masskara Festival, I have prepared a map of Bacolod city, the City of Smiles, in case you get lost: View The City of Smiles: Bacolod in a larger map The schedule of the Masskara Festivities is as follows: October 16 - Electric Masskara at Lacson Street (be there early) October 17 - Barangay Category of the Masskara Streetdancing Competition (Public Plaza) October 18 - Open Category of the Masskara Streetdancing Competition (Public Plaza), Countdown to the City's Charter Celebration October 19 - Charter Day - Civic Parade

The "first day of the last days" begins tomorrow. I will be traveling to Clark, Pampanga and will be attending what will be my official last CME as a Doctor to the Barrios. Batch 23 will be graduating this month. How fast time flies indeed. I remember how we started almost two years ago, November 5, 2007. Now, my batch will be graduating this month. I am not sure about the plans of my fellow DTTBs. Some will be going into residency. A few will be staying as the Municipal health officer of their LGUs. As for me, I have recently agreed to staying in my area indefinitely, to continue serving them until they can stand on their own two feet. I have decided to follow the path of public health and I will be continuing my Masters in Public Health. The ultimate goal is to really be involved in policy-making, influencing other people who make the decisions that will affect the lives and health of many people. I think I will stay true to myself if I follow this path. I am not sure if th...