January 2024
January 3, 2024
First Day
Here’s a memorable photo of us, the Kabadis, taken at Kabasalan Rural Health Unit before heading to Barangay Banker, Kabasalan last January 2024. It was our first community exposure and we were excited to finally meet our Kabadis in Barangay Banker.
Travelling to a community far from home can be challenging, but the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience motivates us to keep going. Filled with hope and excitement, we, the Kabadis embarked in our journey to create a change by empowering the people of Barangay Banker, Kabalasan in enhancing their health and well-being.
January 3, 2024
COURTESY CALL TO THE BARANGAY BANKER’S BARANGAY OFFICIALS
Upon arrival at Barangay Banker, Kabasalan, we went to their barangay hall for a courtesy call to the barangay officials. Together with us are our community preceptor, Dr. Eric Cabayacruz, and our community coordinators and facilitators, Dr. Marcus Mancao and Dr. Sheinorino Sotto.
Courtesy calls serve as a way to establish rapport and professional relationships with the community leaders of the barangay.
During the courtesy call, we were given the chance to introduce our group, discuss our purpose and plans for our first community exposure, and to seek the barangay leaders’ support and cooperation throughout our community health management.
We also met the cordial and hospitable barangay officials of Barangay Banker, led by their barangay captain, Hon. Julian C. Sumatra Jr. Last but certainly not the least, we were also introduced to the barangay health workers (BHWs) and the barangay nutrition scholar (BNS) of the barangay, who offered to help and guide us in our up-coming house-to-house surveys.
PRIMARY DATA GATHERING
House-to-House Survey for Primary Data Gathering.
Rain or shine , lisod man ang dalan, nothing could stand in our way! From January 8 to January 20, 2024, we spent our days surveying all the households of the five (5) puroks of Barangay Banker, Kabasalan.
Despite the unpredictable weathers and the long and exhausting hikes to reach the three (3) puroks—Purok 2, 4, and 5—located at the mountainous areas of the barangay, we managed to interview more than 80% of the total households of the barangay.
The primary data gathered from the house-to-house surveys will be used to assess and identify the different health problems existing in the barangay. These primary data is supported by the secondary data gathered from the barangay officials and the municipality’s Rural Health Unit (RHU).
Of course, we couldn’t have done it without the help of the community people. We, the Kabadis, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the barangay officials who extended their helping hand and to the BHWs and BNS who joined us in our house-to-house surveys. Kayo jud ang superhero namo kasi you kept us safe throughout our community exposure! Salamat sa pagkuyog ug sa pagsuporta sa amuha.
January 10, 2024
SENIOR CITIZEN’S ASSEMBLY AT BARANGAY BANKER
During the assembly, Sir Julio P. Cadeleña, the organization’s active president, introduced us to their members. On behalf of the group, Kabadi Alyyana Atara delivered a brief message to the senior citizens to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for inviting us to the assembly and for allowing us to explain the purpose of and our activities for our community health exposure. Afterwards, we organized a mass blood pressure screening for the elderly population, who all enthusiastically participated.
The Senior Citizen’s Association (SCAs) of Barangay Banker is one of the most active organizations in the barangay. Each month, they organize an assembly in order to discuss their organization’s activities, projects, and contribution to the betterment of their barangay.
As medical students, we truly value opportunities like this as it allows us to establish rapport with the population of the barangay and to seek their support for our activities. This is also a way to advocate about health and empower the people to improve their own health and well-being—which is our main goal!
January 12, 2024
IMMUNIZATION AND PRENATAL DAY AT BARANGAY, BANKER KABASALAN
Maternal and child health is fundamental to the well-being of the families and communities. Hence, ensuring that the mothers receive proper prenatal care during pregnancy and that the children receive their full doses of vaccination are crucial for the health of both mothers and children.
In Barangay Banker, immunization and prenatal services are conducted once or twice a month. The health workers from the Kabasalan’s RHU administers the vaccines to the children and perform the prenatal check-ups for the pregnant women, with the valuable assistance of the BHWs.
For the month of January, we were invited to participate in and assist with the immunization and prenatal check-up, guided by the midwives from the RHU. We are thrilled to engage in such activities as they not only enhance our practical experience but also strengthen our ability to support and promote vital health services.
January 23, 2024
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS FROM PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA
Before concluding our first community exposure, we presented the key findings from our primary and secondary surveys. The data presentation was held in the Covered Court at Purok 1, Barangay Banker and was attended by the municipality’s Municipal Health Officer (MHO), Dr. Eric Cabayacruz, several health workers from the Rural Health Unit (RHU), barangay officials, members of the different barangay organizations, and numerous barangay residents.
During the presentation, we reported the significant findings we have gathered from our primary and secondary surveys. After presenting the data, we encouraged the community people, especially their leaders, to provide their insights on the identified health problems. The session turned into a productive discussion with the active participation from the community. This collaborative conversation allowed us to gain valuable feedback and understanding on the underlying causes of the local health problems.
Presenting data and facilitating discussions with the community residents, leaders, and other stakeholders are crucial to foster a deeper understanding of the different health risks and problems faced by the community. Involving the community in the assessment phase is an effective approach in addressing the health problems in the community collaboratively, to promote local autonomy, and to empower the entire community to address their health problems.
