SUMMER IMMERSION PROGRAM

 The municipality of Alfonso, along with its Municipal Health Office, made a significant impact on my understanding of how the public health system works. As a resident of Silang, Cavite, I’ve experienced some benefits from my own RHU, but this immersion allowed me to see that each municipality functions differently, depending on its capacity and available budget. Through fieldwork in Alfonso, I gained deeper insight into the challenges, rewards, and day-to-day realities of public health workers. I rotated through various barangays, each with programs that differed depending on the day. At the start of each day, Dr. Elie, the Municipal Health Officer, gave us meaningful lectures on relevant health topics such as HIV, rabies, dengue, and tuberculosis. I was able to visit nine out of the 32 barangays in Alfonso. These visits included staying at barangay health stations to observe how nurses and midwives deliver healthcare services like immunization, consultations, and family planni...

  We had to report back to COM today and prepare all the files needed for our presentation. We were the only group that finished early with our field work, so we made use of the extra time to work on our papers. The usual tasks were distributed among the members, and we worked together to complete the reports. Today was also an opportunity for me to talk with my other groupmates. We bonded for a while and then proceeded to finish our assignment for the day. I learned the importance of teamwork in producing efficient outputs. We need to be accountable to each other and responsible for our own progress as well.

Today marks the last day of our community immersion experience in Alfonso, Cavite. It was a typical day, with work still piling up and patients still lining up, but I was finally able to join the Municipal Health Officer, Dr. Elie Sargento, on one of her field duties. I was tasked to shadow Midwife Teth during her rounds. We first hosted a thank-you lunch for the staff, then proceeded to join Dr. Elie in visiting evacuation areas. I was initially stationed with Midwife Teth, who was scheduled to administer vaccines at the RHU. It was routine in nature—record-keeping, vaccination, and health education. But one encounter stayed with me: a Muslim woman, with a 13-month-old child due for one last vaccine, was already six months pregnant again. Ma’am Teth expressed concern because the woman had not returned for her maternal check-ups, and her child’s vaccinations had been delayed. We only learned the backstory when the patient explained her situation. Apparently, she was caring for six more...

The supposedly two-week summer immersion program has finally ended. I am still uncertain whether our field deployment will be extended into the following week. However, the three and a half days I spent immersed in the municipality of Alfonso—joining barangay health workers and meeting the Mayor—have helped me realize how every detail in public health truly matters. I used to observe the efforts of the Alfonso RHU from a distance, mainly through their consistent updates on social media. But being on the ground gave me a clearer picture of how dedicated they are to community service. It is clear that they regularly visit households to check on each resident’s well-being, including monitoring vital signs such as blood sugar levels. There is visible cooperation between barangay officials and municipal health workers. They work together closely, checking on the health of Alfonso’s residents with commitment and compassion. From my field experiences and by closely following the Alfonso Mun...

  It seems like last Monday was the last day for us to be deployed in the field since the consecutive class suspension caused us not to go to Alfonso anymore. However, the time spent working on the needed documents are not of waste. We are still in the process of finishing our remaining Community and Alternative Medicine reports, along with starting the Community Health Systems Analysis. We need to keep up with specific and internal deadlines to comply with the necessary documents needed in our group.  Aside from this, I was also able to see the updates done by the Alfonso Municipal Health Office since I follow their page It is evident that they have been very active in reaching out and assessing the health of the public in times of disasters like these. This made me realize than in the age of globalization and the emergence of technology, we can also use it for the benefit of providing help for those in need, especially in raising awareness and for health education as well. I...

  Nothing much happened today, aside from the heavy rainfall. We are able to finish our dengue program and materials to be presented to Alfonso Barangays. Doc Maj was able to set up a zoom meet for us to do our mock presentation about our dengue topic. Pamphlets were made, canva documents were done, and most important, we are able to learn more about dengue.  This made me realize that even the simplest health education can make a big difference in the near future when I become a doctor.