SUMMER IMMERSION PROGRAM

 During our stay in Alfonso, we engaged with different individuals, health workers, and communities. It was a meaningful experience that allowed me to better understand varying perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). I also came to understand why many choose to use CAM. It’s all connected, people’s beliefs, their community dynamics, and their access to healthcare. One key realization was that health beliefs and behaviors are largely influenced by culture and tradition, often passed down from generation to generation. In Alfonso, many people rely on herbal medicine, especially in remote barangays where transportation is limited. Others resort to alternative practices because of financial limitations or time constraints due to work. A memorable experience during our survey was interviewing a respondent who regularly consults an albularyo (faith healer). He didn’t deny the importance of doctors, but he emphasized that using an albularyo was part of his family...

 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. 

 Classes are suspended again. But we managed to meet and get some documents done for our future report. We met at around afternoon to discuss our program planning as well as our CAM report to finish. We are able to accomplish some tasks today, and I was able to rest a little as I am not feeling well.  Nothing much happened today, but this experience made me realize that we should not waste our time in service. We can create programs and help the health system even remotely. This is the advantage given to us by technology. As I become a future doctor, I will make sure to use this in good purpose to help others and to improve the public health system one meeting at a time. 

Kailangan natin pumasok kasi tignan mo, marami pa rin pumupunta (sa health center)  Classes were suspended today. again. for half a day. It was hard to travel to Alfonso, especially in the current weather condition of heavy rains. But we pushed through. We still managed to go as early as 7:30 for our duty. Since today is Monday, it is required for the RHU to conduct flag ceremony inside the office. The rain was so harsh today, but the programs pushed through. Regardless of the weather, there are still patients showing up for consult. After the flag ceremony, Alfonso RHU gave us a talk regarding rabies, how it is contracted, reasons, and the right actions to do in cases of dog / cat bites. What I noticed during these talks are the adjustment of the speakers in putting the level of knowledge in a level that all people understand. They do not use medical jargons or complicated explanations but rather use terms that are easily understood by the public. This made me realize the future r...

 Classes are suspended today. We were not able to go to Alfonso for our duties due to the heavy rain. In return we just finished the tasks needed for our data collection and presentatipn for our program.  We met online via zoom for the preparation. This made me realize that every hour should not be wasted in doing our responsibilities. Rain nor any bad weather should not stop us in our service as future doctors

Dapat alam niyo yung mga basics para iisa lang and ibababa sa community pag nag-talk kayo    Today, I heard multiple crying babies varying in different pitch inside health centers. It was beautiful, as it indicates that a baby has been vaccinated and protected from a preventable disease. And behind every successful immunization program is a set of standardized rules meant to polish each immunization day. Before community deployment, Dr. Elie gave us a talk about Tuberculosis awareness. She was able to share salient points about its cause, transmission, treatment, and the roles of health workers in assisting TB patients for treatment. She also tackled the TB-DOTS program flow and the rising cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) this year as well as the Ubokabolaryo   or cough etiquette. She also mentioned the differences between pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis and their timeline. The most important thing I learned during her talk was she ...

 Ma'am, paano niyo po tinatapon and dumi at diaper ni baby? That is the question I asked multiple times today. Medicine does not only involve the human body. It is highly influenced by multiple facets that contributes to the well-being of a person. Today, I learned the importance of a clean environment, health education, and social interaction for future Doktors ng Bayan.  We started the day with a talk led by one of the health workers, Sir John Ren, about dengue. Doctor Elie also mentioned out of the hat facts about mosquitos that I never heard of, but she emphasized, is needed for future dengue surveillance. I did not know that a mosquito could fly up to 5 feet, nor they could travel a distance of 20 feet. It was a very informative experience for me. As we finished the dengue discussion, I volunteered to go with Ma'am Cynthia, Ma'am Telay, and Sir John Ren for monitoring Zero open defecation in three different Barangays. Doc Elie proudly mentioned that the municipality of...

"Pag ikaw nasa community, dapat may puso ka" Our first day started with rain, and it ended with showers of wisdom and weight that bears my heart — the hope and weight of becoming a doctor ng bayan.  The travel was long, the waiting time, longer, and the courtesy call with the Mayor was nothing we expected. He mentioned of building a super health center, and a hospital to serve the public. But the most noticeable thing that caught my attention were how the RHU workers are so busy. Upon arriving at the RHU, there was a line for the routine check-up. We were introduced to the Municipal health doctor, Dr. Elie Sargento, who mentions that we are to be grouped and deployed into different barangays. I was tasked to go to Brgy. Palumlum with two other second years. It took us fifteen minutes to reach the Brgy. with Nurse Lina from the RHU. There we were greeted with six BHWs who are ready for the day. There were patients waiting for immunization and consult. It seems to be routine fo...

PROJECT AI- ALFONSO IMMERSION TO COMMENCE IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS !!! Today marks the orientation for our summer immersion program. We are tasked to take part in experiencing the programs under our designated RHU within the Cavite province.  We were given multiple objectives for this program, including the integration of complementary medicine — how culture affects the public's perception of health and treatment plans. Through the orientation, I was able to put a distinct picture of how an RHU works. It is diverse and is coupled with multiple programs needed by specific municipalities.  As our doctor in charge orients us in our duties and responsibilities during our time at Alfonso, I was able to meet with other second years who are assigned in the same municipality with me. They were able to help us in some areas that we are not aware of, such as transportation, preparing survey forms, and scheduling of tasks.  As I finish my orientation today, I realize the importance of ...