THE WOMEN OF ISLA PUTING BATO

 As fire ravaged her house, a health worker still found the time to pick up her lagundi plant and carry it along with her other treasured possessions.

This shows how much the women from Isla Puting Bato (Island of White Rock) value the health skills that they have learned.

Lagundi is a medicinal plant that is used to treat coughs. The women learned this during the series of basic health skills trainings (BHST) taught at Isla Puting Bato beginning 2008. Isla Puting Bato is an urban poor community of around 15,000 people who live on the breakwaters of Pier 2 in Tondo, Manila.

The women were taught how to recognize basic signs and symptoms of common illnesses, first aid, herbal medicine, and leadership skills. Thirty women were trained as community health workers..

The BHSTs were conducted by Third World Health Aid partner Council for Health Development in cooperation with the people's organization Ahon Isla (Rise Isla).

Launched in 2009, Ahon Isla is the result of an education drive that started in 2004 in order to encourage the urban poor to assert for their rights to health and housing. Ahon Isla counts over 1,500 members.

Even before the fire razed their homes last May, the residents of Ahon Isla have already overcome numerous problems. Ahon Isla members have been tagged as communists and soldiers were deployed to Isla Puting Bato in 2006. Rather than buckle under the harassment, Ahon Isla members continued to carry on. They organized protest actions, and filed a case against the soldiers at the Commission on Human Rights.

Burned houses partly patched up

This year's fire was the second in recent history to strike Isla Puting Bato. Another fire razed many homes in the community in 2006. Aside from fire, Isla Puting Bato has also been buffeted by typhoons. In 2007, two consecutive typhoons obliterated the homes of many of the residents. Ahon Isla managed relief operations and helped residents to return to Isla Puting Bato and to rebuild their houses.

The most recent fire burned the homes of over 1000 families living in Isla Puting Bato. The community health workers, along with CHD, visited evacuees in order to check their blood pressure and conduct check-ups .

The residents of Isla Puting Bato also face constant threats of demolition due to the privatization of Manila's North Harbor. After their homes were burned, the city government forbid residents from returning to and repairing their houses. But during a mass action last May, Isla Puting Bato residents were able to bring in metal sheets and plywood in order to repair their homes. They also joined other urban poor organizations in a protest action at the office of the the Urban Development and Housing Authority in order to condemn the continuing massive demolition of urban poor communities.

Due to the protest, the Manila City Council released a resolution designating Isla Puting Bato as a staging area and allowing Isla Puting Bato Residents to rebuild their homes. According to CHD, Last June, almost 200 Isla Puting Bato residents marched back to their community during the Balik Isla (Return to Isla) campaign in order to reclaim and rebuild their homes, according to CHD.

The lack of health services is another major problem in Isla Puting Bato. Through the help of CHD, Ahon Isla conducted BHSTs. The organization had already organized many medical missions. Thanks to the trainings, there is now a well-organized health committee in Isla Puting Bato.

It is heartening to see how much the women have learned, as well as the pride that they exhibit as a result of their health skills.

“I learned that you shouldn't use alcohol to clean a wound,” said health worker Lorena Maleta during our discussion. She also learned to bring down a high fever by gently wiping a patient with cold water.

These practical skills have enabled the women of Isla Puting Bato to help not only their families, but their neighbors and other community members.

While herbal medicine cannot cure every ailment, the women are grateful that they are able to provide a remedy for common illnesses such as colds, cough and fever.

The nearest hospital is only 15 minutes away, but the jeepney fare to get there costs P20. This is a steep price for many of the women, whose main source of livelihood is peeling garlic. They are paid P5 per kilo. They can peel anywhere from 10 to 18 kilos a day.

The women would like to further improve their health skills. Some of them want to learn how to give injections, while others are interested in learning about midwifery. They also hope to establish their own health center.

According to Dr. Geneve Reyes, who advises Ahon Isla's health program, residents of Isla Puting Bato have realized that health is something to fight for. “Health problems are merely effects what is largely a social ill, and the efforts to alleviate the problems in health does not stop in giving services,” Dr. Reyes added. Ahon Isla 's health committee members are able to reach out to the residents by giving direct services and explain to them why there is a need for them to organize and have a united effort to assert their rights. She adds that education on rights is a crucial component of health trainings and group discussions. This enables community members to analyze the causes of their health problems and empowers them to find solutions. Many AHON Isla members participate not only in mobilizations on health issues, but in rallies on national and other sectoral issues.

The women of Isla Puting Bato recognize that the right to health, which includes the right to shelter, is part of the continuing struggle for social justice. While they continue to upgrade their health skills, they also continue to struggle together to assert their rights.

Bron :


INGEDIEND DOOR HANS SCHAAP OP VRIJ, 31/08/2012 - 05:54.

Hans coordonne les activités d’intal aux Philippines.


Written by Isa Lorenzo