Save Talaingod Network Medical Mission serves over 900 Ata Manobo residents

August 14, 2010 | Davao City---Volunteers braved the heavy rainfall and slippery mountain tracks of the Pantaron mountains as they held last August 7 to 12 its first wave of the Save Talaingod Medical Mission serving 900 Ata-Manobo beneficiaries.  

Sixty participants comprising four medical teams hiked for 10 hours at most over harsh mountain terrains to bring medical care to isolated villages of Sambolongan, Sasu, Pong-pong, Km.31, Nalubas, Nabalabag, Sentral, Labuo, Lasakan, Bagang in Brgy. Palma Gil and Tibukag, Mibulo, Badyatan, Dangulog, Km 25, Dalingding in Brgy. Dagohoy.

University of the Philippines-Mindanao anthropologist Myfel Paluga, chairperson of SAGIP and convener of Save Talaingod Network stated, “We are glad that we were able to respond to the urgent medical situation of our lumad brothers and sisters in the remote villages of Talaingod. Despite the short notice, many responded to our call for humanitarian effort to alleviate the health condition of several Ata-Manobo villagers—more than 60 people including two medical doctors and some public health personnel.”

The activity dubbed as the Save Talaingod Network (STN) Medical Mission was organized by lumad advocates from the academe, church, health organizations and other supporting groups and individuals.

Constraints in reaching other areas needing help

The health–focused initiative was an urgent response to possible measles (tipras/tipdas) outbreak in at least two sitios, as reported by some datus of the area. However, due to some constraints, STN medical teams were not able to reach other reported measles patients, specifically from the village of Km. 39.

According to Paluga, “The lumads of the area have an indigenous quarantine mechanism that temporarily disallows human flows in and out of a village reported to be severely affected by a disease. While this practice has functioned to contain the spread of possible communicable diseases, this same tradition appears to have prevented some lumad messengers, who were supposed to inform the residents of Km. 39 of the on-going medical mission, from going to the area.”

“Most probably due to fear of contacting the disease, the messengers were not able to inform Km. 39 residents of the medical mission activities. The mission teams, on the other hand, were hindered from proceeding to Km. 39 for lack of guide-volunteer to the area,” said Paluga.

Paluga added, “But one of the mission teams assigned in Sitio Pong-pong were able to check on a patient with measles and so, if only from a clinical side, we have established that there was indeed a measles case in the area. According to the Municipal Health Officer of Talaingod, in an earlier visit by the STN, a single case of measles would have already been tantamount to an outbreak since it’s a viral and communicable disease.”

More details will be given by the group in a comprehensive report to be presented in a press forum next week.

A more comprehensive public health-care system for lumad communities

“After our 3-day mission in the area, we have seen the bigger problem on the health situation of the Ata-Manobos. What they need is a comprehensive health program--from basic health education to ensuring that they have access to clinics, medical personnel and free medicines,” said Paluga.

Paluga added, “From this first mission, we hope to launch more sustaining, long-term health-focused activities for Ata-Manobos, especially for the women and children who are most vulnerable to various diseases.”

Paluga stressed that “moving beyond the measles concerns, the thrust now of the Save Talaingod Network will be on addressing the most  critical health-care issues of the place, especially high infant mortality rates and the lumads’ poor access to health-care supports.”

"There is also an urgent need for health programs that are structured to save the lives of the children, given the fact that almost all families we have interviewed have experienced child deaths in their families. They must be provided with improved access to primary health-care information, medicines and treatment that will enable them to lead healthier lives."

Continuing support needed

“Given the wider number of villages in the area that we have not reached, there is a need to continue and expand further the present initiative of this ad hoc network (referring to STN),” Paluga added.

Sponsoring groups and companies were pharmaceutical company PHAREX, and socio- civic groups such as Davao Medical Society, Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF-Mindanao), the Association of Consecrated Women of Davao (ACWAD) and the Teresa Ladelli Daughters based in Switzerland.

Health personnel from Talaingod Municipal Health Office, who joined the STN, brought measles vaccine and conducted vaccination in some areas.

The Save the Talaingod Network is composed of the Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous Peoples (SAGIP), Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP-SMR), Community-Based Health Services Association (CBHSA), Urban Integrated Health Services Foundation (UIHSFI), Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR), Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation (MISFI), Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC), Assumption College of Davao-CES, University of the Philippines- Mindanao's CHSS and KATRIBU partylist. #