HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND

FILIPINO CULTURE

1. Give an example of cultural beliefs and health practices that contradict

with your own beliefs and health practices.
People keep on having confidence to believe in what the older folks teach or say to
them without instructing themselves or diving deeper into their environmental elements
in spite of the accessibility of information such as the internet. When I was younger, I
always thinking about the elders belief of practices and their culture, their admittance to
erroneous information and presumptions. One of these beliefs is the folk medicine. It is
perceived to be effective in alleviating health concerns which I contradict. My
grandmother is a mangtatawas —Tagalog for witch doctor or folk healer. Tawas is the
diagnostic tool as well as the cure-all of the poor. It refers to the substance used for the
cure. All my life I have never really understood nor tried to understand why my mother
rarely sends us for check-ups, opting instead for tawas, hilot, and the occasional
pharmaceutical drugs we self-medicate ourselves with. So, we go to our grandma when
we feel something is not normal in our body or whenever anyone in my family gets sick.
During tawas, the air assumes a solemn and still quality as she cuts off a small piece
from the candle and waves it in circles around us, eyes closed, concentrating, and
chanting words under her breath. I wonder, how can wax images and massages cure
something so biologically based? I used to scoff at these treatments when I was
younger, priding myself on my scientific outlook and “rational” mind.

Accordingly, the underlying belief in tawas is that engkantos have bewitched the patient,
which is why people become sick. Albularyos are then called on to identify these spirits
and to pray for them. I used to understand none of these. When I was younger, I only
rolled with these practices because I can not do anything because they do not want to
take me to a nearby hospital when I am sick because we were also short on money.
Having now grown up and knowing these practices, I would tell myself that these
Filipino indigenous healing practices were just “backwards” and borne out of
“ignorance.”

2. Based on your example, relate this to a patient who refuses to undergo

treatment or procedures because it opposes with their beliefs and
practices, how are you going to deal with it in the clinical setting?

This is the hardest case I would ever get because I cannot change or convince filipinos,
including my grandmother in one sitting. If one of my family, like for instance my little
brother was in the hospital I am working with and refuse to take the treatment even if he
was diagnosed with a disease as an example. He will be subjected to take a treatment
or procedure provided that the patient will not be subjected to any procedure without his
written informed consent, except “(b) when the health of the population is dependent on
the adoption of a mass health program to control epidemic”. Other than that, I can ask
for guidance or second opinion of the doctor or head nurse.

3. What is the significance of identifying the patient’s culture, beliefs, and

health practices in providing care for the patients. Explain in 200 words &
include your references.

It is critical for nurses to recognize and value the patient's culture, beliefs, and health
practices in order to provide the best possible care. From Chicago school of
Professional Psychology, Aroson (2021) stated that “Cultural competence prepares
nurses to empathize, relate more to patients, and attend more deeply to their needs”.
Cultural competence in nursing implies the ability of health care workers to give the
best medical care to patients while demonstrating cultural awareness for their beliefs,
race, and values. In addition, Moyer (2021) stated that “nurses can devise treatment
plans that are consistent with the patients' values”. This allows nurses to be more
flexible in providing care that does not violate the patient's culture and beliefs while also
educating them on the procedure. Strategies to collaborate with the patient and family
for patient care include respectful and supportive clinician interactions with the family
that enable a collaborative approach to care. Taking a holistic approach and recognizing
diverse cultures can have an impact on the capability and quality of nursing work. It
makes it much easier to gain patients' trust and may influence how patients understand
health concepts.

REFERENCES:
GOV PH DOH. (n.d.). GOVPH DOH. Saint Antony Mother and Child Hospital Patients Bill
of Rights. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://samch.doh.gov.ph/index.php/patients-
and-visitors-corner/patients-rights

Aroson, M. (2021b, December 7). The Importance of Cultural Competence in Nursing.

Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from
https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/healthcare/thehttps://www.thechicagoscho
ol.edu/insight/health-care/the-importance-ofcultural-competence-in-
nursing/importance-of-cultural-competence-in-nursing/

Moyer, S. (2021). Consider Culture, Customs, and Beliefs: Tool #10. Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality.

https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/improve/precautions/tool10.html