B.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

The family relies upon the mother of the head and the head’s income from fish selling, the carenderia,
and the salary of the head’s niece. Considering that out of 9 members in the family only two have
completed their bachelor’s degree, one being a fish vendor and a carenderia owner, which is not in line
with the education he received, and one working in a corporate company as a payroll officer, while two
being high school graduates, one being a grade school undergraduate, one a college undergraduate and
three still being students (1-high school, 1-grade school, and 1-college), the family experiences financial
problems, sometimes due to inconsistent sales of fish and slow running of the carenderia while having
to pay bills, school tuitions and other expenses for basic needs. However, the niece helps the head of
the family with managing expenses as to maintain the balance of finances while having the basic
necessities such as food, water, shelter, and clothing.

In terms of religious affiliation, everyone in the family is a roman catholic and all actively participates in
church and are very well involved in a way that the head of the family and his brother-in-law are lay
ministers, the head’s sister is a World Apostolate of Fatima member and also a member of the church’s
choir, and lastly, the head’s daughter has been a lector for 8 years. Despite being active in church, the
Abellon Family seldomly participates in community activities other than sports activities which the head
of the family often participates in and the activities conducted in “Kapilya” which his sister actively takes
a part in.

C. HOME AND ENVIRONMENT

The Abellon Family has been living in Barangay Suba-Pasil all their lives, specifically in A Borres Street
which is located just by the roadside and just beside a pharmacy and a sari-sari store and a walking
distant from the community’s health care center. With such location, the family have an easy access to
transportation as well as basic needs for consumption and healthcare needs. The house and lot that the
family has been residing in is owned by them. The foundation of the house is well constructed as it has
withstood earthquakes and typhoons. It is specifically made by concrete and wood, which is simple yet
well built. However, the house has leaks as water drips down from the ceiling every time there is a
heavy rain fall. The house comes with three rooms which gives each family a room to sleep in and to do
personal matters. However, the head of the family stated that as the children from the first family grew
up and have reached adolescence and early stage of adulthood, the room for the first family is not
enough for all of the members to occupy since it is not that big in the first place. So, the daughter of the
head of the family now sleeps in the living room and only go their designated room for personal matters
such as changing clothes and making assignments while her mother, father and two brothers occupy the
room during slumber. The Abellon’s household is not big nor small but is enough for both families to live
in. However, as time passes by and everyone is growing up, the things including personal belongings,
appliances take up a lot of space. Appliances, furniture and homewares owned by the family only
include the necessary ones such as refrigerator, television, standing fans, water dispenser, stove,
toaster, 2 couches, a lot of “Kandil ug Kaldero” to be used for the carenderia and different set of
homewares intended only for the household’s use. Every member of the family grew up in a somewhat
safe environment as there are no indications of accident hazards observed, and no evident places of
potential breeding area for mosquitos and other insects that may cause infections and diseases
however, there is presence of cockroaches and flies. And, as I continued observing, the trashes were not
segregated and the bins were not yet cleaned. When the head’s wife was asked, she answered “amo
raman na isagol among basura. Nakasuway man mi atong segregation katong mandated pa na sa among
barangay pero karon wala nalang na namo nasunod”. The house consists of one toilet facility which has
a lavatory bowl that doesn’t have a septic tank attached to it to have it flush automatically, and one
bathroom where each members take turns in taking a bath. The family’s water supply for consumption
and for bathing and washing us, come from different sources. They use water from MCWD for bathing
and other matters (i.e., cleaning, washing, etc.) while they purchase gallons of purified drinking water
for consumption. The household currently has 3 dogs. Also, they have claimed to have problems with
rats and mice in which they’re managing with setting traps for capture.

D. HEALTH STATUS OF EACH FAMILY MEMBER

Based on the obtained relevant inputs, within the last 10 months, the head of the family mentioned that
3 members has gone through hospitalization for various reasons, specifically, the head’s two sons’
acquisition of dengue fever and his wife’s operation for the removal of ovarian cysts. Also, the head’s
niece was diagnosed with tubercolosis. On the other hand, other members of the family have only
sometimes acquired colds, coughs, flu caused by exhaustion which they managed with the
administration of Neozep non-drowsy for colds, Fluimucil for coughs with phlegm, and Paracetamol
(Biogesic) as well as Rexidol forte to reduce fever and relieve body pains caused by the flu. The head of
the family then stated “bisag hilantanon pa mi kayod lang gihapon. Inig kadlawn moadtos isdaan unya
inig udto magsugod na ug pangandam para carenderia na moabli inig gabii. Kapoy pero unsaon man ta
na kinahanglan man buhaton, mao nang kayanon jud”. He then added, “di raman sad ko magguol kay
magunay ra man sad mig atiman sa usag-usa kung naay mangasakit diri.”

Additionally, they claimed that some of the members including the head of the family, his sister,
brother-in-law and his mother have medications for maintenance and for pharmacologic method of
treatment indicated for the conditions they are diagnosed with, such that the head’s sister is diagnosed
with hypertension and exhibits symptoms of chronic heart failure; his mother is diagnosed with type 2
diabetes mellitus; and his brother-in-law has glaucoma, hypercholesterolemia and is hypertensive.

Head of the Family – Fenoflex (for hypercholesterolemia) Combizar (for hypertension)

Sister – Amlife (for Hypertension), Carvid (to decrease the risk of hospitalization caused by symptomatic
chronic heart failure), Plogril (for prevention of atherosclerotic events) Lipway (for hyperlipidemias)
Torus (to reduce elevated cholesterol)

Brother-In-Law – Combizar (for hypertension), Torus (to reduce elevated cholesterol), Omacor (to
reduce triglyceride level in the blood), Pilocarpine Hydrochloride (Sterile Ophthalmic Solution), and
Travoprost Timolol (Anti-Glaucoma)

Mother – To be administered during the day: Polynerve (to treat chronic pain caused by nerve damage
due to diabetes), diamicron (to reduce blood sugar levels), amlife (for treatment of mild to moderate
hypertension)

To be administered during bedtime: MWFSun: Velmetia (to improve glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes
mellitus), Cardiosel (Antihypertensive), Toruz 20 mg (to reduce elevated cholesterol) TTHSat: Velmetia,
Cardiosel, and Urinorm (for treatment of elevated uric acid level)
E. VALUES, HABITS, PRACTICES ON HEALTH PROMOTION, MAINTENANCE AND DISEASE PREVENTION

The Abellon family seldom goes for regular check-ups because of financial reasons. They only go to a
physician for consultation just when they need to like, for instance, when one has a high fever, instances
of gouty arthritis and other health related complications. When they feel something, lie pain or fever,
that is tolerable which can be treated by home remedies like “tuob”, drinking of hot water with ginger
and lemon and simply by resting, they only contact other relatives to ask for possible remedies to relieve
discomfort. Despite not going to a regular consultation or check-ups, all the family members have
received necessary immunizations and are vaccinated but has completed only the first and second doses
but not the booster yet for the reason that when they plan to get the booster, they either catch a cold or
have a fever “basta magplano jud mi na magpabooster mi anang adlawa, 3 or 2 adlaw before ana kay
sip-onon jud mi or maglain among lawas. Mao na ipostpone lang sa namo aamong pabooster unya
maghuwat mi na maayo among mga gipamati”, as verbalized by the head’s sister.

In terms of strengthening their immunity and for prevention of diseases, all members of the family rely
on the daily drinking of vitamins, including ascorbic acid, vitamin E (for adults only), D3 (for adults only),
ferrous sulfate (for those who have low iron level, specifically the head’s wife, daughter, and niece), and
berocca for when members don’t feel well. They mentioned that most of the family members especially
the adults have adequate amount of sleep, except for the head’s daughter who has a hard time sleeping
and has a lot to finish for school requirements. She mostly sleeps for about 3-5 hours only as she
verbalized, “mura ganig bali akong body clock, inig gabii dili ko katulog unya ug magadlawan na, duka
kayo ko unya dali ra kayo ko maluya ug kapoyon bisag wa kaayo koy buhaton anang adlawa”. However,
she also stated that she and her cousin, the head’s niece, did cardio exercises and abdominal muscle
strengthening exercises during the lockdown and early period of the pandemic. But as school and work
schedules is back to normal, they barely had the time to execute those exercises. The head’s son who is
a high school student often plays basketball to keep his body moving and maintain his stability. Other
members of the family consider doing household chores their exercise. Additionally, when it comes to
meal preparations, the head’s wife mostly does the preparation. “Kung magluto ko kay di kaayo ko
mogamit ug bitsin kay makadaot man daw na. Unya di sad nako palabian ug timpla kay makkadaot man
sad daw na ang parat unya kasagaran taw diri kay high blood raba mao na magbantay bantay jud kos
akong panglutoon” as verbalized by the head’s wife. They plan their meals by alternating pork, chicken
and fish and sometimes pair those viands with vegetables when they have extra money to avail some.
“Basta karon nag baboy mi, inig ugma ana kay mag manok mi or isda. Unya if nagutan ra mi aning
adlawa, inig sunod adlaw magbaboy mi if naa mi ikapalit. Ingana ra among pagbalanse sa among mga
kinaon” They also mentioned that they don’t frequently consume fruits because some are too expensive
and not everyone eats them causing them to ripen and be wasted. When stressed, the family gets
together to sometimes talk about random things that puts them at ease and sometimes have a movie
marathon to relive stress and promote relaxation. Upon further observation, most of the family
members are very much aware of the significance of promotive-preventive health measures as
evidenced by their vitamin intake and management of stress which aids in the enhancement of health.