Changes in the health system of a B'laan indigenous community - Its factors and effects

• Main Author: Fernandez, Klein Relampago
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Blaan (Philippine people)—Health and hygiene; Medicine and Health; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6887
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study looked into the major interrelated parts of the B'laan indigenous health system in Barangay Tacub, Kiblawan in the Province of Davao del Sur. In each of the aspects, the changes and its influences were indicated and related it to the perceived effects to the B'laan indigenous peoples. In-depth interviews among the B’laan elders and focused group discussion among a middle-aged residents and young adults were conducted. Observation guide and document analyses were also made to document the physical changes in the B’laan indigenous community. This study found that the health system of the current time is way different from their traditional beliefs on health and illness, health providers, preventive and curative treatments, utilization of medicines and food source and dietary patterns. External factors are strong influences, in the form of exposure to the outsiders, government intervention, acculturation to Western-based medicine, and agroindustrialization, to the changes in the health system among the B’laan indigenous peoples. Internal influences to change of the health system include the demise and decline of traditional healers in the community as well as the non-utilization of the present locals to their traditional health knowledge such us the healing rituals and preparation of herbal medicines. As the change in the health system among the B’laans is inevitable and apparent, their ability to create an adaptive mechanism in the management of sickness, health and well-being is very limited. There are difficulties experienced by the B’laans for creating an adequate adaptive mechanism for change because the presence of social stressors created externally is way beyond their control. In turn, low adaptation capacity to modern medicine likely result to difficulties in managing sickness and maintaining health and wellbeing.