Perspective of bughat in a farming community in Negros Occidental

• Main Author: Marshall, Harold Alfred P.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2001
• Subjects: Medical care; Women > Diseases; Women > Health and hygiene; Medical Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/2494
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study explores and describes the mothers, husbands, traditional caregivers (TCGs), and practitioners of western medicine's (PWM) various experiences and perceptions of bughat. These experiences and perceptions comprised the causes, symptoms, treatments, complications, prevention methods, their health seeking behavior and the effects of bughat on the husbands. The chain referral system or snowball technique was employed in determining the respondents of the study. Data were gathered using focus group discussion (FGD) for the mothers and husbands with 9 members each, and key informant (KI) interviews for the caregivers with 3 respondents each among the paltira, manogbulong, and practitioners of western medicine. The findings showed the various experiences and perceptions of mothers, husbands, TCGs and PWM that greatly influenced their definition of bughat. The mothers, husbands, and TCGs believed that bughat is caused by physical and emotional stress, the entry of hangin into the body and non-observance of food taboos. Not following certain rituals like padungan and the bathing abstinence were also believed to cause bughat. Aside from those commonly mentioned by the mothers and husbands, the traditional caregivers believed supernatural entities and sorcery also caused bughat. The management of bughat reflects its causes but would depend on the caregivers aiding the mothers. The use of herbs was often employed, but mystical methods such as pulong and orasyon were also invoked especially among the manogbulong. More importantly, the power relationship between spouses and marginalization of women in rural areas had an important bearing on the cause and management of bughat. Women in a predominantly farming area still have no control over their lives and are left with few choices regarding health care. Furthermore, nothing is being done to remedy the phenomenon of bughat and this neglect further reinforces the belief in the illness.