Seven Months to a Lifetime - On Being a Humanitarian Worker

It has been more than six months now since I signed that contract last

February 15, 2012. It was my first time to actually put my signature

into something especially that knowing myself, I easily lose focus on

things and often times , I lose my interest along the way. One thing

that I had put in my mind as what was spoken in my heart is that I'ts

an opportunity for me to give back to Iligan after the years of

generosity it has given me when I was in college.I treasure this place

and the people in it and if I would find a very familiar place aside

from Bayugan - it would be Iligan City - a second home.

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HOM in Partnership with MSU-IIT College of Nursing, Sagip Iligan and City Health Office conducts BP Apparatus Training to IDPs

HOM in Partnership with MSU-IIT College of Nursing, Sagip Iligan and City Health Office conducts BP Apparatus Training to the Internally Displaced Persons at the Diosesan Evacuation Center in Brgy. Luinab, Iligan City.

Sphygmomanometer: An instrument for measuring blood pressure, particularly in arteries. 

A Sphygmomanometer comes together with a Stethoscope to 
accurately and easily measure Blood Pressure

So this is the story of how this project started:

"Gathering funds for the Sphygmomanometer Project was inspired when Ms. Maria Lourdes Eudela of Health Organization of Mindanao and the volunteer doctor visited a blind man in the evacuation center. She asked him the thing that he wants and to her awe, instead of asking for an eye transplant, he requested for a BP Apparatus to be provided for the camp to monitor blood pressure."

Ms. Maria Lourdes Eudela delivering her message
to the Beneficiaries  of the training and sharing the story behind it.

Ms Karen Veloso, a Sagip Iligan Member and  a  Teacher from
the MSU- IIT College of Nursing also delivered her message.

Students introduced themselves before the lectures started wearing
their name tags and awesome smiles.

The nursing students of MSU-IIT were the ones in charge to the training and lectures. They talked about what is and what affects our Blood Pressure. One student discusses the topic and one carries the visual aid for them to easily see.

 After the first topic was discussed, they gave an awesome entertainment with singing and dancing. 

Students dancing to the groove of the music.

Their smiles as they perform is really contagious.

 And to the next part of the program was about the basic parts of the  BP Apparatus and Stethoscope and how to use it.

Student introducing the Stethoscope and its parts.

 The final part included the actual usage of the apparatus by the IDPs.

The Stethoscope (blue box) and
 Sphymomanometer ( the pink box)

 This is just the launching and  the first ever of the series of training to be conducted on different transitory sites in Iligan City! Through cooperation and interdependence, we were able to move one step in educating others on the importance of using these apparatuses. May we stay healthy and fit! :) 

A Drop of Water

After returning to Philippines from Japan after the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program last December 16, 2011, I was indeed filled with so much excitement and enthusiasm after being away for more than a month. Filipino food is such a craving and most importantly the desire to get connected with my family and friends. My college batchmates and I were chatting on our planned reunion on December 22 in Iligan City that night and it was like an overflow of nostalgia knowing that we will see each other once more after more than a year of separation.

Who would have thought that night was a tragic and disastrous experience Iliganons would have in their lifetime. It was typhoon Sendong who devasted our beloved City killing almost a thousands of lives , hundreds were missing and billions worth of properties were destroyed. Few days later were post inviting Psychology graduates and professionals for immidiate intervention but I wasn't available at that time. Later I heard about Health Organization for Mindanao (H.O.M.) that provides psycholigical services and so I decided to be part of the volunteer team for Iligan City.

With the HOM team, we assessed random Evacuation Centers and Internally Displaced Persons to get the over all view on what intervention can be applied. Hearing the cries of the survivors literally teared my heart into pieces especially on how they fight for their lives during the dashing floods. There were several sharings of despair and pian especially those who lost very important persons and it would take a lifetime to heal.

I realized how important and salient our work is as Mental Health Specialist and the urgency of response. The Sendong experience is like a very large rock on our history - but like a drop of water that constantly falls on it, it will soon break , it will wither and someday, it will be a rich soil where plants can grow. Just like every trails we face, together, it will bear fruits and that is one thing I know I will see. And as one HOM Team, we will fight not just for ourselves but especially for our fellow Iliganons who needs us because every Filipino is worth LIVING for and FIGHTING for. And I believe that being a true brother means WALANG IWANAN ( Leaving No One Behind). Together, we will rise. :)

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