We are all aware that health is the most essential item that a human must always consider. To improve and to maintain the quality of health among families is one of the major entreaties. Immunizations or vaccines, medications these are just one of the point those are accessible in a health facilities. Nowadays, these are essential and appropriate to ensure the health of each member of the family. Nonetheless, there are some individual who does not appreciate the magnitude of these advanced sciences.

I love my daughter so much. She is my only child and I will do everything for her to be safe and healthy, away from harm and from pain. I am Nilda, a mother of only one child and I admit that I am not equipped with enough knowledge with regards to parenting, I only learn from other mothers – to what they say and to what they believe. They said that immunizations or vaccines for my child would provide ailment or would make my child sick. That is why, I am so afraid to bring my child to our health center.

Manang Nilda was so anxious with regards to the side effects of the immunizations or vaccines for her child that she even won’t eavesdrop to the advice of their health care providers: Nurse and Midwife.

I never visited our health care center, I just stayed at our house taking good care of my child; playing, tickling, feeding her, and talking to her are what I always do, Manang Nilda added.

Suddenly, the program of Department of Social Welfare and Development came: Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) with its stipulations or conditions that they as beneficiaries must conform.

We are poor, I am a plain house wife, my husband’s earnings was not enough for my family especially for my child, she said. At first she was thinking that she doesn’t have other alternatives but to abide by the stipulations of the program in order to have assistance from the said agency.

Ever since, I always bring my child to our health center for her immunizations or vaccinations.

There was a time when she got sick thinking that it was because of the side effect of the immunizations that would lead to complications just like the other mothers told to me before. I was terrified for the health condition of my child however, the health care provider educate me that it is only a NORMAL SIDE EFFECT of the immunization given to my child. They assisted me with regards to the things that I must perform, educated me or augmented my comprehension with regards to the interventions that I must perform.

Now, because of the stipulations of the program, I thought they are compelling or forcing us to track what they want to achieve but at the end of the day I was able to realize that they just want us to learn things that would help us establish and maintain a life that is sufficient for me and my family through autonomy.

By MAC PAUL VERZOLA ALARIAO, Municipal Link, Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya