VILLA, ISABELA MAY C.

CON 2A

KWENTO NI ROSARIO

Ang Kwento ni Rosario is a story that one too many Filipino families can relate to. For
those who belong to the lower brackets of society, the trials and difficulties that the couple Jaime
and Lucy face is the reality of everyday life – poor environmental sanitation, poverty, malnutrition,
lack of education, inadequate wages, and lack of government funds.

Rosario lived and died in Tanyong. The youngest of four children, she resembled most of
the other infants in the community: under-nourished and pot-bellied from intestinal parasites. She
and her siblings were all fed on condensed milk, her mother having been advised not to breastfeed
because a doctor said that she had a 'heart condition'. Rosario had constant bouts of diarrhea
and respiratory infections. But it was not until she went down with measles, complicated by
coughing and diarrhea, that her parents decided to take her to a health center where medical
consultation was free. The nurse in the center, however, informed Lucy that the center had run
out of medicines, and that the budget for medicines for the year had been used up. The request
for additional budget for medicines was turned down by the City Council because they suspected
the City Health Officer and the Mayor of misappropriating funds intended for medicines. Lucy
decided to buy the medicines prescribed for Rosario: Carbocisteine for the cough (P109), a
preparation for the diarrhea (P243), and an antibiotic (P150). Though Rosario was still sick after
a bottle of each of these meds were consumed, Lucy could not buy additional medicines because
she did not have money left. Rosario continued to have diarrhea and was soon dehydrated. Lucy
then brought Rosario back to the village health center, but the nurse in the health center advised
Lucy to bring Rosario to a larger facility, a private hospital nearby. In the hospital, Lucy was
required to give a deposit of PhP1200 before Rosario could be admitted. It was a good thing that
Jaime was able to borrow PhP1500 from the village leader at usurious rates. Because Rosario
was so anemic, Jaime needed to donate blood that was transfused to Rosario. After only one
night in the hospital, Lucy and Jaime’s bill piled up to Php 4,125 and was increasing fast. Every
item used in the treatment of Rosario like cotton balls, alcohol, gauze and tape, was charged and
added to their bill. Jaime and Lucy finally decided that it was best to take Rosario home against
the doctors’ advice. They had to sign a document absolving the hospital and the doctors of any
legal liability, should Rosario’s condition deteriorate. Jaime and Lucy were told to bring Rosario
back to hospital when they had enough money to pay for the hospital services or to bring Rosario
to a government (public) hospital.

In the end, Ang Kwento ni Rosario cries out the reality that is poverty. Its impact on our
society is profound, and may spell the difference between life and death. We have seen how
death can be prevented if proper action is taken. Although there is no simple solution to eradicate
it, we can do our part in the fight against poverty. We can begin right when the patient-doctor
relationship is formed. We are not called to be saviors, but are called to lead those who need to
be guided.
 It is not surprising then that Filipinos in the lower income bracket tend to look to persons
of authority as persons who are infallible, including doctors, politicians, lawmakers. We, as a
future nurses, thus have the responsibility to properly educate our patients, and not to mislead
them for our personal gain. Comprehensive and proper health care begins with proper patient
education. Proper maternal counseling on nutrition and breastfeeding, as well as vaccination and
its possible side reactions, for instance, could help the family save on unnecessary medical
expenses, and aid in prevention of future illnesses that could have been avoided.

The main problem of the Philippine health care system is and has been the inequities
among its population. The system is biased against the poor in terms of physical and financial
access to appropriate health care, even to basic health care. Therefore, the poor becomes
vulnerable to sickness and death. Targeting health improvement for the poor and the community,
therefore, will improve significantly health outcomes not only of the local community but the whole
country as well. Health services for all especially for the poor will likely improve if the key health
stakeholders are motivated and trained to do so.
PATACSIL, JERELYN

CON 2A

The story is about the family living in a community observing poor health and sanitary
practices. Living in a crowded barrio called “Tayong”, the story runs within the family of a
construction laborer named Jaime. He and his wife Lucy have 5 children namely Jocelyn (5),
Marites (4), Antonio (3), and Rosario (1), the youngest. Tayong is composed of a community in
the lowest economic status. Most of the residents are from the provinces that have crossed into
Manila in hopes of acquiring a better living. To reach the area, they are to cross sewage with a
tremulous bridge that often causes accidents. 90% of the community’s residents dispose their
wastes into the sewage, making it very polluted leading to various diseases in the community.
Jaime’s family was one of the most affected. With their environment and poor diet, all of his
children were all 2nd degree malnourished. Jaime cannot afford to give his family proper
nourishment. They can hardly secure a healthy diet causing their children to be malnourished.
Rosario, having the worst condition was confined to a private hospital because of measles. She
was transfused with 1 unit of blood. However, Rosario’s family could no longer afford to pay for
her hospitalization and appealed if they could have her discharged. Prior to her discharge they
were adviced to get her back to the hospital as soon as they can or have her admitted to the
nearest government hospital. Rosario’s diarrhea and fever still persist and a week after she died.
It is noted that the family’s status that they are struggling economically, to the point that the health
and nutrition of the children are compromised. And revolving from the situation, everything –
livelihood, sanitation, little access to the services from the government, knowledge, among others
make the family’s situation saddening from an observer’s point of view. The story reveals truth
that these events are actually happening in our society today. It is very obvious that poverty is the
main reason why this case happened. If only Jaime could afford to put his family in a much better
community, if only Jaime and his wife Lucy obtained higher education, if only the people in
authority or those who were blessed had the heart to help, and if only greed was rejected. Death
would not have come that early. We all have the right to live. We all have the right to know our
rights. We all deserve to live.

As a nursing student, I could volunteer to help out in medical missions. Through these
medical missions, I can aid in educating the various communities on proper hygienic and
sanitation practices. This should be emphasized since it is a major prevention against diseases
among the members of the community. Family planning methods should also be lectured to the
community since large families do not make their situation better. It makes it more difficult for
them to raise healthy children, which someday could be health professionals in the future. It is a
need to understand that serving the underserved and helping people is our primary goal (and to
take care of our well-being too), to achieve fulfillment and satisfaction for what God has called us
to do. The opportunity to heal is a privilege and trust. It is our responsibility and good conduct to
be a good example to the people who look up and dream high. People deserve the truth and
proper treatment. We are all human after all and it is only right to do what unto others what we
wish done upon ourselves.