MANILA, Philippines?More than 100 healers from various tribes in the country gathered for the first Indigenous Barefoot Doctors? National Summit on May 20-21 at the SMX Convention Center at SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City.

Garbed in tribal finery, the delegates paraded around the complex on the first day, drawing the attention of mall goers.

With the theme ?Indigenous Peoples: Partners in Health and Wellness,? the summit was a venue for the community health workers to share experiences and best practices.

It was also a way for the participants to link up with institutions that could help them address their needs. They also wanted to promote awareness of indigenous peoples and their culture.

The name barefoot doctor refers to non-doctors who have received medical or paramedical training for service in rural communities.

But the so-called barefoot doctors were not in Metro Manila for a cultural feast, but for a serious discussion of health issues that concern their communities, most of which are very remote.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is still a big problem, said Divina Boyante Padicio, 56, a Manobo from Leyte.

Although the Manobos are among the indigenous communities of Mindanao, many were displaced by the protracted fighting. Padicio?s family and many others fled to Leyte and settled there.

Padicio, a chieftain or bae, is considered a strong leader of her community and has received several citations for her work.

?We have to challenge the members of our community to know their rights and not to be ashamed to claim those rights,? Narcisa Galgo, 43, a Tagakaolo from Sarangani, told the Inquirer. ?Big hospitals often ignore them and they easily give up.But we teach our people their rights,? she said.

Respiratory illnesses

Lito Mosela, 42, a Teduray from Upi, Maguindanao, was a primary health worker before he became a barangay (village) chair. He is also a farmer.

?Our sitio (sub-village) is 25 kilometers from the poblacion (town center) and there are no roads,? he told the Inquirer.

Many people suffer from respiratory ailments, skin diseases and goiter, he said.

Romeo Norilla, 50, is from the Palawan tribe in Palawan and heads Southern Tagalog?s tribal council. He goes from island to island to check on the health conditions of his fellow Palawans.

?Malaria is still a big problem,? he said.

?It is important that the people know the importance of cleanliness of their surroundings. Poverty is not a hindrance to serving the people. I made a promise to both God and the people that I will serve,? Norilla said.

Generosity

One of the convenors, Sr. Fidela Maamo SPC, president of the Foundation of Our Lady of Peace Mission Inc. (FOLPMI) and 1997 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for community leadership, said the summit was also a way to honor the barefoot doctors ?for their generosity to be God?s instruments in healing their ailing brothers and sisters in their tribal communities.?

Since 2005, barefoot doctors from 114 tribes have been trained under the indigenous peoples community health workers development program of FOLPMI.

A training manual had been written just for them and seven batches have finished the program.

The summit participants are graduates of the training programs and veteran healers in their communities.

The barefoot doctors have gone through courses on indigenous culture, knowledge and health practices, health education and promotion, and diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses in Western medicine, as well as complementary medicine (herbal, reflexology, moxibustion, etc.), PhilHealth, running a Botica ng Barangay, responsible parenthood and natural family planning, community organizing, and leadership and team building.

Climate change, flu

One of the speakers, former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez-Tan, tackled integrative medicine. Other topics discussed were indigenous healing, environment, climate change and ancestral domain.

The A(H1N1) flu virus which threatens to be a pandemic, was also discussed.

Among the sponsors was Misereor, a funding agency of the Catholic Bishops of Germany, Pondong Pinoy, FOLPMI, the Department of Health and the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples.