Running head: PHILIPPINES 1

The Philippines
NA University


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Filipino culture was born from the Spanish colonialism of the 1600s merging with
existing Eastern culture. A combination of Eastern and Western features, Filipino culture
combines traditions to make their own. As the language has evolved, so have the people, and
today, the Philippines is a thriving, lower middle income country (World Bank, 2014).
Unique Elements
Per the Central Intelligence Agency (2014), Filipinos are 92.5% Christian, with 89.2%
identifying as Catholic (People and Society section). One unique element of this Catholic-driven
Filipino culture is that they celebrate the longest Christmas season in the world (Ilao, Guevara,
Llenaresas, Narvaez, & Peregrino, 2011, p. 13). The Filipino Christmas season extends from the
middle of September through the third Sunday of January a four month holiday season (p. 13).
Cultural Value and Cultural Health
The cultural value of the importance of the family has created an environment where
women do not have all the tools they need to limit their family size. Filipino women run the risk
of getting pulled into the vicious cycle of pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, malnutrition,
infections, fatigue and stress in the course of their performance of their multiple roles as mothers,
workers and health providers (Rodriguez, 2012, p. 22). Although womens level of education is
higher than mens level, 61% of currently married Filipino women report not wanting any more
children, and 44% of births are reported as unintended (Sobritchea, 2012, p. 11). When
compared to the rate of contraception use of 48.9% (Central Intelligence Agency, 2014, People
and Society), this may signal a failure in adequate contraception education or access. Due to
the influence of Catholicism, abortions are not seen as a good option, but reliable contraception
other than natural family planning is discouraged (Sobritchea, 2012, p. 10). While women may
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sometimes access contraception information, in many cases it is inaccurate (Sobritchea, 2012, p.
11). In order to allow women to limit the children she bears, social action needs to be taken to
reduce the churchs influence on the state, so that effective contraception may be accessed by the
women who seek it (Sobritchea, 2012, p. 12).
Maternal Mortality Rates
The Philippines ranks 74
th
out of 184 countries in the world for maternal mortality
(Central Intelligence Agency, 2014, People and Society). As of 2010, the maternal mortality
rate for the Philippines is 99 deaths per 100,000 live births(Central Intelligence Agency, 2014,
People and Society). Factors that influence this rate are a high incidence of anemia and goiter
among those who are pregnant (Rodriguez, 2012, p. 22). Other factors that contribute to the
maternal mortality rate include shortcomings in how healthcare is delivered and inadequately
prepared pregnancy, perinatal and postpartum care (Rodriguez, 2012, p. 22). On a global note,
hemorrhage, hypertension and sepsis were the leading causes of maternal mortality, which would
be consistent with healthcare delivery failure and lack of trained birth personnel (Say et al., 2014,
p. e328).
Pregnancy Beliefs
Pregnancy beliefs vary somewhat from urban to rural regions, but there are some general
similarities. Filipina women gain many of their beliefs by listening to and following the beliefs
as dictated by their mothers and grandmothers (Hadwiger & Hadwiger, 2012, p. 127). Filipina
women preferred giving birth at home with a paltera, a Filipina birth attendant (Hadwiger &
Hadwiger, 2012, p. 128). Hawaiian nurses report that recent Filipina immigrants have reported
that external elements encountered by a woman may influence the physical appearance of her
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newborn (Hawaii Community College, 2013, Prenatal section). One expatriate Filipina nurse
reports her mother telling her to repeatedly step over the abdomen of her childs father so he
would share in all of her cravings and to help her manage her cravings, although she laughed and
recounted that it did not work (C. Castro, personal communication, September 20, 2014).
Filipinas believe that the newborn should be given a cross to wear to protect them from negative
spirits (Hawaii Community College, 2013, Labor & Delivery section). Finally, the mother was
told to rest in bed so that she could heal from childbirth, and was fed a special food for lactation
(Hawaii Community College, 2013, Postpartum section).
Infant and child mortality rates
According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2014), the infant mortality rate for the
Philippines is 17.64 deaths per 1,000 live births. The Filipino infant mortality rate ranks 99
th
of
224 countries surveyed (CIA, 2014, People and Society). The United Nations Inter-agency
Group for Child Mortality Estimation places child mortality estimates in the Philippines at 29.9
deaths per 1,000 live births (2014, graph).
Infant care
Infant and child care practices include a variety of behavioral and nutritional practices.
Infants and small children are thought to be susceptible to being frightened, and care is taken to
ensure that crying is minimized (C. Castro, personal communication, September 20, 2014).
Cosleeping of infants with their parents or a sibling is encouraged, and deviance from this
practice is not enforced even if the child is sick (Queensland Health, 2014, Infant Care
section). Parents take their children to a traditional healer if the child experiences cough
(Queensland Health, 2014, Infant Care section ). Colostrum is considered dirty, even though
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health professionals promote its nutritional benefit (Queensland Health, 2014, Infant Feeding
section). Breast milk is thought to contain the emotional state of the mother, so mothers are
discouraged from breastfeeding if they experience negative emotions (Queensland Health, 2014,
Infant Feeding section).
Family life
The family unit is of utmost importance to Filipinos. Men seem to have the final say in
matters (Rodriguez). A woman is subject to the control of her father before marriage, then her
husband after marriage (Rodriguez, 2012, p. 20). According to Philippine law, a woman below
23 years of age cannot leave the parental home without the consent of her parents except when
she marries, exercises her profession or when either parent enters into subsequent marriage
(Rodriguez, 2012, p. 20).
Women are then expected to become mothers, but motherhood outside of marriage is
highly discouraged, and is not socially acceptable (p. 21). Women are socially pressured to be
child bearers, child-carers [sic] and housekeepers (Rodriguez, 2012, p. 22). Although this
cycle of childbearing may place women in less than optimal health circumstances, it is believed
that the women who fulfill the societally accepted domestic roles are the ones that are the best fit
(Rodriguez, 2012, p. 22)
Common illnesses
Filipino people treat their health conditions by going to both traditional healers and
Western medicine (Cabral, 2010, p. 1). The most common diseases that result in death are
cardiovascular disease, cancer, accidents, and pneumonia (Cabral, 2010, p. 1). Tuberculosis is
among the top ten fatal illnesses among Filipinos (Cabral, 2010, p. 1).
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Conclusion
Health beliefs and practices of the Philippines can influence those of the United States via
the Philippine-trained nurses who work in the United States. Expatriate Filipino nurses must be
licensed in the United States, and are responsible for practicing in a clinically competent manner
concordant with policies set in the United States. The best Filipino nurses have embodied
positive, caring interpersonal skills gained from their family-centered culture, and have merged
them with the evidence-based nursing practice of the United States.

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References
Cabral, E. (2010, April) Statement. In E. Cabral (Chair), 43rd Session of the Commission on
Population and Development. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Commission
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Central Intelligence Agency (2014, June 24). CIA World Factbook: Philippines. Retrieved from
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html
Hadwiger M. C. & Hadwiger S. C. (2012). Filipina mothers perceptions about childbirth at
home. International Nursing Review, 59, 125131. doi:10.1111/j.1466-
7657.2011.00929.x
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and postpartum. Retrieved from
http://www.hawaii.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNFilipino13.html
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Rodriguez, L. L. (2012). Patriarchy and women's subordination in the Philippines. Review of
Women's Studies, 1(1). Retrieved from
http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/rws/article/viewFile/3248/3046
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http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/rws/article/viewFile/3295/3087
United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) (2014). Child
mortality rates. Retrieved from
http://www.childmortality.org/index.php?r=site/graph&ID=PHL_Philippines
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http://data.worldbank.org/country/philippines