Working With Diversity, Northern Ireland Section 75 Equality Scheme Advice

In the Philippines, women are responsible for managing household finances and affairs. This differs from the situation in many Northern Ireland households, where men often expect to be in charge of the finances.

Food

Rice is the central feature of the Filipino diet, which tends to be high in refined carbohydrates (treacle, sugar), high in fat (cooking with oil or adding coconut cream), high in salt (used in food preserving) and low in fibre. Eggs, meat, fish and most vegetables are eaten. Filipinos use sauces, based on fish or shrimp, which have a strong, salty taste. Food is often not spicy, although there is a regional variation.

Women prefer female doctors but may see male doctors for certain conditions because of ease of access. In this case the presence of a female attendant may be important. (As with all patients/clients).

Complaints such as thrush may be untreated, because women are afraid to mention them to male doctors, but do not feel a special visit to a female doctor is warranted. For similar reasons male interpreters are not always acceptable. However, most women speak English well.

Home visits will be unfamiliar for many newly arrived Filipinas. In general they are not used to unsolicited offers of help and may feel that they are being singled out for attention, or that the offer puts them under some obligation. It may be necessary to explain that the service is offered to all mothers.

Women often have children within a year of getting married. Traditional custom in the Philippines dictates that women should not bathe for about ten days after giving birth and during menstruation. Bathing during these times is seen as a cause of ill health and complaints such as rheumatism during old age. Sponge baths, herb poultices and sitting in the smoke from a herbal fire or steam bath are used as alternatives. Many women do not fully subscribe to these beliefs but they still may impact on the acceptability of health care practices. For example, women may object to having a shower immediately after giving birth.

Many women would be familiar with some traditional practices, which may include bed rest for at least one week, or even a whole month, after birth.

Women fear what is referred to as a “relapse” (bughat/binat) if they become active too soon. This involves extreme tiredness, weakness and chronic headache. Traditionally a healer would treat this.

New and lactating mothers are given rice porridge (rice boiled soft to a consistency halfway between soup and puree). This may be served with sweet, salty or spicy accompaniments. Soup made of meat and vegetables is also believed to help promote lactation.

Breast feeding on demand is normal practice for rural Filipinos. However, in Northern Ireland, women may adopt mixed feeding because of the demands of work outside the home.

Some mothers may be reluctant to feed colostrum to their newborn. Some mothers believe that a mother's mood could be transmitted through breast milk and therefore do not feed if they feel sorrow or anger. Breast-feeding may also cease if the child contracts diarrhoea, in case the illness becomes worse.

Many women have difficulty coping with the daily routine of looking after a baby in a country where generally they do not have the support of an extended family. In the Philippines when a woman has a baby she rests while her relatives do all the housework and cooking.

In the Philippines, both rural and urban mothers are aware of the risks associated with diarrhoea. Colds and rashes may be accepted as natural in young children, although some are regarded as serious. In rural Philippines women will often take a child with a cough to a traditional healer.

Filipino adults are typically very tolerant with young children and include them in all adult activities. Small children attend social gatherings at night as these are considered family activities. Respect for parents and elders are stressed with older children.

In the Philippines, biomedical services are supplemented by herbalists and other healers who specialise in herbal remedies, massage or healing by spiritual means, through power derived from devotion to Christian saints. Women in both rural and urban settings may seek treatment from both healers and modern Health Centres.

People may use concepts of “hot” and “cold” to classify and explain illnesses. Foods, medicines and temperature/weather conditions are classified according to their “heating” or “cooling” quality and their effects on the body. Sudden changes in body temperature may be perceived as harmful. Beliefs about the relationship of water and bathing to health differ substantially. Bathing can be associated with a draining of strength from the body, particularly if a person is already ill.

It has been proven that accessing mental health services is an area in which a number of Filipinas experience difficulties. It is not uncommon for them to have symptoms of postnatal depression, because of social isolation or domestic violence, but they are often reluctant to talk about this with outsiders.

Visitors to a Filipino home are customarily offered food and/or some kind of beverage. It is usual to accept, and this signifies acceptance of the giver and her household.

Filipinos consider it impolite to stare or look directly at people with whom they are talking. This should not be mistaken for mistrust or lack of confidence. Filipinos usually speak good English.

Health and Social Care