THE PHILIPPINES’ problems in public health and medicine could use a history lesson.
This was emphasized by the international conference “Public Health and Medicine in the 20th Century Philippines,” held July 21 to 22 at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall Auditorium.
The conference gathered scholars from different disciplines, as well as medical practitioners, to discuss issues concerning public health and medicine in connection to the history of the Philippines during the 20th century.
The conference was a collaborative effort of the History Department, the journal Philippine Studies, and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health.
Medicine + history
History Instructor and Conference Secretariat Head Neville Jay Manaois said that a lot of people might ask about the connection between medicine, public health, and history.
“In the History Department, we believe that in order to promote or to determine the condition of public health in the Philippines, we need to look at [what happened in the past], he said. “You have to remember that some of the problems in the past are still present today.”
History Department Lecturer Aaron Moralina, another speaker in the conference, agreed. “I think there is an emerging field of academic research that recognizes the convergence [among] medicine, social sciences and the humanities.”
Moralina added that the history of diseases has been a major field in other countries, and it is “beginning to acquire a critical mass in the Philippine academia.”
Germs, not aswang
History Professor Fr. Jose Arcilla, SJ, said that the conference tackled medicine and public health along with other disciplines. Arcilla was a speaker during the conference.
“It [is] not just the medical aspect… It [also involves] the human side of it. I would say medicine could not help if you do not have the proper attitudes. That’s why it was interdisciplinary,” he said.
Arcilla said that the conference could help Filipinos be more aware of their health.
“We really do not care about health. Do we Filipinos [care about our health]? Not really. Because of our poverty, do people go to hospitals? Do [most Filipinos] know that disease is not because of aswang (evil spirit) but because of germs?” he asked.
Arcilla also emphasized a neglected side of medicine, which is the element of human care and attitude. “[I am focusing on] the human element because we seldom talk about it. And to me, the more important thing is the human element, because it is the life of people.”
Many disciplines
Manaois said that the conference had participants from various fields, such as Dr. Warwick Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of values and ethics from the University of Sydney. Deans from the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo, as well as other medical and social doctors from all over the Philippines were also present.
He said that, although many participants came from the History Department, the department organizing the event, they drew participants from various disciplines.
Manaois said that they drew the participants for three main reasons.
“The primary reason is [for] them to be acquainted. This is to network the different people. The second one is to check [and] to determine the different researches conducted in the field, and the third is to promote the concept [of] medicine in the 20th century Philippines,” he said.
Manaois added, “We felt that this was quite immediate because public health in the 20th century is somewhat a neglected area or field. [We want to promote the] concepts and researches [in this field].”
‘Researches readily available’
Manaois said that even though the public might not see the impact of the research papers presented right after the conference, it had a long-term impact on the participants, comprised mostly of doctors and medical students.
“[With this conference], we don’t expect to create something grand,” Manaois added. “We don’t have that grand illusion, but it certainly pushes people to the right direction, to research or to focus and create a body of knowledge that is readily available [when needed].”
