Philippines Health Issues – Breakdown Maintenance

  I think most of us understand the term “breakdown maintenance”? We all know those with cars that only get serviced when they stop working? The car sees the mechanic when a bit falls off it that can’t be easily stuck back on, or if it stops on the side of the road and won’t start again. Well, medical treatment in the Philippines is often breakdown-maintenance too, and these Philippines health issues can lead to similar problems in Filipino people which you as part of an Australian Filipino relationship will come face to face with soon enough.    

  Yes, I did an article here recently on the topic of Filipinos and doctors. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you do for a bit of background. I’m extending this topic here, as a plea to try to ensure your wife and her family take some better care of themselves before you find yourselves attending a funeral. Breakdown maintenance of human beings leads to short lives, because it’s often too late when the problem is finally diagnosed.  

Filipinos and Health Maintenance

I’m often inspired to write articles by what I see happening around me. In this case, our extended-family here had another funeral to attend just over Christmas. She would have been 60 this year. Left behind a husband, three kids (youngest 19 I think), 8 grandkids. All could have been avoided with the occasional checkup rather than waiting for disaster. And will she be the last untimely death in our extended family? Probably not. Was this the only death in the last few years that could have been avoided? No, definitely not! We lost Mila’s very close sister in 2012. She was only in her mid-40’s, and should have had many years ahead of her. Recent cause of death? Stroke! Why? High blood pressure. “High blood”. Hypertension. No maintenance medication program. Death in 2012? Kidneys shut down. Why? Unmaintained hypertension again. They sort-of knew this, but never did anything about it. Mila has a 62 year old auntie. Goes to see our doctor a few times a year when she comes to visit. Our doctor tells her to take maintenance medication for high blood pressure. Does she? No. Says that anti-hypertensive drugs will “damage the liver”. I’ve been taking them for 15 years, and my liver function is fine. Two relatives who didn’t are now in the cemetery. I think maybe it’s worth the risk.  

Filipinos in Hospital

Think about how often your own relatives in the Philippines go to the hospital. Not so uncommon, right? How about you? OK, I had a couple of bouts with kidney stones in…..maybe 2003? Two occasions. Spent two separate nights in Emergency enjoying the benefits of analgesia whilst waiting for some stones to pass, then I went home. Had my tonsils out when I was 10 years old, back in the days when they seemed to like doing that. Needed the occasional thing stitched up over the years, and that took place generally in the Emergency section. Other than that? Me and hospitals are not so familiar, and I think that’s the case for most Aussies. In the Philippines? When the human machine breaks down and someone collapses, they end up in the hospital. I would say many would stare at you blankly if you asked who their family doctor was! Some of them seem to spend a few days to a week there every year or so, then go home to wait for it to happen again. Scared into doing something to prevent it from happening again? Not likely!  

Filipinos and Doctors and Chronic Conditions

Most know what “chronic” refers to. Those things that don’t normally get better. Hypertension. Diabetes. Chronic good-looks, like I have. Most of these (other than the handsomeness) can be managed and maintained by medication and possibly diet and/or lifestyle changes, and whilst far from ideal most find they can lead comfortable lives when on maintenance programs under the direction of a doctor. And yes, I know that many are short of money, and medication plus doctors cost money. But families losing mothers and/or fathers usually means the loss of an income and/or a child-carer. That costs a whole lot more, and leaves kids without the parent they need and deserve. There are competent doctors everywhere, and not all maintenance medications are top-shelf priced. After Irene died in 2012, I got Mila to check her various siblings when she could. Discovered that most of them had hypertension issues, with some very serious. Some are taking medication regularly, and have benefited. Others take it sometimes, then stop when they feel better. So whilst it’s far from perfect, it’s better than it was.  

Suggestions for your relatives in Philippines

Suggest that you consider getting your 25 - 30+ relatives in Philippines checked for the following:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Chest xrays for Tuberculosis. Even for kids. Our local hospital charges P280.00 only!
• Pap smears for ladies
• Mammograms (40 years +)
• And anything else they’ve been ignoring for years

 

The following post Philippines Health Issues – Breakdown Maintenance was originally published to Filipina Wives

A good and loyal wife from the Philippines

  Thoughts of the good and loyal woman - the ideal Filipina wife - have had me thinking over the last few days. I have an old mate from NZ whom I’ve known for……no idea. 16, 17, 18 years or so. I used to run an online advice forum many years ago when I was first involved with Filipina ladies, and Ted was one of my fellow moderators. Sensible and logical man, with a long-standing marriage to a Filipina lady. Well, he sent me photos of his grandson the other day. Been married to Raquel for 38 years! A bit more than most of us. He used to tell me some really amazing stories about his wife’s family in the Philippines, and the ends they went to trying to extract money from them. And he had and still does have some choice stories of men he knows who married real gold-diggers who put the needs of family in Philippines first and their marriage second.    

But he coped, and whilst my relatives aren’t nearly as bad I cope too with some of the problems that come up with attempted users-and-abusers and just those annoying situations caused by coarse manners and those unavoidable cross-cultural clashes because Ted and I have one thing in common. We both married GOOD women, who are completely loyal! Woe betide the relative who tries to pull the wool over Mila’s eyes. (Why am I saying Kiwi things like “choice” and mentioning wool??)  

A loyal Filipina wife – the essential basis

There are a million expressions out there about loyal wives, and how they can either make or break a man. And gentlemen, wasn’t that one of the factors that steered us toward the Philippines in the first place? The stories of the decent, family-oriented Filipina ladies who weren’t man-haters who would run to the divorce lawyer at the first sign of how “the magic had gone” from the marriage? That being the case, why do so many end up with women who put the family in the Philippines first? Where’s the loyalty in that?? I can remember a friend of Mila’s in Hong Kong. I met her before Mila and I married. She told Mila she didn’t like me, because I wanted to know what was going on! Her idea of the ideal “foreigner” was the one who kept his mouth shut and his wallet open! Her plan was to marry a western man, and that they would both work. His salary would take care of her and any children she had with him, and hers would go straight to the family. She was pretty, but my goodness! Happy to say she never married a white fellah, and ended up in the provinces with a local chap. Mila? First job in Australia? Told me of all the plans she had for new curtains etc in our home! And to this day, she is actually less generous to her family than I am! They all learned long ago that her response would always be “I’ll talk to my husband about that, and we’ll let you know.” Either that, or she just ignores the request and I never even know about it if it’s really unreasonable. And yes, I feel incredibly lucky…..as I should. No doubt Ted feels exactly the same, and has no regrets at finding his good woman all those years ago. I envy nobody at all! She has my back absolutely. She understands me. She believes in me. She spoils me rotten, no question. My best friend, and my soulmate. But whilst I know how lucky I am, isn’t it just plain reasonable to expect this as a basis for a good marriage and a good life?  

Marrying the whole Filipino family

I detest this expression, because it’s used for the wrong reasons. This is the one that men with DIS-loyal Filipina wives use as a justification of their predicament! Yes, they are her family, and she will always love them and care about them. It’s also a country full of poverty and without those safety nets that Aussies take for granted. Get sick, and you don’t have a Medicare card. No Health Care Card if you are on a pension, and there are no standard pensions or “dole” that people can fall back on like Australians come to expect. No one should expect her to sit back and let her family wallow in misery, obviously. What I’m talking about though is the share-the-wealth mentality that says if one family member strikes it rich, everyone gets to share. Nonsense! It may surprise many an Aussie that it’s not just Australian husbands in Australian Filipina relationships who run afoul of the disloyal Filipina wife who puts her Filipino family first. This even happens within Filipino marriages. We have a few family members who have wives who’ve spent their working lives supporting lazy siblings. Some have ended up at the end of their working lives with nothing, and there are others who have some nasty little surprises waiting for them when they get their very last pay packet!   My best advice is to set your standards high. Loyalty is a reasonable request. Give your wife your total loyalty, and expect the same in return. Wives, please do the same. Let your relatives know where you stand, and that it’s side by side with your husband as you should. They will have no choice but to accept it. If they get unpleasant, distance yourselves. You have each other, and that matters most of all.  

The following post A good and loyal wife from the Philippines was first published to Filipina Wives Marriage Advice Blog

How to treat your Australian man – 2018 Update

  There is an expression that goes around saying that “When you marry a Filipina, you marry the whole family”. I cringe a bit at the expression, because it’s something used by that very passive Australian man who accepts everything that comes from his new Filipino family without ever arguing. I think that everyone who knows me knows that I love the Philippines and Filipino people, otherwise why would I live here? And I try as much as I can to treat my Filipino family with kindness and respect, however it is a two-way street. I'm very patient and understanding, but only up to a point! Respect and understanding must flow both ways, or it ends badly.    

  But yes, if you do marry a Filipina, her family will play a part in both your lives because Filipinos are generally close to their family and their family members are rarely in the background. But this article is for the purposes of trying to help Filipinas AND their families to learn and to also adjust to the inevitable changes. Just as your family will be in his life, he will be in your life and their lives too. And as your husband, they need to understand and accept that their dealings with you are also dealings with him. And out of kindness and respect, you AND your Filipino family need to understand some important things about Australian men.  

Australians want to be accepted

Australians are egalitarian by nature. It means we treat everyone as an equal, and want to be treated the same. The kindest thing you can do is to treat him as a member of the family, and not as someone different. Filipinos use the word “foreigner”. In Australia, this is an insulting word because it says that this person does not belong. If you have a piece of glass or a splinter in your foot, it is a “foreign body” that you want to remove. Call an Australian a “foreigner” and treat him as one, as this is how you make him feel.   Let me explain some of the things over the years that have made me feel unwelcome • Filipinos who CAN speak English, speaking in Tagalog or their own dialect in front of me. • Filipinos avoiding talking to me, or being near me, or even greeting me when they visit, and claiming that they “feel shy”. If you value the feelings of the Australian family member, you should make a strong effort to get over your shyness. Shyness is often just laziness. • Answering my questions by speaking to my wife or another Filipino instead, because it’s easier for them. Also not discussing things with me that directly affect me. • I get very little of this one, because I have a very loyal wife. But I know it happens where family members try to persuade the Filipina wife to do things (especially regarding money) without discussing it with the Australian husband.   My relatives are basically a good and decent lot, and we fortunately have few of the ones who constantly have their hands out for money. And most of those attempts fail, because Mila is a tough  character. And they will do anything for us, and definitely never forget their utang. But yes, I felt like a foreigner when I first arrived on their doorstep many years ago, and I still do. I will tell you what I particularly love about Filipino children here. They see me as who I am and barely notice racial or cultural differences. I have adult family members who know nothing about me, regardless of how many years I’ve been around. I have one brother-in-law and his wife who treat me as their brother, and this means so much to me. And the kids get me very easily. But I also have relatives who will visit us, arriving and leaving via our back gate, and they can be here for several days without me even knowing they are here. I’ve since taken charge of the key to the back gate and made it clear that if they don’t have the good manners to arrive via my front door, to look me in the eye and to shake my hand (the men, that is), then I don’t want them coming here. They would never do that at a Filipino’s house. Shyness is no excuse for bad manners and a lack of respect.  

Filipinos? How to treat an Australian in-law

This is for Filipino wives and family members - and this includes my own relatives! • Treat him like a human being, and not as a foreigner. And get to know him and who he actually is! You may even make a true friend! • Remember that despite his skin colour, his preference for English, his funny accent and his different customs, this is still your new in-law. He married your daughter/sister/niece. Give him the acceptance that is his right. • Wives? Your loyalty and your duty is to your husband and new family first. Don’t allow any relative to try to undermine that, and shame on any relatives who do anything that will weaken their marriage! • Speak English! There is nothing that excludes and isolates somebody like speaking in a language that they do not understand. Even if your English is poor, show some respect! No Australian will ever laugh at your poor English skills, which will always be better than his Tagalog skills! He knows this too. The brother-in-law I mentioned? He has just average English skills, especially now that he lives in Spain. But he will still sit next to me, and he will always greet me with a hug. • Wives? Your husband is not balato* for your family to share in. Keep money out of it, or it will go sour very quickly. Speaking for myself, I’m generous when it comes to welcoming guests (if they don’t arrive at the back gate!) and I’ve been very forthcoming when genuine emergencies happen. With the kids, we are especially generous and kind. But I find attempts to take advantage of us very hurtful when it comes from those who should be family. • And don’t judge him according to Filipino standards. Something he does may be bad manners by Filipino standards, yet perfectly normal for an Australian. Be assured that this works both ways, and hopefully he is also trying to understand Filipino differences without judging. Try to look for the intention behind the action or behavior. Are his intentions good? If so, let it go! (*“Balato” is a Filipino tradition of sharing winnings and good fortune with handouts to other family members)   Try it! Your lives will be much smoother and everyone will get fair treatment. I'm sure you all want this.   PLEASE NOTE: This is an update of a 2016 article    

The following blog post How to treat your Australian man – 2018 Update wasRead more at: Jeff Harvie of Down Under Visa