HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF THE SAMA BANGINGI IN THE ISLANDS OF MANALIPA AND TIGTABUN, ZAMBOANGA CITY
Author: Dreiza M. Hakim
Date: May 2006
At the coastal area of Zamboanga Peninsula are some clustered houses of the Sama Bangingi, a group of indigenous people. Personal, cultural, religious attitudes and beliefs influence the meaning of illness to this tribe. Being a Sama Bangingi herself the researcher decided to explore more her tribe’s health seeking behavior particularly along childhood health care. The study was conducted in the Islands of Manalipa and Tigtabun, Zamboanga City. This study was a qualitative-descriptive research utilizing Focus Group Discussion as the tool in gathering data. Four (4) focus group discussions were conducted in the Island of Manalipa and three (3) focus group discussions in the Island of Tigtabun. Each Focus Group Discussion consists of five respondents. The selected respondents were mothers having 0-5 year old children. The Focus Group Discussion tackled topics that are related to the health seeking behaviors of mothers in terms of child care. The topics were 1. Common health complaints among children; 2. Common health beliefs sickness; 3. Management of the common health complaints in terms of folk practices, medical health practices and utilization of health services provided by the government. The study concluded that the common health complaints of the native’s children are cough, fever, diarrhea and skin diseases. The beliefs in supernatural beings, satan, spirits of the ancestors, and forefathers as the cause of sickness of the Islanders. The Sama Bangingi put much emphasis on seeking the help of “magtatawal†first before they resort to self-medication and herbal medicines. Doctors and other professional helps are their last resort in seeking help, which is only when previous option failed and the child’s conditions have worsened. Most of the respondents are satisfied with the health services rendered by their health center. Their only complain was the lack of medicine. Majority of the respondents suggested that there should be adequate supplies of medicine for the whole population in the island coast.
Keyword: health behavior Sama bangingi manalipa tigtabun zamboanga city
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