MICHAEL BRIAN M.

GALVAN
BSN I-1 Filipinos on addressing illnesses
God will make it happen! Theories of illness causation
I. Mystical Theories
6/20/21 a. Contagion/Pollution
6:34 PM b. Mystical Retribution
c. Fate
Filipino Culture, Values, and Practices in d. Soul Loss
Relation to Health Care II. Personalistic Theories
a. Animate
What is Culture? 1. Ghosts
2. Supernatural Entities
Kalusugan = “able-bodied” b. Magical
LUSOG 1. Sorcerers
Full development, progressiveness (in terms of 2. Witches
vigorous physical development) III. III. Naturalistic theories
-Panganiban
IV. a. Natural Phenomena
Malusog vs. Payat (not necessarily meaning ill)
* HEALTH – a combination of maturative V. b. Humoral Pathology
processes or development in correspondence to
the ability to function properly, to be active. VI. c. Diet
* Being either PAYAT or TABA are not VII. d. Infections
considered as healthy, but not necessarily ill.
Kamusta ka na? VIII. e. Natural Processes
The tone of the response may insinuate IX. f. Stress
that there may be underlying physical,
psychological,or emotional problems MYSTICAL THEORIES
* Therefore, HEALTH cannot be translated as a Attribute illness to the automatic consequence
mere absence of fever, pain or even generalized of the victim’s acts and behavior
feelings of malaise. It is also loaded with notions Mystical theories: Life-Stuff and Souls
of social interactions.
 Embodies the concept of basic forces as
Illness vs. Disease being operational in illness and health,
Illness – a single instance of “being if not life itself
sick”  Health and illness as natural
Disease – a diagnostic category, a consequences of good and evil behavior
conceptual entity which classifies particular 1. Contagion
illnesses, symptoms or pathological components “Contact with some purportedly polluting
of illnesses or stages of illnesses object, substance, or person” (Murdock)
Disease – an abstract biological-
2. Animatism – belief in a metaphysical life
medical conception of pathological
force
abnormalities in people’s bodies
a. Some Phil. ethnic groups
Illness – the human experiencing of
distinguish between a “life
disease
force” and the “soul.”
Sakit
b. This “life force” is considered an
 In Philippine society, only one word
attribute of health and also a
exists to describe such phenomena –
potential cause of illness
SAKIT
c. A human being with a strong or
 The term sakit is closer to the meaning
potent life force would be
of illness than to disease
perceived as a potential cause
 In many cases, ailments or illnesses are
of illness, regardless of he/she
culture-specific.
has intentions of causing illness.
 Ex. Usug, Bangungot (Western:
Those with weak life forces are
nightmare death syndrome)
more susceptible to illnesses
 2. Mystical retribution  Souls of unborn children – aborted
 Filipinos believe that a violation of a children, unbaptized children
taboo results in “punishment” by a *Even “casual” encounters with ghosts,
supernatural being in the form of illness as in being greeted (nabati) can be a
or other misfortune. cause of illness
 Best captured by karma  Discontented souls- potential
3. Fate malevolence of ghosts may be
Illness as ascribed to astrological determined by the character of the
influences, individual predestination, or individual at the time of death
personified ill luck - ghosts of suicide
Filipino = PALAD (palm of the hand) victims are believed to be the most
a. Palmistry (mostly in Mindanao) dangerous.
-> predicts one’s fate in life  Supreme deity- is generally
b. Sintas (the midline extending conceptualized as remote and detached
from the umbilicus to the from the human world, only
chestbone) -> predicts one’s occasionally inflicting illness as
susceptibility to illnesses punishment for “sins”.
c. “Bahala na” attitude –
manifestation of Filipinos’ -Among Catholics, saints are
passivity and resistance to believed to inflict illness as punishment
change by leaving everything to for social transgressions, including non-
the “will of God” fulfillment of ritual obligations.
4. Soul loss  Environmental Spirits- They are
Belief that a soul is capable of leaving generally perceived as benevolent
the body temporarily and its prolonged and/or guardians for shamans and
absence may cause illness to the owner other traditional healers.
with death, as the permanent -generally perceived as
separation from the body. benevolent but others inflict harm only
when provoked particularly by
Different from “possessions” by spirits
intrusions into their “territory.”
Ex. Ilongots – beteng (heart) may leave
the body during sleep and may get used “nabati, napaglaruan, nakatuwaan ng
to the company of the dead – this leads laman lupa ”–
to death - Once “enchanted”, illness can only be
cured by the mananambal or the local
PERSONALISTIC THEORIES shaman.
Attribute illnesses to the active
intervention of sensate agents such as *Perceived power of ghosts and
supernatural entities or malevolent supernatural entities is related to
human beings “social space”, to their distance from
the human sphere.
Animate: Ghosts and other
supernatural entities MAGICAL BELIEFS: SORCERERS and
 Ancestral spirits – most frequently cited WITCHES
illness-causing ghosts  Magical theories are those “which
 Illness is perceived as ascribe illness to the covert action of an
retribution from ancestral envious, affronted or malicious human
spirits for non-fulfillment of being who employs magical means to
ritual obligations or violation of injure his victims”. (Murdock)
social norms SORCERER- uses the technique of magic
 Deceased traditional healers – may and derives his power from medicine
cause illness when calling on a WITCH- acts without rites and spells
descendant to take up his/her vocation and uses hereditary psycho-psychical
powers
 • The aswang belief operates as a form of
Sorcery
social control. It discourages asocial
 Kulam- most popular term
attitudes such as secretiveness,
 Among tribal groups, sorcery is usually
solitariness, misanthropy and the like
reported as the effort of the community
(Lynch)
to inflict illness on a common enemy
 Among Christians and Muslims, sorcery NATURALISTIC THEORIES
is often an individual affair usually
spurred by revenge motives  Naturalistic systems explain illness in
impersonal, systemic terms. Disease is
 Methods thought to stem… from such natural
forces or conditions as cold, heat,
Sorcerers use incantations and prayers,
winds, dampness, and above all, from
even incorporating ritual paraphernalia
an upset in the balance of the basic
associated with the Catholic church.
body elements. (Foster)
Imitative and contagious magical principles
are used, such as hair of the intended victim 1. Natural phenomena
and voodoo-like methods 2. Thunder and lightning – believed to be
a cause of illness among Negrito groups
 Barang- uses “pet” insects and other
a. Illness is not attributed to the
animals to poison the victim
phenomena itself but to a
--the insects and animals are thunder god, who punishes
used not only to harm the victim but also to humans for violations of taboos
represent the sorcerer’s power (mythological)
3. Naturalistic – mixing two things that do
 Some methods of sorcery may have
not naturally belong together
empirical basis, particularly in the use of
a. Ex. Mixing different fruits and
plant poisons.
vegetables in one basket
 Sorcerers are usually known and (Negritos)
accepted in their communities. They are 4. Hangin – perceived as being sent by
perceived as having legitimate roles and supernatural or human entities
their practices is socially sanctioned. a. Different ethnic groups believe
in “self-activated winds” (may
Witchcraft cause respiratory problems,
 Seemed to be limited to Christian and muscular pains, skin diseases)
Muslim groups: Aswang and balbal for b. Each month has a predominant
Christainas and the balbalan for wind direction which causes
Muslims illnesses
5. Singaw ng Lupa – vapors are harmful
ASWANG- a man or woman possesing when it rains during particularly hot
preternatural powers of locomotion and weather
metamorphosis and an inhuman appetite a. Contact between warm earth
for the voided phlegm sputum of the and rain = singaw = unnatural =
deathly sick, as well as the flesh and blood discomfort and illness
of the newly dead. 6. Seasons are associated with particular
 Manananggal- believed to have a power illnesses
of detaching the upper part of their a. When it is relatively cool,
body and to fly around sickness is not widespread
except those that are deep in
 The idea of the aswang being a the body and in the advanced
“vampire” is probably of more recent stage. When it is warm and
vintage, a borrowing of western humid, there is a general
demonology feeling of malaise and
irritability
 b. Seasons of hunger (food the belief in the interactions between
supplies are out) = seasons of the hot and the cold.
disease 7. Hot/cold syndrome – known as pasma;
2. Diet believed to be an attack of “cold” on
“You are what you eat.” someone who is too “hot” or vice-versa
a. Injunctions based on religion a. Ex. A person who has just
Ex. Islamic prohibition on pork finished exercising will be
consumption advised against bathing in cold
b. Deals with imitative magical water to avoid pasma
principles – “like produces like or that b. Hot/cold theory is said to be
an effect resembles its cause” (Frazer) both allopathic (mixing hot and
Ex. Avoidance of slippery foods cold), and homeopathic (adding
by pregnant women in the belief that hot with more hot)
this would cause the uterus to slip 5. Natural processes
c. Those based on theories of humoral Blood is given much importance
pathology because it is distributed throughout the
Ex. Food items are classified into HOT body and its loss is associated to
and COLD weakness and death
Fruits (cold) are avoided in the morning, a. People with insomnia, anemia,
the coldest part of the day because it and sickly = “thin” blood
may intensify the cold condition which b. People with asthma, bile
could result to diarrhea and respiratory troubles, tuberculosis, and
problems malaria = yellowish blood
d. Other aspects c. Bathing in the morning adds
- overeating blood and in the evening
- intoxicated (overeating of lessens blood (low blood
particular food) which could cause pressure)
allergies or itchiness Other parts of the body are given labels
- indigestion (eating food that is as to “hot” or “cold”
hard to digest) – usually occur in young d. Illnesses are said to be caused
children by an imbalance between
- foods that are hiyang or external hot and cold influences
compatible on the anatomical part
3. Infections e. Ex. The back (likod) is especially
 Refer to illnesses attributed to sensitive to cold and rains;
microorganisms such as bacteria and while the abdominal region
viruses (tiyan) is sensitive to wind
 KAGAW – pathogenic microorganisms exposure = kabag
(Tagalog) 6. Displaced organs = illness
 Mikrobyo – Filipinos are starting to a. Ex. Isabela – knotting up of
become more germ-conscious due to intestines and resulting in colic
the influence of media (hilot as the cure)
 * The Germ theory may be recognized, b. Midwives massage the
not by overemphasizing it, but by mother’s abdominal region
incorporating it into more substantial (post-partum) in order to
health-maintenance practices. restore the uterus in its original
position; failure to do so can
4. Humoral pathology lead to illness
5. Illness is believed to be caused by a 7. Stress
disturbance of the balance of forces  Exposure of the victim to either physical
within the body or psychic strain such as overexertion,
6. This theory is found mainly among prolonged hunger or thirst, debilitating
Christian groups and is represented by extremes of heat or cold, worry, fear, or
the emotional disturbances which
 constitute the province of modern
psychiatry. (Murdock)
EX.
Lubat – illness caused by a
frightening experience especially being
in contact with the dead
Ugma – emotional disturbance
due to fear of a person, object, animal,
or situation
 Is related to the concepts of balance
 For example, when one has the “fright
illness”, it is not attributed so much to
fright itself. A new and unfamiliar
environment disturbs the natural
balance of a person’s body and psyche,
and this disturbance becomes a source
of stress.