Amazing Women: Filipina health professionals bring care to Turkey quake victims

Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Filipina doctors bring care to Turkey quake victims" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/01/20230301-amazing-women-art.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/></figure></div><p>MANILA - Providing health care attuned to the cultural needs of a disaster-hit area was among the achievements of the Philippine humanitarian response team to Turkey this month, according to one of the women physicians who joined the mission.</p><p>The inclusion of women in the 82-member Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent (PIACH) to quake-struck Turkey allowed the group to cater to some patients who prefer female care providers, said Dr. Leslie Marie Rosario, a pediatrician at the Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium in Caloocan City.</p><p>“Importante na, gaya sa experience namin ngayon, isa sa mga role namin dito sa contingent na pinadala dito, importante na maintindihan ang culture ng isang country before you deploy,&quot; Rosario, one of the nine women who form part of the PIAHC, told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>(It&#x27;s important to understand the culture of one country before you deploy a response team there. That&#x27;s our experience now, and that&#x27;s one of our roles in this contingent.)</p><p>&quot;Lalo sa isang country katulad ng Turkey, meron silang culture na, kunwari ang husband, ayaw pahawakan ang kaniyang wife sa iba kundi babae lang po. Kailangan may babaeng maga-assist o examine sa isang babaeng patient,” she explained.</p><p>(Especially in a country like Turkey that has a culture wherein a man wants only a woman to check on his wife. So, a female physician should be available to assist or examine a female patient.)</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/02/28/23/philippines-hails-women-this-march">PH hails women this March; gov&#x27;t launches ‘Purple Wednesdays’ campaign</a></li></ul><p>Turkey, which was hit by a devastating quake on Feb. 6 along with Syria, has a mostly Muslim population.</p><p>Because of its culture, female health professionals played a greater and more active role in providing medical assistance to victims of the disaster, said Rosario.</p><p>Most of their patients were women and children.</p><div><br/></div><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/01/20230301-amazing-women1.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/01/20230301-amazing-women2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/01/20230301-amazing-women3.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/01/20230301-amazing-women4.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/01/20230301-amazing-women5.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div></div><div class="media-content slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><p>Dr. Beatriz Angelica Feliciano (first 3 photos) and Dr. Leslie Marie Rosario (last 2 photos) during their mission in quake-struck Turkey as part of the Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent in February 2023. <cite>Courtesy of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT)</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Dr. Beatriz Angelica Feliciano (first 3 photos) and Dr. Leslie Marie Rosario (last 2 photos) during their mission in quake-struck Turkey as part of the Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent in February 2023. <cite>Courtesy of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT)</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Dr. Beatriz Angelica Feliciano (first 3 photos) and Dr. Leslie Marie Rosario (last 2 photos) during their mission in quake-struck Turkey as part of the Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent in February 2023. <cite>Courtesy of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT)</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Dr. Beatriz Angelica Feliciano (first 3 photos) and Dr. Leslie Marie Rosario (last 2 photos) during their mission in quake-struck Turkey as part of the Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent in February 2023. <cite>Courtesy of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT)</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Dr. Beatriz Angelica Feliciano (first 3 photos) and Dr. Leslie Marie Rosario (last 2 photos) during their mission in quake-struck Turkey as part of the Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent in February 2023. <cite>Courtesy of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT)</cite></p></div></div></div><p>The nine women in the PIAHC are part of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT), working as physicians, nurses, pharmacists and administrative staff.</p><p>The other members of the PIAHC were engaged in the search, rescue and retrieval efforts amid the rising death toll, which, as of late, has has topped 44,000. In Syria, which was struck by the same tremor, nearly 6,000 have been reported dead.</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/28/23/quake-killed-more-than-50000-in-turkey-syria-revised-toll">Quake killed more than 50,000 in Turkey, Syria: revised toll</a></li><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/09/23/turkish-envoy-thanks-ph-83-heroes-for-rescue-aid">&#x27;No big or small contribution&#x27;: Turkish envoy thanks PH for rescue aid after devastating quake</a></li></ul><p>The Philippines deployed the humanitarian contingent last Feb. 8 and officially conducted their mission from Feb. 10 until 24 in Adiyaman, one of the 10 provinces in Turkey that were severely affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.</p><p>More than 1,000 patients were treated by the PEMAT in its field hospital during their stint there.</p><p>“Super happy kami na kahit konti lang ang babae sa team, we became a big part. Hindi magiging complete and magfa-function ang team if hindi kami kompleto,” said Dr. Beatriz Angelica Feliciano, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital in Pampanga.</p><p>(We are happy that despite having only a few of us women in the team, we became a big part. The team will not be complete and be able to function if we are not part of it.)</p><p>Rosario and Feliciano shared that it was their first time to join an international humanitarian mission.</p><p>Rosario has been working as a consultant in pediatrics for over 10 years and is assigned at the Health Emergency Management Unit of the JNRMHS.<br/><br/>Feliciano, meanwhile, just finished her residency training at the JBLMGH, and is set to start her private practice and one-year deployment at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital this year.<br/><br/>As members of PEMAT, they have experienced being deployed to some parts of the Philippines to provide medical assistance, such as during the Taal volcano eruption, typhoon Odette and Abra earthquake.</p><p>&quot;Pero kami rin ay sumasali rin sa international drills like ang INSARAG (International Search and Rescue Advisory Group). Pero ang deployment mismo na international, ngayon pa lang po,” said Rosario.</p><p>(We also participate in international drills such as those by INSARAG. But as to international deployment, this is our first time.)</p><p>“Kahit babae po kami, ang aming teammates ay nirerespeto ang aming capabilities. Hindi hindrance ang pagiging babae namin sa pagsali sa isang team na gaya ng PEMAT,&quot; she added.</p><p>(Even though we&#x27;re women, our teammates respect our capabilities. Our gender is not a hindrance for us to be part of a team like PEMAT.)<br/><br/>&quot;Sa team namin, hindi porke&#x27;t babae kami, hindi namin kaya ang mga ginagawa ng aming mga kasamahang lalaki. For example, ‘yung pagbubuhat ng mga bagay na mabibigat, mga tent,&quot; Rosario said.</p><p>(In our team, it&#x27;s not that just because we&#x27;re women, we cannot do what our male colleagues are capable of. For example, carrying of heavy stuff like a tent.)</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Pag kami nagtatayo ng tents, babae man o lalaki, lahat kami ay tulung-tulong. Nandiyan naman sila &#x27;pag hindi namin kaya, naga-assist sila. Pero as much as possible, lahat kami, kung ano ang ginagawa ng bawat isa, ‘yun ang ginagawa rin ng iba.&quot;</p><p>(Whenever we build our tents, all of us, men or women, help each other. And the men are there to help, to assist if we can no longer do it. But as much as possible, all of us do what the rest can.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2485840" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Inspired in part by those who have already walked the path, Rosario and Feliciano said they hope to be opening now the doors for other women to follow theirs in the field of International humanitarian response.<br/><br/>“Gender is not a basis para maging successful ang isang tao. We should not limit ourselves sa mga kailangang gawin. And [tandaan] ang importance pa rin ng women empowerment,” Feliciano said.</p><p>(Gender is not a basis for one person&#x27;s success. We should not limit ourselves to what we only need to do. And remember the importance of women empowerment.)<br/><br/>“Sa lahat ng mga kababaihan sa ating bansa at sa buong mundo, kapag may naka-set na goal, mag-focus lang po tayo. Kaya po nating maabot ang ating mga pangarap at goals sa buhay,” added Rosario.</p><p>(To all the women in our country and the world, if you have set your goals, just focus on them. We are all capable of achieving our dreams and goals in life.)</p><p>The PIACH arrived Tuesday night in the Philippines.</p><ul class="op-related-articles"><li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/01/23/ph-rescue-team-mula-turkey-binigyan-ng-heroes-welcome">PH rescue team mula Turkey binigyan ng heroes’ welcome</a></li></ul><div><em>This article is part of the Amazing Women series of ABS-CBN News this month of March, featuring stories of select women who are making a mark in their respective fields. March is National Women&#x27;s Month in the Philippines.</em></div><div><strong>RELATED NEWS</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/POzBc0HKHwY?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The inclusion of women in the 82-member Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent to quake-struck Turkey allowed the group to cater to some patients who prefer female care providers.

Amazing Women: Filipina health professionals bring care to Turkey quake victims

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Amazing Women: Filipina health professionals bring care to Turkey quake victims

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 01, 2023 08:50 AM PHT

|

Updated Mar 10, 2025 01:56 PM PHT

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