“I can’t afford my mother’s medicine. Helping her find medical assistance is the least I can do.”
These are the heartbreaking words of Ms. Erma M. Tak-al, a 54-year-old resident of Purok 5, Aupagan, Butuan City. As a farmer and a single mother raising her two children alone, Ms. Erma struggles to provide for the medication of her 76-year-old mother, who has diabetes. While her siblings contribute financially to their mother’s medical expenses, Ms. Erma ensures she can offer something beyond financial support, something equally valuable. Driven by love and care, she seeks medical assistance to help sustain her mother’s required treatments.
“𝘈𝘬𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘢-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘰’𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘰’𝘺 𝘥𝘶𝘩𝘢 𝘬𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘬 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘱𝘢-𝘦𝘴𝘬𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘢. 𝘈𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘬-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘬 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘬 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘮𝘢𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘫𝘶𝘥 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨.” / “I am the one who processes the medical assistance because this is the only way I can help. I still have two children to send to school, and I work on the farm to support them since I am separated from my husband. That is why this is the least I can do.”“𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘢, 𝘥𝘢𝘬𝘰’𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘯𝘪 (𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦) 𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘪𝘨𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨-𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘢, 𝘢𝘥𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨-𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴 𝘶𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘢 𝘱𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘨-𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘢𝘸.” / “For my mother, this medical assistance is already a huge help. Instead of using the money my siblings send for her medicine, we can now allocate it for her milk and other daily necessities.”
Sickness disrupts our daily lives. It causes anxiety for those suffering and sorrow for those who bear witness to their pain. As illness remains an inevitable part of the human experience, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program, strives to alleviate the burdens that come with it. By offering medical assistance, the program ensures that affected individuals and families are not overwhelmed by the financial strain of seeking treatment, embodying a commitment to valuing every life and prioritizing everybody’s well-being.
