title: Cultural beliefs on disease causation in the Philippines: challenge and implications in genetic counseling.
abstract: The provision of culturally competent health care is an important professional issue recognized by the pioneer genetic counselors in the Philippines. Being an archipelago consisting of 7,107 islands, the Philippines has approximately 175 ethnolinguistic groups with their own unique cultural identity and health practices. The emphasis on culture in our genetic counseling training recognizes its crucial role in molding an individual's conceptualization of health, as well as other life aspects, especially since the Filipino culture is a mixture of indigenous as well as imported and borrowed elements. As part of this endeavor, we will describe in this paper seven common Filipino cultural beliefs: namamana, lihi, sumpa, gaba, pasma, namaligno, and kaloob ng Diyos. We will also share examples on how these common beliefs provide explanation as cause of illness and its implications in our genetic counseling profession.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines, pbabad@up.edu.ph.
authors.forename: Peter James B
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Melissa Mae P
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Baluyot
authors.forename: Angela Q
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Gay Luz
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Talapian
authors.forename: Ma Elouisa
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Riza Concordia
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Aster Lynn D
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sur
authors.forename: Vanessa Dyan R
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Aldemita
authors.forename: Carmencita David
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Mercy Ygona
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Laurino