By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
Manang Susan Bondad Cabalda is the epitome of a model public health worker. She was very capable, dedicated, meticulous, professional, punctual, intelligent, a good team worker, a good leader, resourceful, level-headed and (I run out of adjectives) all the qualities of a perfect public servant. Best of all, she was kind. There was not an iota of meanness in her. And I never saw her lose her temper.
She was the public health nurse of Bontoc Rural Health Unit when I entered government service in 1981. For a long time, she had also been acting as the head of the unit as they had no doctor. There was a shortage of rural doctors at that time. Out of the ten municipalities in Mountain Province, only two had doctors, Bauko and Sagada. So I had a wide choice of where to work but I chose Bontoc.
I was a fresh graduate from medical school and although I was trained in community-based health programs by former Secretary of the Department of Health Dr. Jimmy Tan and company, I had no idea how to manage a rural health unit. I was lucky because Manang Sue, as we fondly called her, was there and she took charge of all the administrative work and all the paperwork in the clinic. I would like to mention here, though, that all the public health nurses then were so capable as I got to know more of them later and many of them also were the managers of the RHU.
Paperwork in the RHU meant reports that are weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually. I don’t remember exactly how many midwives we had at that time but the midwives did all these reports for their areas and the nurse reviewed, analyzed and consolidated all these reports. You can imagine the bulk of paperwork that the nurse does. And this was in the age of typewriters and carbon papers. Because we needed to have office files of these reports, you can imagine how much time Manang Sue spent in the typewriter or handwriting writing with carbon paper. She worked overtime but this wasn’t even enough. She would carry bulky folders of reports to work on at home. I guess she did this all throughout her employment because much later when she was working in Baguio and a grandchild said, “Grandma, I think you are a slow worker. Because you bring home your work.” Or something like that.
Well, it’s not really surprising that Manang Sue had to continue paperwork at home because at the clinic, she and/or the midwife also see the patients before I see them. And there were meetings to attend, although not as countless as now. There were other clients with other needs that she had to attend to. Bulk of the work actually was lodged with the nurse. And she was the lone nurse. Poor Manang Sue.
As the doctor, I just consulted patients. Manang Sue taught be about government health records and reports but meantime that I was ignorant, she made all these. I read reports and signed them. Since Manang Sue was very capable and had a good command of the English language, I didn’t even have to edit reports or communications. In retrospect, I had it easy. Thank you, Manang Sue!
I didn’t even attend to home deliveries because Manang Sue and Manang Agi (Agustina Bagwan) were so capable that mothers in central Bontoc won’t think of calling for anybody else but them. And mothers then preferred home delivery to hospital delivery. It was only when complications were present that mothers were referred to the hospital. So Manang Sue and Manang Agi always had their OB bag ready because they could be called anytime at night. Poor Manang Sue. Patients would also knock on her door at night to seek help. But then I never heard her complain. And yet, she was a good wife and mother. Back then, I heard that she had dance dates with Judge Vivencio and the other attorney couples. Her children were well cared for. How did she manage!?? She must have been also an expert in multi-tasking.
Part of our services in the RHU were frequent outreach visits to the barangays. We went as a team and she was the eldest, I think among us, but she kept abreast with us.
So it was our loss when the Cordillera Administrative Region was created and she decided to transfer to the newly creation regional office of the Department of Health. Sometimes, I and my children would see her at the Cathedral of the Resurrection where she attended mass. And everytime she saw us, she would treat us to pancakes in Jollibee. So sweet and so motherly! My son says that at their age then it felt so heartwarming for a lola or somebody to treat them, and especially as that was everytime! So really, Manang Sue was all you could ask for as a co-worker, a teammate, a friend, an older sister, a mother.
Thank you, Manang Sue! How you lived your life is the legacy that stays with us forever and serve as an inspiration and strength for your family and friends and the world! Till we meet again.
“But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” Proverbs 14:22**
