Okay back in the Health Centers. Here in Mintal I was asked to pay P20.00. I didn’t bother to ask what was it for. We were there last January 20 but we just went home tired and hungry. I was just thankful that I woke up in the right side of bed because if not, I could have given them my two cents.

We arrived there at 9am. I was wearing Eman in the sling and as usual we got strange stares again. But I think they are just amazed at how I walked past the other moms gracefully and filled out the form without any problem. Eman was inside the sling munching on his cracker while looking at the other babies being carried by their moms with a diaper bag and/or umbrella on the other hand. The lady at the desk has been to the house before when they went around the barangay to weigh babies. She’s nice and friendly. She looked for the record booklet where midwives write the vaccine and the date it was given. I didn’t bring that one so I told her I could not find it ( because we just moved and it’s in the box with the hospital bills and other important documents). The nice lady said it’s fine and gave me a paper with the number in it. They called baby #24 and we Eman is #44.

A healthy lady (I think she’s one of the medical team from the City Health Office who came with the nurse) called me in to ask for the record booklet. I repeated what I said to the nice lady at the desk and she said they need it because it is their basis of what vaccines they child has been given. I told her that the nice lady at the desk didn’t tell me that that booklet could mean life and death. Not literally, but you know what I mean. I asked her if they won’t give vaccine to Eman just because we don’t have it. She said it will be most likely but they will refer us to the nurse and the nurse will make a decision. Unluckily, the nurse went somewhere but she assured me that she will be back but couldn’t give me a definite time. Then another bad thing was the nice lady was like washing her hands. She said she told me earlier that the booklet should be in. I just zipped my mouth because I know she’s one of the underpaid health workers and I don’t want her to get memoed. See, being nice could save your life! LOL I decided to go home and get something to eat, nap and go back there in the afternoon.

So we went home after they assured me that we will be entertained in the afternoon until 4pm. I preferred going home because I can’t stand the long wait under the heat of the sun. In the afternoon I easily found that darn record booklet and we arrived there with no other moms and babies but us. The nurse and other health workers are outside and I know they are talking about our dilemma while we are parking the motorcycle. When we got there the nurse was telling them, “Oy hindi ninyo dapat tanggihan ‘yan…kasi irereklamo kayo niyan at mumurahin kayo…isususmpa kayo na lalaki ang tiyan ninyo.” (Don’t refuse to give vaccine because if you do, they will complain about you and they will speak ill towards you…then they will curse you that your belly will get big.) I like that nurse!!!! She just knows what I can do. LOL Then the healthy lady mused, “Oy wag naman kasi malaki na nga ang tiyan ko.” (Ops, please don’t because my belly is already huge) LOL

The nurse is only kidding but she is certainly right. They can’t refuse to give my baby vaccine just because I don’t have that booklet. I am the mother and mothers wanted the best for their babies and although I often forget about what I am cooking in the stove, I can’t forget about important stuffs like this.

So we walked back to get the motorcycle and headed to Mintal taking the back road. It’s very cold and champorado (chocolate rice porridge) will be perfect so we headed to HB1 to get some bitter oh so chocolatey cocoa rounds. I am drooling of the thought of the steaming bowl of champorado but we didn’t make it to the store. The men from LTO moved infront of Mintal Catholic Church. Another bummer! The store where we are going is right beside the church.Well, we did a U-turn….went home empty handed. A guy warned us about them just before we turned left to the church. It’s not just us who fled from the LTO’s. You should have seen the commotion……motorcycles, customized trikes and cabs were like boomerang that take a U-turn to where they came from when they see those men in green uniforms and black boots.

Thanks to the two guys who saved us today. We owe you big time.