Summary
Highlights
At 94, Lola Florentina Duran, the oldest in Barangay Loga Libacao, Aklan, suffers from filariasis, leaving her blind, deaf, and in constant pain. A former abaca farmer, she now relies on begging due to her family members also succumbing to the disease and her remaining son being unable to provide constant care. She has endured the illness for over six decades, using folk remedies as she lacks access to proper medical attention.
Filariasis, a neglected tropical disease in the Philippines for over a century, is often misunderstood. Many abaca farmers believe their condition, characterized by swelling of body parts like legs and genitalia (as seen in Porio's case), is caused by physical strain and 'pasma' (muscle spasms) from their work. However, doctors clarify that filariasis is caused by a worm transmitted by mosquitoes, particularly those that breed in water collected by abaca, banana, and taro plants. The disease can remain dormant for years before symptoms appear as the worms die and block lymph nodes.
Although there’s a program for filariasis eradication, many residents, like Lola Florentina and Pablito, fear medication side effects, leading to low compliance rates. This non-compliance allows the disease to persist and spread, affecting younger generations like Elsa, Raymundo's daughter. Many families, despite knowing the risks, continue abaca farming due to economic necessity, preferring the risk of illness over starvation. The mosquito vectors are nocturnal feeders, making prevention difficult as people are bitten in their sleep.
The documentary reveals that filariasis is now affecting children as young as nine years old, like Camille, who is a college student and not an abaca worker. This highlights the spread beyond traditional farmer communities. Eradication efforts face challenges, including lack of education and medical services in remote communities. The documentary emphasizes that comprehensive medical care, accessible to all regardless of socioeconomic status or location, is crucial to combatting this debilitating disease, which disproportionately affects the impoverished and isolated.