Journal

Day

During our three-day community duty, we first met near St. Tonis. Then, we traveled to Sitio Mallong,
Cudal, Tabuk City, to do our tasks.

When we arrived at the first house, we stopped to begin our work. Before visiting the houses, our clinical
instructor, Ma’am Annie Tongnawa, gave us instructions on what to do and say. She then divided us into
groups to complete different tasks.

We started by visiting a house for an interview and health teaching. The family welcomed us warmly. We
introduced ourselves, took their vital signs, and provided health education. The family was cooperative, and
the children actively participated in measuring their height and weight. The mother even shared that her
daughter was also studying nursing.

After finishing, we moved on to other houses. The weather was very hot, and some houses were far apart.
Some homes had no people inside, while others politely declined our visit, which we understood.

Eventually, we found another house that welcomed us, so we did the same tasks. Afterward, we bought
drinks, and one of our friends kindly treated us. Since many residents had gone to the town center for a
program, we waited at the jeep, shared drinks with our group and Ma’am Annie, and talked about our
experiences.

Later, we visited a family with a member who had epilepsy. We asked when it started and what medicines
she was taking. We also asked if they had a river nearby, and they said they did.

Then, we met another happy and healthy family. Their children were playful and loved joking around. After
taking pictures and waiting for our groupmates, we decided to go to the river to eat and rest. The walk was
long, but it was worth it. We ate, talked, took pictures, and enjoyed the fresh air and nature.

After that, we went back to the jeep and headed home. We really enjoyed the experience. The people in the
community were kind, and the surroundings were interesting. While walking, I observed that some areas
were clean, while others lacked proper waste segregation. Some animals were not kept in cages, and almost
every house had dogs, which sometimes scared us because they might bite.

DAY 2

On the second day of our duty, we moved to Sitio Cogawe, Cudal, Tabuk City. As usual, we met near St.
Tonis and traveled together. We arrived safely and stopped at the first house, where our clinical instructor,
Ma’am Annie, gave us instructions.

As we walked to the first house, it was already very hot. When we arrived, we saw a mother climbing a tree.
One of our friends excitedly greeted her, saying "Good morning! Good morning!" which made us all laugh.

We introduced ourselves, took the mother’s vital signs, and talked with her. She said she had no illness and
had just given birth last month. While checking her vital signs, I noticed their trash was not properly
segregated, and their dogs had wounds and skin diseases, which could be risky for their health. After that,
we gave her health education.

We then visited other houses. Some people declined, which we understood. As we walked, we saw a group
of people gathering, so we greeted them and introduced ourselves. They allowed us to check their vital
signs. We found that some had high blood pressure, so we provided health education.
While continuing, we saw a family we had met the day before in Sitio Mallong. We greeted them with a
smile. Later, we met an elderly woman who kindly gave us vegetables and offered food. We checked her
vital signs, which were normal, and thanked her before moving on.

After visiting several houses, we returned to the jeep to drink water, rest, and eat. We waited for our
groupmates, then decided to visit the oldest acacia tree. The walk was long and the sun was hot, but we kept
going. Some houses we passed were empty, and others declined our visit because they had already had their
vital signs checked the day before.

Finally, we reached the river. It was beautiful, though the water level was low. We rested and took pictures.

Swimming helped me relax after weeks of stress from studying and playing volleyball. I was really thankful
to Ma’am Annie for allowing us to swim.

After enjoying nature, we changed clothes and walked back to the jeep. Along the way, we planned a funny
prank on our friend. When we got to the jeep, we headed home. Some of us listened to music, others slept,
and some just looked at the road.

Overall, I was happy with this experience. The people were kind and approachable. I felt relaxed and ready
for our next duty.

Day 3

It was our last day of duty in the community of Cogawe, Cudal, Tabuk City. As usual, we met at the side of
St. Tonis and traveled to Barangay Cogawe. During our journey, we played music to set the mood, but it
was very hot. However, the view was amazing as we passed through it. We arrived at Barangay Cogawe,
started our tasks, and began walking. Afterward, we went to the old acacia tree to conduct our activities, take
a quiz, rest, and take some deep breaths. We also had a short review. The quiz was funny because some of
the questions were unfamiliar to us, but we were able to answer them all. After the quiz, we worked on our
three-day journal and learnings, and also summarized them. We had lunch while doing our activities.

It was a great experience during those three days in the community. I didn't expect our clinical instructor to
be so diligent in walking, but it was a good experience for us so we wouldn't be caught off guard when we
go out into the community. The people were very polite and welcoming. It was hot, but we did our best to
visit all the houses to complete our duties. It was also refreshing because we reconnected with nature during
our community work. After finishing everything, we headed home.