The Story of the Filipino: Empowering PWDs

Summary

Dr. Josephine Roberto Boondock, head of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic, shares her journey from a childhood with blind siblings to becoming a pioneer in Rehabilitation Medicine. She emphasizes the importance of proper support and motivation for people with disabilities to integrate into the community and pursue their dreams. The 'Walking Free' program, supported by Physicians for Peace, aims to provide affordable prosthetics, leading to a paradigm shift in involving government support for assistive devices. Dr. Boondock's work in establishing the Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics ensures sustainability and professional training, ultimately empowering individuals with disabilities.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Dr. Josephine Roberto Boondock is the head of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Philippine General Hospital and Memorial Medical Center.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 She comes from a family where her father and siblings had visual impairments, which influenced her path towards helping people with disabilities.
• 🏥 Dr. Boondock's initial career focus was on family medicine, but she shifted to Rehabilitation medicine, specifically assistive technology, due to its life-changing impact on individuals.
• 🌐 She highlights the challenges of providing assistive technology in the Philippines, such as cost, topography, and lack of local manufacturing.
• 🤝 Physicians for Peace, a non-governmental organization, played a crucial role in supporting Dr. Boondock's work and emphasized the importance of training to create a sustainable impact.
• 🚶‍♂️ The 'Walking Free' program was developed to provide affordable prosthetics to low-income Filipinos, aiming to make mobility devices accessible and sustainable.
• 🏆 Dr. Boondock received the prestigious Apolinario Mabini Presidential Award, which was a significant recognition for her work, nominated by a group of people with disabilities.
• 🔄 The 'Walking Free Lahat' program was designed in three phases: assessing existing capacity, innovation, and sustainability, to improve the reach and efficiency of prosthetic services.
• 🏫 The Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics was established to professionally train prosthetists and orthotists, ensuring the quality and accessibility of prosthetic services across the country.
• 💪 Dr. Boondock's work has not only provided prosthetics to those in need but also empowered individuals, like soldiers injured in conflict, to become prosthetists themselves, continuing the cycle of empowerment.

Q & A

Who is Dr. Josephine Roberto Boondock?

Dr. Josephine Roberto Boondock is the head of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Philippine General Hospital and Memorial Medical Center.

What was Dr. Boondock's childhood like?

Dr. Boondock's childhood was very happy. She grew up in a rational and independent family, with a brother and a sister who were blind. Her father, who was also blind, played a significant role in her life, taking care of her and her siblings.

What educational path did Dr. Boondock take?

Dr. Boondock initially took a pre-med course, earning a BS in Psychology, with the intention of becoming a family physician. However, she was introduced to Rehabilitation Medicine during her residency training at PGH, which led her to specialize in that field.

What is the significance of assistive technology in Dr. Boondock's work?

Assistive technology is significant in Dr. Boondock's work because it allows for dramatic and life-changing improvements, enabling people with disabilities to be integrated into the community.

What challenges did Dr. Boondock face in accessing assistive technology?

Dr. Boondock faced challenges such as high costs, lack of local manufacturing, and the need for local materials to make assistive technology accessible and affordable.

How does Physicians for Peace contribute to Dr. Boondock's mission?

Physicians for Peace, a non-governmental organization, supported Dr. Boondock's mission by providing training and resources, with the motto 'teach one, help many,' emphasizing the importance of training to enable sustainability.

What is the 'Walking Free' program mentioned in the script?

The 'Walking Free' program is an initiative that aims to provide prostheses to individuals with disabilities, allowing them to walk free from their limitations and participate fully in all aspects of life.

Why was government involvement necessary for the 'Walking Free' program?

Government involvement became necessary for the 'Walking Free' program to ensure its sustainability. A research audit revealed that the program would not survive without government funding for the devices.

What is the significance of the Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics?

The Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics is significant because it is the first of its kind in the country, providing professional training for prosthetists and orthotists, which is essential for the sustainability of the 'Walking Free' program.

How does Dr. Boondock's work impact the lives of people with disabilities?

Dr. Boondock's work empowers and enables people with disabilities by providing them with access to prostheses and orthotics, training, and support, allowing them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives.

What recognition did Dr. Boondock receive for her work?

Dr. Boondock was awarded the Presidential Award of Apolinario Mabini, primarily nominated by a person with disability group, which was an affirmation of her work and advocacy for people with disabilities.

Outlines

00:00

👩‍⚕️ Dr. Josephine's Journey in Rehabilitation Medicine

Dr. Josephine Roberto Boondock shares her background and passion for helping those with disabilities. She grew up in a family that valued independence and care for her blind siblings. This experience influenced her decision to enter the field of Rehabilitation Medicine, specifically focusing on assistive technology. She pursued a career in prosthetics and orthotics, aiming to integrate people with disabilities into the community and help them pursue their dreams. Dr. Josephine faced challenges such as the high cost of raw materials and lack of manufacturing capabilities, but with the support of Physicians for Peace, she was able to establish a training program to empower others in the field.

05:00

🚶‍♂️ Walking Free: Empowerment Through Prosthetic Care

The 'Walking Free' program, aimed at providing affordable prosthetic devices to low-income Filipinos, faced sustainability issues until the government agreed to subsidize the costs. Dr. Josephine and her team had to shift their approach and advocate for disability rights, emphasizing the potential for people with disabilities to become empowered and contribute to society. They developed a three-phase plan: assessing existing capacity, innovating to improve accessibility, and ensuring sustainability through community-based satellite centers. This approach allowed them to provide more efficient services and reduce costs, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics.

10:02

🏥 Advancing Prosthetics and Orthotics in the Philippines

Dr. Josephine discusses the establishment of the Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, which was crucial for the sustainability of the 'Walking Free' program. By training professional prosthetists and orthotists, they aimed to reduce costs and improve the accessibility of prosthetic devices across the country. The school's establishment was a significant step towards localizing the production of prosthetic materials and ensuring the availability of skilled professionals. Dr. Josephine also highlights the importance of providing support to soldiers injured in conflict, helping them transition to new roles in their communities.

15:04

🎓 Empowerment and Legacy in Disability Services

In this paragraph, Dr. Josephine reflects on the importance of empowerment and the legacy she hopes to leave in the field of disability services. She emphasizes the need for people with disabilities to be recognized for their abilities and to be given the opportunity to contribute to society. Dr. Josephine's work has been driven by her personal experiences and her desire to pay forward the support her family received. She has established a resource center for the blind in her hometown, providing assistive technology to help them lead independent lives. Her ultimate goal is to ensure that people with disabilities are empowered and able to inspire others, continuing the cycle of support and empowerment.

Keywords

💡Disabilities

Disabilities refer to physical or mental impairments that can limit a person's activities or interactions. In the video, Dr. Josephine Roberto Boondock discusses her personal experiences growing up with blind siblings and her father, highlighting the importance of proper support and motivation for individuals with disabilities to integrate into the community and pursue their dreams.

💡Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic

This clinic specializes in the design, fabrication, and fitting of prosthetic and orthotic devices to assist individuals with limb deficiencies or amputations. Dr. Boondock is the head of such a clinic, emphasizing the transformative impact of assistive technology on the lives of people with disabilities.

💡Rehabilitation medicine

Rehabilitation medicine is a branch of healthcare focused on enabling people with disabilities to achieve their maximum physical and mental abilities. Dr. Boondock's journey into this field was influenced by her family's experiences, and she discusses how it led her to specialize in assistive technology.

💡Assistive technology

Assistive technology encompasses a range of devices and services that help individuals with disabilities perform tasks more easily. The video script mentions how Dr. Boondock's work with assistive technology is life-changing and promotes community inclusion.

💡Inclusion

Inclusion in this context means the active participation of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of society. The video emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where people with disabilities can be integrated and pursue their dreams without barriers.

💡Physicians for Peace

Physicians for Peace is a non-governmental organization that supports healthcare initiatives globally. In the video, Dr. Boondock recounts how this organization played a crucial role in supporting the development of prosthetics and orthotics services in the Philippines.

💡Walking free program

The 'Walking Free' program is an initiative aimed at providing prosthetic devices to enable individuals with disabilities to walk independently. The video discusses the challenges and the eventual success of this program, including the need for government support to ensure its sustainability.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the video refers to the long-term viability of the 'Walking Free' program and the broader prosthetics and orthotics services. Dr. Boondock outlines the importance of professional training, local material research, and nationwide accessibility to ensure the program's sustainability.

💡Professional training

Professional training is emphasized as a key component for the success of the prosthetics and orthotics services. The video mentions the establishment of the Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics to provide this training, ensuring quality and accessibility of services.

💡Accessibility

Accessibility in the video pertains to the availability and affordability of prosthetic and orthotic devices for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Boondock discusses the challenges of making these devices accessible to low-income Filipinos and the efforts to overcome these barriers.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment is a central theme in the video, referring to the process of enabling individuals with disabilities to take control of their lives and achieve their full potential. Dr. Boondock's work and the 'Walking Free' program are examples of initiatives that aim to empower people with disabilities.

Highlights

Emphasizing the importance of proper support and motivation for individuals with disabilities to integrate into the community and pursue their dreams.

Introduction of Dr. Josephine Roberto Boondock, Head of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Dr. Boondock's childhood experience with blind siblings and the family's approach to independence and care.

The influence of Dr. Boondock's father, who was blind, on her career choice in medicine and rehabilitation.

Dr. Boondock's decision to specialize in Rehabilitation Medicine and her focus on assistive technology.

Challenges faced in accessing assistive technology due to cost, topography, and lack of local manufacturing.

The role of Physicians for Peace in supporting the development of assistive technology in the Philippines.

The 'Walking Free' program aimed at providing prostheses to help individuals with disabilities walk freely and independently.

Research indicating the need for government support to make the 'Walking Free' program sustainable.

Dr. Boondock's advocacy for disability rights and the importance of recognizing abilities over disabilities.

The development of a package for the 'Baloney' and the challenges in its implementation.

Recognition of Dr. Boondock's work with the Presidential Award of Apolinari Mabini, nominated by a person with disability group.

The three-phase plan for the 'Walking Free' program: existing capacity, innovation, and sustainability.

Establishment of community satellite centers to improve the efficiency of prosthetic and orthotic services.

The importance of professional training for prosthetists and orthotists to ensure quality and fit of devices.

The Philippine School of Prosthetics and Orthotics as a key to sustainability and professional development.

Providing prosthetic services to soldiers injured in conflict and empowering them with new skills.

Dr. Boondock's personal motivation for her work, inspired by her family's experiences and the desire to empower others.

The establishment of a resource center for the blind in Dr. Boondock's hometown, providing assistive technology for low vision.

Transcripts

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foreign

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that they have disabilities

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environment proper support proper

motivation to do what he can do other

abilities

you can gradually be integrated in the

community you can readily pursue your

dream

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I'm Dr Josephine Roberto Boondock I'm

the head of the Prosthetics and

Orthotics Clinic of the Department of

Rehabilitation medicine uer and Memorial

Medical Center

I remember my childhood is a very happy

one

I mean Familia we were rational

independent

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I had a brother and a sister who were

blind it just rubbed on us that we had

to take care of them without them

actually asking you know for us to take

care of my brothers and sister

because I remember my father who was

blind

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when I was still being Battlefield he

was the one who also bathed me in the

morning and when he walks in the house

and we had this staircase 14 steps and I

distinctly remember

to climb up and down the stairs so it

was a very memorable childhood such that

even my blind sister and my blind

brother

they went to the regular school they did

what every sighted child does and on

level of expectations is the same

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when I got into college

I took up a pre-med course it's a BS

psychology

so naturally

is to go into medicine and then when I

finished medicine

I had to take a specialty and I really

wanted to become a family physician

better Again by Stockholm faith

in PGH I was told that program there was

a new residency training program at that

time which was Rehabilitation medicine

you might want to go into Rehabilitation

medicine

my direction was about assistive

technology because one the change is

very dramatic is

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so life-changing and it readily allows

inclusions a community

but but how can they access this with

cost with our topography with their

expensive raw materials we have no

manufacturing no

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barriers that we have to encounter I was

very lucky that Physicians for peace

took up the card gels for this challenge

positions for peace is a

non-governmental organization its motto

is teach one Hill many that's why the

thrust that we had also is training

because if you trained one he will also

be able to train more so it's a training

of Traders

we were initially supported by

physicians for peace in the U.S and we

were doing Nissans in fact

which is the northern tip and we've gone

down as far as

we realized after five years of doing

the mission

a certain researcher of Asian Institute

of Management decided to do an audit of

the Physicians for peace program and

tawagnam is a program that is walking

free

the walking free is is a program

which actually means you walk free from

your disability by being provided

prosthesis walking free through all

walks of life meaning it is accessible

to both the low-income Filipinos

and at the end of the study or the

research that he did

conclusion was the walking free program

will not survive it will not be

sustainable unless

[Music]

government will pay for the devices

honestly

when we were doing the walking free

programs we never wanted to involve

government because

the result of the research we had no

choice no

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government will pay for these devices it

was actually a paradigm shift we had to

tell them on disability but if we

provide this

disability

t-h-i-s ability okay okay so they will

become enabled they become empowered

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the first package that we developed was

for the baloney

it took six years before it became

implemented a very big hurdle for us

with disabilities and all throughout

this

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Journeys with disabilities

if people ask me

recognition

I always tell them it's the presidential

award of apolinari mabini primarily

because the group that nominated me was

a person with disability Group

it was an affirmation

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foreign

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I realized that for us to really push

for something for an advocacy

which was the process with disabilities

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we go to the area

because and then we go back to PGH we

planned the walking three to three

phases the first one is getting to know

what is existing capacity that we have

the second part is innovation the third

party sustainability

instead of central fabrication along in

PGH develop Community satellite centers

so we had a satellite Center in Mindanao

which is based in Zamboanga we have a

satellite Center in the visayas which is

based in the Panay Island and then we

have a satellite Center in Pampanga it

made our service more efficient because

we no longer have to always bring to PGH

the cost that we measure during mission

likewise also if there's any for repair

Duneland so Union Innovation adaptation

on it

for sustainability and gold diamond was

to develop professionals

during the entire six seven years we'll

be doing walking free lahatma prosthetic

orthotic technicians who are doing it

learned it by seeing one and doing one

there was really no science in the

fabrication such that we really

encounter a lot of problems in terms of

the fit

we really need to have professional

training or prosities and orthodists

was they sent me to a conference abroad

and I sought out together with my

husband we sought out the president of

the international Society of Prosthetics

and Orthotics

and again

we were able to talk with Cambodia trust

which is an organization it's an NGO

which funds schools for Prosthetics and

Orthotics the rest is history

Filipinas this is the Philippine School

of Prosthetics and Orthotics and it

actually made us very secure about the

third phase no walking free program this

was sustainability primarily because if

we are able to graduate professionally

trained processities and orthotists we

will have good prosthesis

we can work on research for local

materials and this will bring down the

cost

and we will be able to field out

processities and Orthotics in the entire

country such as accessibility to the

device will no longer be a problem so it

was really essential and critical for us

and we are very glad that we were able

to do it to have a school it is the

first school

or Prosthetics and Orthotics in the

country

we felt that for us to be able to

fulfill our role also as Filipinos and

to show our gratitude

to our soldiers who have fought in

marawi in Mindanao particularly we have

provided prosthesis for them also

we have heard their stories how one of

them was actually going to an area of

conflict and they hit a mine he was

knocked out of his Consciousness and

when he awoke

they're very young they're 25 26 and

their only desire is for them to have a

prosthesis

a

ugust

and a lot of them would also like to be

prosities because

we cannot go to areas of conflict so as

soldiers

probably you can no longer be active in

your duty but you can be a prosthetist

orthodist in these areas of conflict

they should look at their other

abilities

and then this is what we work on

the kind of satisfaction I give is when

this person

another person who would need it that is

really what is very fulfilling and very

satisfying they pay it forward

[Music]

Guru on biggest reason why I do what I'm

doing is because

father particularly because

fishing boats strollers

my father was also fixing car engines

merely by touching the engine

then right now your brother and sister

go we set up a resource center for the

blind in our hometown and this Resource

Center provides

assistive technology for Low Vision

there is an equipment that converts

reading material into audio

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I cannot be forever doing this

is for them to be empowered just like my

father in empowering

but my my brother my sister are still

very independent and in fact the disease

that we have in the family is hereditary

your sister complaint has a daughter who

has low vision

with disabilities we have somebody to

look back into somebody to be inspired

in Para pay forward

these people who are with disability can

also become empowered and enabled

thank you

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um

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37 years old

we are in Medical Center

January 31 2004

accidents

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thank you

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in a um

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doctor

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