Assessing Maternal Health Practices, Challenges, and Needs of the Aeta Community in Barangay Putingkahoy, Rosario, Batangas

Abstract

Maternal health among indigenous communities continues to face systemic barriers, including limited access to culturally appropriate care and marginalized service delivery. However, existing literature lacks focused, localized studies that explore the nuanced maternal health experiences of Ayta mothers, creating a critical research gap in culturally grounded healthcare understanding. This phenomenological study investigates the maternal health practices, challenges, and needs of Ayta mothers in Barangay Putingkahoy, Rosario, Batangas, an indigenous community of which is a recipient of marginalized health services. The research is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 10 to inform culturally appropriate maternal health programmes, reduce inequalities in health equity, and support the development of culturally sensitive and tailored interventions that address the untapped aspects of maternal health. The focus is to assess the Ayta mothers’ health care practices, challenges during prenatal, childbirth and postpartum; opinions on accessibility, availability and acceptability to maternal health. By employing a qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted among ten (10) selected key informants using a snowball sampling method. The data gathered through these methods were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed through a thematic approach. Furthermore, the findings revealed that there was a heavy reliance on traditional practices including hilot, herbal medicine and spiritual rituals based on their cultural and spiritual beliefs. Limited access to skilled health care providers, the absence of culturally sensitive services, and economic constraints have been identified as key challenges. Despite official attempts, the two conditions remain attested with large health disparities. The study calls for merging of indigenous knowledge systems with contemporary health care approaches. These insights aimed to reduce health disparities and support the development of inclusive health policies aligned with sustainable development goals.