Rufina Paoay: Portrait of an Empowered Ibaloi Woman

Jan Dacumos

A little lankier than other Ibaloi women in Apunan village in Taba-ao, Kapangan, Benguet, Rufina Paoay, popularly known as Pina in her community, stands out among her peers. It is not because of her built and looks, but because she is one of the few members of the village who had been able to visit places outside the country—in Thailand and in Japan—to represent her organization, the Ubod-Apunan Association for Healthy Living (or UBAPAS).

A mother to nine children, Pina has actively served UBAPAS as leader-member since its inception in 2001. UBAPAS was formed to initially address issues on maternal health and infant care for indigenous peoples from Sitios Ubod and Apunan.  It later engaged in general community healthcare program, sustainable agriculture and enterprise development.

Walk the Talk

Through the UBAPAS community-managed healthcare program, Pina was trained as an acupuncturist and advocate for the use of natural and traditional remedies to maintain health and cure diseases. She applies the traditional practices she learned from UBAPAS seminars.

She and her family drink ginger tea similar to the ones mass-produced by UBAPAS. Her daughter learned to make ginger tea powder from UBAPAS and makes for their own consumption. Pina prepares ginger tea for her husband when she treats him with acupuncture. He would always feel relieved and rejuvenated after the sessions. Her family plants their own medicinal herbs, and, for a decade now, prefers to take these over synthetic drugs. Her healthy family is an example. Her technical knowledge on prescribing and processing herbal medicines is reliable. For these Pina is the able adviser on health for her community members.

Sense of Responsibility

When she joined UBAPAS, managing her schedule became a challenge. Holding a position in their community organization required her to juggle her time taking care of children; doing household chores; tending the farm; and even attending worship service in the church during weekends.

She would often be caught between choosing what to prioritize—the church service or an UBAPAS meeting. She would try to attend both, stressing that she has obligations to both organizations. She would not give up any of the two, as both are important to her physical, social and spiritual well-being.

Willingness to Learn

As Pina aspires to do more service for her community, she has always been open to acquire new knowledge and skills. She participated in local training programs and study tours in Thailand and Japan. These have made her well-rounded, knowledgeable and skilful in traditional health remedies and organic farming.

Coming home from Japan in 2009, she tested technologies like integrated farming. Some trials failed, perhaps due to the difference in local conditions of climate and soil; while some proved to be effective. She then continued to do these.

But her thirst for information and knowledge seems insatiable. She supplements what she already knows by listening to a radio program on alternative healthcare and herbal medicines.

To represent their organization in exchange programs abroad is a demonstration of her quality of commitment and leadership. Pina has developed a sense of responsibility for the organization, for the community and for herself. She realized that she is accountable when she prioritizes her engagements and selflessly fulfils the expectations of other villagers and expectations she has on herself.

Indeed, Pina’s sense of responsibility motivates her to unlearn, learn and re-learn.

Reflective, Visionary

For a woman from an indigenous people’s group living in a remote village, travelling to other countries is a far-fetched dream. Thus, Pina never missed sharing the lessons from her travels with her neighbours. She told them stories about how hardworking and disciplined the Japanese and Thais are, and how her fellow Ibalois should emulate them. For Pina, their Japanese partners are indeed their sisters and brothers, who, like her, believe in building relationships.

Pina profoundly appreciates how UBAPAS has changed her attitude towards life. From women who were fond of worthless chitchats, they are now focusing their energies on organizational work. Pina is really inspired to work more and envisions UBAPAS to grow and provide more services to its members and the community—envisioning that perhaps, one day, a cooperative where the members can avail of microfinance services.

Pina’s vision is not hard to realize because of the collective effort they give to the organization. Other barangays and sitios admire them and are envious that foreigners visit their community. To them, Pina says: We are building on what we have and what we envision our village to be like.

Having graduated only from elementary, Pina stands out nonetheless. With a supportive husband who has assumed household chores, she learns, she shares, she dreams. Rufina Paoay truly is an empowered Ibaloi woman.

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Jan holds a degree in environmental science and currently works as Mercury Monitoring Researcher and Campaigner at BAN Toxics, an NGO working for environmental justice in the Philippines and the Asian region. He recently became involved in mountaineering and photography while occasionally doing writing and editing jobs part time.