A Bol-anon in Moroland

Saturday, December 17, 2011

THE brave doctor from Bohol who preferred to serve the people of the Autonomous Region in Muslin Mindanao (ARMM) for almost two decades is now the Department of Health 11 Regional Director.

Dr. Teogenes E. Baluma is not even from Mindanao and yet found the heart of his service and his being here.

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The son of a lawyer, Samuel Baluma, and a teacher, Flor, from Kalapi, Bohol he spent his entire childhood and school age years in the Visayas. He completed his elementary education in Tagbilaran City Central Elementary School, his high school at the University of Bohol, took up his baccalaureate course for Medical Technology at Silliman University in Dumaguete City, and took up Medicine at the Cebu Institute of Medicine in Cebu.

His education stint outside Visayas was already when he was with the DOH, with a state-sponsored scholarship for his masters degree in Hospital Administration at the University of the Philippines and Masters in Development Management at the Asian Institute of Management.

It was right after he took the medical board when Baluma chose to go to Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao for his six months rural service.

“There was vacancy and no one would like to be assigned there, so I took the opportunity,” Baluma said.

Asked why he did not fear going to Shariff Aguak, he said, “Ang purpose man nako sa pag-adto didto motabang sa mga tao, wala ko mahadlok (My purpose was to help people, that’s why I had no fear). All I had was my trust in God.”

“Kailangan jud ug tabang ang atong mga igsoon didto, pag-abot nako (The people there need our help. When I arrived) there were only two doctors there, my chief and me, the resident physician,” Baluma said.

As soon as he passed the board, his father who was still alive then, went to Cotabato City to meet up with him and told him that he wants Baluma to work in America. His father offered to pay for everything so he can set up a career there.

“I told him to give me at least a year to think about it, but that one year became 18 years,” Baluma said, the six-month rural service has long ended.

His long service included falling in love with a Maguinanaoan princess, Bai Chita Allah, who became his wife and mother to two daughters.

“I try to stay at home and be with my family if I do not have work. I tutor the kids and just being with them makes me happy and stress free,” Baluma said.

After Shariff Aguak, he also had a stint as a doctor in Malabang, Lanao del Sur before becoming the chief of hospital in Buluan, Maguindanao.

“I remembered when I became the Chief in Buluan, there was a measles epidemic and the hospital was fully occupied. That’s when I concentrated on public health,” Baluma said.

He said had there been sustained public health campaign in the area, a measles epidemic would never have occurred.

“I wanted to improve the health status of the people in Buluan, I then came up with Area Base Planning where I would provide quotas for the nurses and midwives under me,” Baluma said.

After five years of serving in Buluan, his performance was evaluated and he was appointed to be the assistant regional director for Center for Health and Development (CHD) in region 12, and then eventually he became the regional director in 2004.

In 2005, he was sent to the Department of Health Central Office Manila where he harnessed his skills and learned to be a patient man.

After a year at the Central Office, he was appointed regional director of Region 8 and was assigned to Region 11 in 2009.

“A public servant should have five things to remember; commitment, love your work, perseverance, trust in God and take good care of your integrity,” Baluma said. “Dili jud nimu dapat hugaw-hugawan imong pangalan (You should never besmirch your name) and everything should be transparent.”