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The Philippines has an increasingly aging population thereby increasing the demand for healthcare and support from families. Studies showed that the family is the main caregiver of elderly parents/adults as dictated by the Filipino culture of filial piety and respectful behavior towards older people. However, this caring culture is now slowly declining, and Filipino older adults also experience abuse, exploitation, and other forms of neglect from their families. This special article described that the declining caring culture was due to deteriorating family values and societal influences brought about by modernization. This paper also highlights the crucial role of the family and the community in inculcating the preservation of this valued caring Filipino culture, especially among the youth. In cases where senior citizens are being abused and neglected by their families, the state steps in to safeguard the welfare and protection of Filipino senior citizens. Enacted and promulgated laws ensure social justice and protection of human dignity among Filipino older adults as well as the provision of socioeconomic and health needs. In conclusion, the preservation of a caring culture through educating the youth coupled with the implementation of enacted and promulgated laws of the country ensures the quality of aging life among Filipino older adults., Competing Interests: All authors declared no conflicts of interest. The views and opinions expressed by the authors in this paper do not necessarily reflect the stance of any of the institutions to which they are affiliated., (© 2024 Acta Medica Philippina.)

Background and Objective: Professionals in the Philippines must finish compulsory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units before renewing their registration ID card with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). CPD has always been significant in the field of nursing. It supports nurses and other healthcare professionals, and keeps them informed about their professional development so they may provide the best care possible for patients. This study sought to engage how nurses in Bontoc, Mountain Province would benefit in continuing professional development in terms of their professional growth, increase in income, network building, and improvement of personal capabilities., Methods: This study used a quantitative descriptive study design using simple random probability sampling method. Descriptive analysis was used to characterize study participants. A modified validated survey tool was used to collect data on the nurses' perceived CPD benefits. Data collection was done among 101 nurses employed in Bontoc General Hospital, Mountain Province State Polytechnic College, Bontoc Municipal Health Office, the Department of Education (DepEd) at Bontoc, from January to February 2022 through paper and pencil method. Nurses who did not consent to participate were excluded from the study. The UNP Ethics Review Committee reviewed the protocol and did not find any ethical inappropriateness with number 22-039. An F-test and a t-test were also conducted to determine the mean differences in perceived CPD benefits according to participants' demographic characteristics. All these statistical analysis steps were performed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20., Results: The majority of the 101 respondents were between the ages of 30 and 39, and had 1 to 5 years of service. The overall mean of perceived CPD benefits was very high (3.40-3.58 mean rating), with career development having the highest mean rating at 3.58. This only implies that the respondents had a positive perception of CPD engagement, particularly with the favorable impact on their career development. T-test and F-test (ANOVA) were both pivotal in reaching the objectives of this study. Across the demographic characteristics of the respondents such as age, civil status, sex, highest educational attainment, length of service CPD units earned, and membership to organization, there was no significant difference found in the level of perceived benefits of engaging in continuing professional development across demographic characteristics. Each demographic factors gained a p-value greater than 0.05. Statistically, a p-value greater than 5% level of significance would result to failing to reject the null hypothesis., Conclusion: Given the foregoing results, the number of credit units obtained can be used to forecast how CPD will help nurses grow in their careers. To reap significant advantages and increases in career mobility and income, as well as, to some extent, the development of professional networks and personal capacities, nurses should take advantage of expanding best practice involvement and pertinent CPD engagements. It has been discovered that CPD resources, activities, and programs have an impact on professional development. It is recommended that there be support from both the government and employers to promote CPD for nurses throughout their entire nursing careers. Earning CPD units can help nurses build their confidence and elevate their status in the workplace, increasing their chances of getting promoted., Competing Interests: Both authors declared no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Acta Medica Philippina.)

Background: Midwives have been frontline health professionals at the grassroots level, especially in rural communities. Their role was expanded from maternal and child healthcare providers to primary healthcare services providers. Despite their expanded functions, there have been limited studies investigating the professional practice of midwifery in the Philippines in a rural setting., Objective: This study aimed to investigate the professional practice of midwives in selected rural areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines., Methods: This research is a qualitative pilot study using a semi-structured interview guide to collect the data. Key informant interviews were conducted through mobile phone calls convenient for the participants from September to October 2021. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis., Results: A total of seven rural health midwives participated in this study. From the data analysis, six themes emerged related to the professional functions of rural Filipino midwives: 1) antenatal and postnatal care, 2) basic emergency obstetrical and newborn care, 3) health education and counseling, 4) treating common children and adult infections, 5) health promotion, and 6) beyond midwifery role., Conclusion: Rural midwives play a role in providing several primary healthcare services mandated by the government and the profession. They also offer health services beyond their scope as midwives because of geographical difficulties and logistic issues. The findings inform the policymaker to review and amend the expanded roles of practicing midwives so that they will be empowered in providing quality and legal healthcare services. The study results will also be important in preparing midwives for rural midwifery practice., Competing Interests: All authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 Acta Medica Philippina.)