Med student-led symposium focuses on Filipino health disparities

Russell Malabanan wanted an opportunity to examine what health disparities exist in the Filipino community and how they could be addressed.  

So Malabanan, who is entering his second year at the Max Rady College of Medicine, pitched the idea for a new health symposium to his fellow executive members of UM’s Filipino Association of Medical Students.  

Allison Afable, a Filipino Association of Medical Students executive, said they liked Malabanan’s idea because there aren’t many events that revolve around Filipino health, so they began organizing the event.  

“We thought it would be nice to have something that highlighted Filipino excellence,” said Afable, who is entering her third year of medical school.  

After months of preparation, the first ever Filipino-Manitoban Health Symposium took place this spring and more than 160 people registered for the event held on the Bannatyne campus. Attendees included health-care professionals, university learners, and high school and middle school students.  

“It was very heartwarming just to see the community come together,” Malabanan said.

‘Working hard as a community’

The keynote speaker was Dr. Cesar Rona, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Max Rady College of Medicine. Rona spoke about his journey to becoming a physician and how mental health is viewed in Filipino culture.

A panel discussion also took place that focused on the current landscape of Filipino Manitoban health, the barriers to care, the underrepresentation of Filipinos in some professions and programs, and how to better advocate for culturally safe care. The panel included a community leader, a physician, a nurse and a medical student.  

“A takeaway from the panel discussion is that there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done, but we are working hard as a community, and we are all helping each other out,” Afable said.  

Cultural performances and workshops also took place, including sessions on anatomy, ultrasound and nutrition. There was also a workshop on Baybayin, a pre-colonial writing system that is making a resurgence.  

Local Filipino businesses made sure the group was well fed. Pan de Cretos Bakery donated pandesal, a traditional Filipino bread, for breakfast. And Teng’s Siomai donated dumplings. Lunch was catered by Mar’s Sisig.  

“When we come together as a community, we are very strong and we all feel like family,” Afable said. “I realized that we can all work together to have a better health outcome for Filipinos in Manitoba and across Canada.”