Our third day of immersion was another normal and calm day at the Birthing Center. According to the staff, their station is usually not busy unless there is a mother scheduled to give birth that day. We checked their February due-date board and saw that more than five mothers are expected to give birth this month. The nearest due date was February 9, 2026. Elizabeth and I felt excited and hoped we might be able to witness or observe a labor soon.
We started the morning by greeting the midwives and RHU staff. After that, we swept the floor. This has become our usual task whenever no other work is assigned to us. We prefer staying busy rather than sitting and doing nothing, which feels awkward.
Later, Ma’am Honey asked us to continue making cotton balls. She also told us that she would tour us on the second floor and that we would do general cleaning there. We were really curious about the second floor since we noticed the stairs near the entrance on our first day.
After a while, Ma’am Honey called us and prepared the cleaning materials: broom, rags, mop, dustpan, and a pail of water. We were excited to finally see the second floor. When we went up, the first door we saw was the men’s restroom. Across from it was a stock room. The first office we entered was the San Remigio Municipal Population and Development Office. As far as I remember, the office is used for meetings and family planning services. There is also a private area where procedures like IUD insertion and removal are done for women as part of family planning.
When we entered, inside the room, we saw many boxes. Some contained bottled water that had been stored there for a long time, while most of the boxes contained medicines, dextrose solutions, and other medical supplies. Ma’am checked some of them and noticed that a few were close to their expiration dates. The windows were dusty, and the floor was also dirty, so there was a lot to clean. It was tiring, but not too much since the three of us worked together.
While we were cleaning, one of the RHU doctors arrived with a patient who was scheduled for IUD insertion. An IUD (Intrauterine Device) is a small device placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. It is a common and long-term family planning method.
After finishing that room, we moved to the next one beside it, called the Teen Center. This room was much more untidy than the first one. Ma’am Honey said that no one had been using it since the earthquake, so it became dusty and disorganized. We did another round of general cleaning. This room was more tiring to clean, but it was also fun because Ma’am Honey was recording videos for her vlog. She and the doctor even shared a creepy story about the second floor. They said they sometimes hear sounds upstairs, especially near the stock room, even when no one is there. I honestly got goosebumps from their story!
Because of our teamwork, we finished cleaning the Teen Center and made it look much better than before. Ma’am Honey let us rest since we were sweating and didn’t bring extra clothes.
After resting for a while and feeling energized again, we went back to making cotton balls. In the afternoon, after lunch, we returned to the center and started packing the cotton balls we made. We wrapped them in paper, placed eight cotton balls per pack, and sealed them using indicator tape. We were able to finish quickly because our groupmates Kresha and MJ helped with packing, while Wogie cut the indicator tape. By around 3:29 p.m., we finished everything and gave the packed cotton balls to one of the midwives. After that, we had free time. Before going home, we swept the area again. It was a productive and fun day.
Today, I learned that even on quiet days, there is still a lot of important work inside a health facility. Cleanliness, proper storage of medicines and supplies, and teamwork are all very important to make sure the center is always ready for patients. This experience helped me appreciate the effort of health workers and taught me to be more responsible in every task given to me.
