‘Libre’!

I have to admit the first month I signed up for Reddit, I nearly canceled because there were just too many crazy posts, sometimes with misinformation. Reddit being a social media platform that caters to “niche communities,” people with specific interests.

But I put on my anthropologist’s hat, as well as that of a columnist, and figured there’s much you can learn from Reddit’s posts from and about Filipinos. They’re not always political, with concerns around day-to-day living.

One discussion thread that caught my attention was titled “What free things in the Philippines should you take advantage of.” We all love free things (libre!) even if somewhat careful about what’s behind the free offer. The many responses on Reddit were quite revealing, including several freebies I was not aware of.

I sorted through the many responses and present a summary here. I would have loved to include all, including the contributors’ names but that would have easily become a booklet!

So, here’s a kind of short list, limited to those that you can get from government centers or agencies:

Not surprisingly, health-related freebies ranked high in terms of people’s postings. Lots of family planning stuff, with comments that were thought-provoking and which I intend to write about for another column after I refer the posts to friends in the Commission on Population.

People were aware, too, of free testing for HIV and for sexually transmitted infections (still called STDs when they should be STIs).

Important, too, are the free drugs available: antiretrovirals which have made HIV infections more of a chronic condition rather than a death sentence, and anti-tuberculosis medicines which you get from centers marked DOTS (directly observed treatment, short course), offering drugs for six months, which, if taken correctly, can cure tuberculosis, unless it is an infection involving resistant strains. DOTS centers also offer free testing for TB.

Primary childhood vaccines are also free from government health centers, plus flu and pneumonia shots for children as well as adults, including the elderly.

Prenatal check-ups are also available from government health centers, starting at the barangay level, and, depending on the local government unit (LGU), some have free maintenance medicines for conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

I was surprised to read about free dental clinics in barangay health centers, and that PhilHealth reimburses for wisdom teeth extractions (actually a surgical procedure). Root canal treatment is also reimbursable.

Mental health consultations are free from the National Center for Mental Health and the Philippine General Hospital.

Were you bitten by a dog or cat? You can get free vaccines (although some Reddit posts said there were some nominal charges) from San Lazaro and referrals from animal bite centers.

For the dogs themselves, barangays organize free vaccinations and spaying/neutering (kapon) at least once a year.

Let’s go on to non-health-free stuff:

I was surprised to find out that the Pasig River Ferry is free.

City or town libraries are appreciated, with some libraries (e.g., Baguio City’s) getting good reviews. Mostly though, while the libraries are appreciated, Reddit posts decried the lack of books, plus the libraries not being used.

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College tuition for undergraduates is waived not just at the University of the Philippines but at state universities and colleges in general. Some of the Reddit users gave accounts about how this free tuition was such a life-saver, allowing a chance to get a college degree.

Plantitos and plantitas can go to the Department of Agriculture for seeds and seedlings. My college in Cavite got them from the local Bureau of Plant Industry.

Then there’s free parking and free movies, usually on a designated day of the week, for senior citizens, but only in the city or town you live in, and which issued your senior citizen ID.

I did notice variations in the reported “libre” and it looks like LGUs have a lot of leeway in determining what they can offer and whether they’ll be free or with nominal charges. Some of these freebies also need an endorsement from the barangay that you can’t afford it, and have a real need for the freebie.

Rightly so, several of the posts reminded people that many of these goods and services are financed by our taxes, so we should use them. Our sense of humor is free, too, with reminders that, unlike many other countries, our restaurants usually give free drinking water, ice, sili (chili), and soup and gravy (but with complaints our local gravy tastes like flour).

Reddit is libre.

And will someone tell me if there’s still Inquirer Libre, which you could get free from the LRT and MRT?

mtan@inquirer.com.ph