After her own health battle, Doris Bigornia is now learning from her mistake

Doris Bigornia via Instagram / Patrol ng Pilipino and
Doris Bigornia

Broadcaster Doris Bigornia earned the endearing monicker “Mutya ng Masa” by getting close to the masses, engaging in challenging field work that saw her covering demonstrations, naturals calamities, and even wars, that immerse her with the people. But that is all a thing of the past because of the health scare she encountered in 2021.

The veteran journalist underwent heart surgery three years ago, and started undergoing regular dialysis since then because of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which has been preventing her from taking assignments on the ground. And now Bigornia, taking from her experience, has been grabbing all the opportunity she could to encourage the people to be more mindful of their health.

Incidentally, July is observed as the nutrition month in the Philippines.

“Gusto ko iyong mga pagkakamali na nagawa ko, ma-educate ko ang ibang tao na huwag ninyo akong tularan. Kasi dapat iyong sinasabi natin na corny, cliché, na importante ang health, totoo po iyon (I want to educate people through my mistakes, don’t do the same. Even if we find corny or cliché saying health is important, it’s true). No amount of money that you’ll earn would mean happiness and security for you and your family kundi iyong health mo (only your health),” she told INQUIRER.net when she hosted a pharmaceutical company recently.

“So kapag ganito naimbitahan ako, hindi sila nahirapan na kumbinsihin ako na gawin ko ito, kasi (when I get invited like this, they don’t have a hard time convincing me because) it’s close to my heart,” Bigornia shared, adding that it has never occurred to her that she, as somebody who was not health conscious, would be given the opportunity to handle events that touch on health.

“Hindi ko inalagaan ang kalusugan ko (I did not take care of my health). At that time I was so busy working. I had no time to check on my health, which was a big mistake kasi binalikan ako (because it got back to me),” added the broadcaster, who also encouraged mall goers to listen to the resource persons who discussed about the CKD’s prevalence in the country, the people who have been enduring it, and how it could be prevented. She also invited the people to take advantage of the free blood and urine laboratory testing offered during the event.

Doris Bigornia. Photo by ARMIN P. ADINA

“Magpa-test, kahit wala kayong nararamdaman (Get tested even if you are not feeling anything),” reminded Bigornia, who confessed that she earned “notoriety” in ABS-CBN for always skipping the company’s annual physical examinations by making up excuses, such as having pretend coverages or events to attend.

“Iyon ang pinakamalaking mali na ginawa ko. Kasi libre iyon eh. Libre na nga sa kumpanya, hindi ko pa inavail. Kung ginawa ko iyon, nakita sana agad na tumataas na iyong creatinine level ko, baka puwede pang maabatan eh (That was the biggest mistake that I have committed. Because it’s already free. It’s free in the company, and I did not avail myself of it. If I had done it, we could have seen my creatinine level shoot up, we could have prevented it),” she shared.

Bigornia said what also discourages people from getting tested is the fear of having to spend a huge sum if a health concern gets discovered. “That would mean gastos (expenses). Which was a wrong mindset. Mas malaki ang gastos mo, at mas malaki iyong impact sa’yo at sa pamilya mo kapag hindi mo naabatan kaagad ang sakit (The expenses will just increase even more, and the impact will be greater for you and your family if you do not immediately address the ailment),” she said.

“It’s a very big challenge, struggle, kasi andaming napalit sa buhay ko, sa lifestyle ko (because a lot has changed in my life, in my lifestyle). I have to slow down on work, kasi (because) I do dialysis three times a week, four hours per session,” said Bigornia.

She said the situation hurts as someone who is always on-the-go, and then getting strapped in for four hours. It also causes depression whenever she sees important events unfold and she no longer covers them. “Naiisip mo na dapat ako kumo-cover ng istorya na iyon, dapat nandoon ako sa rally na iyon. Ginagawa ko iyon dati (You’d think I should have covered that story, I should have been there at that rally. I used to do that),” she said.

Bigornia pleaded to the people, “Ayusin mo ang buhay mo. Iyong buhay mo, which means pagkain mo, iyong health mo, lahat iyan iba-balance mo doon sa trabaho mo, kasi kailangan mong magtrabaho. At meron pang isa, ang pamilya mo. Kailangan iyan sabay-sabay na dapat mong asikasuhin. Mahirap, napakahirap (Fix your life, which means the food you eat, your health, all that you have to balance with your work, because you have to work. There’s one more thing, your family. You have to take care of all of that. It’s hard. It’s really hard).”

She continued: “Andami nating pinagsasabi tungkol sa politics, tungkol sa mga marites na ganiyan. Pagdating sa health, parang hindi natin pinag-uusapan (We talk a lot about politics, about gossips. But when it comes to health, we don’t talk about it). Mainly because ang iniisip natin iyong gastos (we think about the expenses).”

Bigornia said Filipinos should not be scared of spending money in maintaining one’s health, that they just bear whatever pain they are feeling. “Pero mali. Lagi na lang sinasabi ‘early detection,’ tama iyon, totoo iyon, gawin ninyo iyon (But that is wrong. It has always been said, ‘early detection,’ that is right, that is true, you have to do it),” she further said.

She is regularly seen weekday mornings hosting “Gising Pilipinas” on Teleradyo Serbisyo, together with her former “SRO” partner Alvin Elchico.