Hemiplegia mobility in the Philippines

Sorry, it's been quite a while since I have posted on here. Been busy working 2 jobs and taking care of my kiddos, with all their sports & whatnot.
Anyhoo, my question is about mobility in the Philippines. I've been to a number of places in the Phils, and none including larger cities, would seem to be easy for someone with limited mobility to get around. Last year, my ex suffered a massive aneurysm due to a previous neurovascular disease called Moyamoya. My ex is from the Philippines, and although she is my "Ex", I still get along with her well enough for the most part. She is planning to go back to the Philippines for an extended period of time, maybe a year or so. She's a hemiplegic and her mobility is very limited. She can kind of walk for short distances with the use of a lower leg brace to keep her ankle from rolling, and a kind of walker/cane thing. Otherwise, she mostly gets around via a wheelchair. Her entire left side is pretty much non functioning, especially her arm/ hand. I'm just wondering, among the folks on here, and perhaps family members in the Philippines, how hard is it to get around for them? Is there anything to know? Tips and information would be welcome. Thanks in advance!
BTW, she will be going back home to Cagayan De Oro in the Gusa area some time this summer.
Thanks again!

 

Depends where in Gusa she want to go. According to google map does the Robinsons Supermarket in Gusa have a wheelchair ramp. I assume that the Capitol University Medical Center in Gusa will have also some wheelchair ramps. Rose Pharmacy seems wheelchair accessible also. Mercury Drug Store is not clearly visible on the map because someone parked in the front of the store.

I hope that will be a little help for you.

 

Nice to see someone care so much.

 

Thanks for the replies, they are helpful. I think what I wanted to know is, if you know people personally that have mobility issues, especially severe enough to require a walker or wheelchair (and there must be more than a few in the Philippines); getting around via the modes of transportation available, must be a real challenge, isn't it?
Since Moyamoya is a progressive disease, and she's already had an aneurysm, I honestly don't know if we'll see her return from the P.I.. I reckon it would be nice for her to see her family because you just never know how much time anyone has. She knows I will honor the terms of our divorce and the parenting plan we have accepted. She wants the kids to meet their relatives in the Philippines and I think it's a good idea too, when I can afford to do it. I want to be the one to travel with the kids when they go, to ensure a safe trip for them. Once they are there, I think they'll be in good hands, but I worry. This would be their first trip to the Philippines. Our kids don't really look Filipino/Filam, maybe my son looks the closest with his dark hair, but my daughter doesn't look it and people are always surprised. Some people thought my ex was a nanny to the kids! LOL This will be my ex's first trip back to the Philippines since 2004, and a lot has changed since then.
Anyway, I'm sure she'll find ways to get around. She may have to rely more on taxis, as I can't see her being able to get into a jeepney or tricycle easily. She's got disability income, but I don't know how long she'll be able to keep it in the Philippines. Not sure how problematic it will be for her to come back into the states since she's Permanent Resident status, not a citizen.
Thanks for any thoughts on this matter. If I can relay some wisdom to her regarding getting around in the Philippines with mobility issues, by all means, I welcome all thoughts and suggestions.

 

Thanks!
They used to live near the Fair Price Club off the National highway. Fair Price isn't there anymore as far as I know. There weren't many sidewalks as I remember in that area, but in the Philippines, people seem to park on and occupy sidewalks a lot, so that could be a potential problem. I had to chuckle at the handicap ramps in the Philippines, as the angles are very steep compared to the USA. They may have to go down them backward so she doesn't get dumped out of her chair. People tend to routinely block walkways and ramps there too. Walking past people in the street and navigating your way around is a task when you are able bodied and people tend to not give way to anyone else (which was something I had to get used to there). I doubt this will be a source of frustration for her there as I'm sure she has forgotten that it's a different mentality there.

 

Despite how I felt when we first separated, I have since gotten over it. I'd never take her back, because I could never handle the insanity again. But she is the mother of my kids, and I would never wish what happened to her to happen to anyone no matter the past. She had this happen to her about a week after giving birth to her baby girl (boyfriend's baby, not mine). It makes it especially sad this happened to her. I was the POA at the time and had to make the decision whether to try to save her at the time. I looked at her boyfriend holding their baby, and I thought of our kids, and how losing their mom would affect them.
She had many issues before the stroke, but now she has more besides the mobility ones. She says whatever comes into her head, and tends to hurt people around her. There are no brakes on her mouth and she tends to jeopardize, and sabotage her relationships as a result. Also, since she is less active, her mind is more active and she thinks people are conspiring against her. Her relationship with her boyfriend is pretty rocky right now because of it. She doesn't have anywhere else to go if she ruins it for herself there. Maybe her family in the PI can take care of her. We'll see.
I just want to make sure she can make whatever transitions necessary, but I don't know... It'll be interesting.

 

I don't think she's aware of her long term prognosis as far as the possibility of future brain bleeds and strokes. I had talked with the neurologists and neurosurgeons involved, and I think it was decided to not discuss it with her so that she wouldn't lose hope and give up on trying to get better with her recovery. No one wanted to see her stop or give up on getting better, so I don't think she was ever told how fragile and tentative her future really is. My kids are aware of it though. I just wish she wasn't so mean to people sometimes. She uses emotional blackmail and guilt, especially on the kids. My son is somewhat estranged from her and refuses to let her manipulate him and bully him. He tells me of some abusive stuff she used to do to him when I was at work. I wish he had better memories of her. :(

 

Thank you. Perhaps she will be staying with her younger brother since he works for the CDO mayor's office as an accountant. Probably lives in a regular house, as opposed to the native style house her family was living in before the previous typhoons washed it out to sea. That's another thing; if there's another flood or storm like the ones that washed her family's homes away in the past, she might not get out in time. I think it's just her mom and her sister in that place. It's all pretty much up to her. She'll do what she does. Always has. LOL
It might sound cold, but the reality is, if she suffers another stroke or brain bleed, it's doubtful she will survive it. Even if she's here in the USA, the Dr's seemed iffy at best, about survivability of another episode. They had to drain 600 ml of blood from her last bleed.

 

First-hand personal experience here.....my late husband was wheelchair-bound and we lived in Dumaguete and in Manila for a short while. It is not very wheelchair friendly at all; we had to pick and choose where we went. The malls were always good. Getting around on the streets was not good. Your ex may fair a bit better since she can get around somewhat without a wheelchair, meaning, she may be able to get out of the wheelchair to navigate some areas that are not so wheelchair friendly, and this is assuming she has someone with her at all times to assist her.