This paper discusses the insights derived and the lessons learned from two research studies that have been recently conducted among families in rural Leyte, “Determinants of Maternal Health Care Utilization among Rural Women: The Case of Three Barangays in Leyte” and the urban poor of Metro Manila, “Health Seeking Behavior among Families in High Risk Urban Communities.” The discussion, however, is limited to the utilization of health care services among rural and urban poor families, specifically the use of public and private health facilities and the services of the health functionaries.
