Exploring the Potential Benefits of Ukulele Classes on the Quality of Life and Well-being of Patients with Hemophilia

Abstract

The HAPLOS Ukulele Program was a partnership between the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Music and the Hemophilia Association of the Philippines for Love and Service (HAPLOS), a support community that provided free ukulele classes from 2013 to 2016 for Filipino patients with hemophilia. Officially entitled HAPLOS: Panimulang Klase para sa mga Kababayang may Hemophilia Program, the program was conceptualized by Assistant Professor Solaiman E. Jamisolamin of the UP College of Music along with student-volunteers, to fulfill the responsibilities stated in the UP Charter—to lead as a public service university by providing various forms of community, public and volunteer service, as well as scholarly and technical assistance to the government, the private sector, and civil society while maintaining its standards of excellence. Last January 2022, in cooperation with the UP Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Development, the program was revitalized to adapt to online learning by conducting ukulele lessons through online classes. This attempt to improve the accessibility of the program coincided with the academic objective of conducting a preliminary study on the potential benefits of learning music for hemophilia patients.