I Wish!

Christmas equals gifts
Gifts warrants a list
A list with wishes or names
Why not turn this into a game?

Gifts from far and near
Most you can see, some you can hear.
Wishes that are tangible,
some impossible.

4x4 to drive for my father,
My lolo and lola to live longer.
Plasma TV for my Honey,
I just wish I have the money.

My wish for our President,
a bottle of truth serum
a robe of transparency
a mile of patience.

A new President is what we need
In 2010, one which Filipino will heed.
One who won't bleed this country dry
One who won't make us cry.

I wish for higher salaries
for Pinoy MDs who stay.
I wish for health for all,
every Filipino, big or small.

I wish for The Blog Rounds
to stay inspiring and sound.
Blogger members to increase in number
and have an EB this summer.

It's free to wish and dream
especially when one is grim.
Christmas is for wishes coming true
one reason to stop being blue.

My wish for you
that your wishes do come true.
This is my Entry to TBR 22.
I wish you have one too.

Read more!

Sino sila?

Ano ang batayan para ang isang tao ay matawag na bayani?

Jose Rizal. Andres Bonifacio. Emilio Aguinaldo. Ninoy Aguino. Ito ang mga bayani na pinaparangalan natin taon taon. Dahil isinugal nila ang kanilang buhay para sa bayan at para sa mga Pilipino. Pero naisip ko minsan, kailangan bang mamamatay ka para ikaw ay matawag na bayani?

Ang larawang ito ay galing dito.

Tingin ko naman, hinde. Buti na lang, sa edisyon na ito ng The Blog Rounds, naisipan ni Dok Gigi sa Beyond Borders: The Lei Si Chronicles na bigyang pugay ang mga bayani sa ating buhay na di madalas mabigyan ng pansin.

Aking naisipan na bigyan pugay ang mga bayani na aking nakilala sa 2 taon kong pamamalagi sa barrio:

• Magsasaka. Hindi ko maisip minsan kung paano nila nagagawang yumuko para magtanim, buong araw, umulan or umaraw. Sa isang bansa na ang bigas ay malaking bahagi ng hapag-kainan, dapat mas bigyan natin ng pagpapahalaga ang mga nagtatanim ng ating kinakain.
• Barangay Health Worker. Hindi ko minsan mapaniwalaan na may mga tao pa na talagang likas sa kanilang puso ang pagboboluntaryo. Saan ka pa makakita ng tao na maglalakad ng ilang milya para magpurga ng bata, magbuhat ng gamot at kumalinga sa mga may sakit at makakatanggap lamang ng 200 piso bawat buwan?
• Magulang. Bawat magulang sa barrio (at kahit saan man sa Pilipinas) ay may isang pangarap sa kanilang anak: matapos ang mga ito sa pag-aaral. Kaya kahit na hindi sila kumain, magka-ulcer sa pagtatrabaho, hindi iniinda ang gutom, ok lang, basta lang may baon ang kanilang mga anak na nasa kolehiyo sa siyudad.
• Mga kabataan na naglalakad ng mga 5 hanggang 10 kilometro para lamang makapag-aral. Hindi iniinda ang sikat ng araw at sakit ng kanilang paa dahil gusto nilang matuto.
• OFW. Walang Filipino na walang kamag-anak na OFW. Wala ng hihigit pa sa pagsasakripisyo nila, pagharap sa kalungkutan at diskriminasyon sa ibang bansa, para lamang mabigyan ng magandang bukas ang pamilya na iniwan sa Pilipinas.
  

Sa bawat beses na nakakasalamuha ko ang mga taong nabanggit, nasasagot ang aking tanong. Di kailangang mamamatay para matawag na bayani. Sa katunayan, di kailanga isugal ang buhay para matawag na bayani.

Ang mga taong walang sawang iniaalay ang kanilang buhay, oras at panahon para sa ibang tao, un ang mga totoong bayani. Lalo na kung ang mga bayaning ito, di nila alam na kahanga-hanga sila. Ginagawa lamang nila ang mga ito dahil sa kanilang isipan, ito ang tama at ito ang dapat.

Saludo ako sa bawat taong aking nabanggit.

~~~~~

Ito ay kontribusyon sa The Blog Rounds na tungkol sa mga Bayani na tinatalakay sa Beyond Border: The Lei Si Chronicles. Read more!

Kwentong Barbero, este, Doktor sa Barrio

Nagkaroon kami ng meeting sa Local Health Board noong nakaraang buwan. Sabi ni Mayor, "Doktor, umattend ka ng meeting ng Liga sa June 10. Doon mo sabihin ang mga plano mo sa Health."

"Sige po Sir." Pero ang nasa isip ko, liga?!? Ng basketbol? Bahket? Anong gagawin ko dun?

Dumating ang June 10, kinausap ako ng Presidente ng Liga, si Kapitan B. Ah, Liga ng mga Kapitan pala. Un ang tawag. Minsan, di ko mawari pano ako nagtagal sa barriong 'to na di man lang nalalaman ang mga ganito kasimpleng bagay sa pulitika.

~~~~~~
Ika-110 taon ng ating Kalayaan ngayon. Dati rati, wala man lang akong pakialam kung June 12, kasi ang nasa isip ko lang, duty ba ako, pre-duty or post duty.

Ito ang isa sa mga magandang bagay na natutunan ko sa barrio. Gaano kahalaga ang umattend ng Flag Ceremony sa Lunes ng umaga (at tumayo sa harap katabi si Mayor), sabihin ang Panunumpa sa Watawat ng taos sa puso (ung tipong proud ka talaga to be a Filipino) at magkaroon ng kaalaman sa mga nangyayari sa labas ng ospital. (Philippine Flag photo courtesy of Kabayan Junction)

~~~~~~

Anu-ano ba ang mga bagay na nagpapasalamat ako at ako ay isang Filipino? Basahin andg 101 na dahilan dito. Kahit na minsan, parang walang maganda sa balita, di ko pa rin mawari na iiwan ko ang Pilipinas. Nararamdaman ko na aalis ako, para mag-aral at matuto ng ibang kultura. Pero sigurado din ako na babalik at babalik din ako.

~~~~~~

Pag tinatanong ng mga tao bakit di nako magpapatuloy na magtrabaho sa barrio pagkatapos ng kontrata ko, minsan ang hirap ipaliwanag. Pero ang isa sa mga dahilan na sinasabi ko, miss ko na ang siyudad. Miss ko na ang Jollibee, 7-11 na bukas ng 24 oras. Pag gusto ko ng ice cream ng ala-una ng umaga, may bibilhan. Sa barrio kasi, wala niyan.

Noong martes, mukhang pinapaalala sakin kung ano naman ang pangit sa siyudad.

Sumakay ako ng FX sa vito cruz, para maiba naman. Pagsakay nagbayad ako, kasabay ng ibang pasahero. May isang babae, bababa ng Espana, bente and binigay. Sinuklian ni Mamang Driver ng 5 piso.

Pasahero: Magkano ba dun?

Driver: O heto. Sabay bigay ng barya.

Pasahero: Magkano ba dun? Kinse? O heto ang 3 piso mo, baka ikalugi mo pa.

Driver: Ano, anong sabi mo? Kaya kita binigyan ng 3 piso, kasi nagrereklamo ka. Discounted na nga ung dose. Di ako malulugi no? Mayaman ako! P*&^%$$##@ mo! Kung magsalita ka kala mo sino ka!?!

Nakalimutan ko palang sabihin na katabi ako ng driver. Buti na lang, malapit na Pedro Gil, malapit nako bumaba.

Hay bakit ko ba nasabisabing namimiss ko ang siyudad? Read more!

The way to go

In the 18 months that I have been in this barrio, I thought I've ridden it all. This barrio being an upland municipality with 2 big bodies of water in it, Amburayan and Bakun River, it's pretty easy to believe that I have tried almost every possible land or water vehicle here.

Yes, name it. I have tried the amphibian-like custom made jeepneys, jeepneys that are fully stuffed inside and out, garbage truck, the barely breathing ambulances of the RHU or on lucky days, the magarang 4-wheel drive vehicles of the politicians.

But I thought wrong. In the first week of May, before I went to Manila for a 2-week long CME, we went to the last Barangay on our list for the Garantisadong Pambata. Normally, we either cross a bamboo-made bridge or ride a banca to cross the wide Amburayan River. That day was going to be different. We were gonna try another way of getting to the other side.

That, for your information, is a balsa. A make-shift boat consisting of bamboos tied together with a string.

I asked the manong who was steering it, "Manong, pano po ako sasakay jan?"

"Ikaw doktor, pwede nakatayo or nakaupo."

What? Sit where? If I stand up, where will I hold on to? But that was only in my mind or else, manong will definitely laugh at me if I blurt that out. I opted to stand because the odds of me falling, with my height, is far greater than me keeping my ground. Besides, I'd rather get wet than fall off in that big river with those wild currents.

That's our Rural Health Midwife Manang Gladys. Watch your butt Manang.

Now, who said that the ambulance is the only way to see a patient? It could be as crazy, and as fun, as this.

Read more!

101

Heto ang isang daan at isang dahilan bakit mahal ko ang Pilipinas at ipinagmamalaki kong ako ay isang Filipino.

1. Arce Dairy
2. Alibata
3. Alilem
4. Alimango
5. Anak (THE song)
6. ANC
7. Andres Bonifacio
8. Ang TV!
9. Aveneto
10. Ayala Avenue
11. Balut
12. Banaue Rice Terraces
13. Barong
14. Baro't Saya
15. Batibot
16. Batuteng Tugak (frog with ground pork)
17. Bayanihan
18. Boracay
19. Butanding
20. Camiguin
21. Cardinal Sin
22. Cesar Montano (bilang aktor at di bilang politiko)
23. Charise Pempenco
24. Cheche Lazaro
25. Chicken Joy
26. Chin Chin Guttierez
27. Chocolate Kiss
28. Christmas
29. Chuy :)
30. Conrado De Quiros
31. dating Presidente Cory Aquino
32. Cultural Center of the Philippines
33. Davao
34. Divisoria
35. Dr. Juan Flavier
36. EDSA
37. Eraserheads
38. Fishball
39. Ferdinand Marcos
40. Gabriela
41. Going Bulilit
42. Hipon
43. Hundred Islands
44. Ilocos Sur
45. Imelda Marcos
46. Inasal
47. Jeep
48. Jim Paredes
49. Kaibigan
50. Kamote
51. Lapu lapu (ung Bayani at ung isda)
52. Lea Salonga
53. Lupang Hinirang
54. Luneta
55. Luzon
56. Mangga't Bagoong
57. Manila Bay, paglubog at pagsikat ng araw dito
58. Manny Pacquiao
59. Maskara Sa Bacolod
60. Malunggay
61. Maraming Simbahan
62. Mark Nelson & Rovilson Fernandez (Amazing Race Asia)
63. Maynila
64. National Bookstore
65. Ninoy Aquino
66. malls na bukas hanggang alas 10 ng gabi
67. pagiging Masiyahin ng mga Filipino
68. Mindanao
69. Pamilya
70. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
71. Pampanga
72. Patis
73. Pearls
74. Pinoy Big Brother
75. Pinoy MD
76. Philippine Airline
77. Philippine Daily Inquirer
78. Po at Opo
79. Puerto Gallera
80. Quiapo
81. Raul Roco
82. Roxas Boulevard
83. Sagada
84. Sampaguita
85. Sampaguita Hall
86. San Miguel Beer
87. Sinigang
88. Sharon Cuneta
89. SM
90. Sunken Garden
91. Taal Lake
92. Taft Avenue
93. Tahong
94. Tarsier
95. Text Galore
96. Tubbataha Reef
97. Ukay Ukay
98. Unibersidad ng Pilipinas
99. Vigan
100. Visayas
101. Yoghurt House

Sigurado ako, marami pa kayong maidaragdag.

--

This is my contribution for the 7th ed of The Blog Rounds at Ian's Place, So Far, So Good, with the theme, I *Heart* the Philippines. 8th ed at Dr. Emer's Parallel Universes.

Read more!

Hanging Bridge

I can compare my stint as a doctor to the barrio to my first experience of crossing a hanging bridge.

Growing up in the plains of Central Luzon, then maturing in the busy streets of Manila doesn't leave much room for crossing a hanging bridge. The closest encounter I had with crossing one was in Subic, 6 years ago. And that was a fake hanging bridge. Meaning, it was built only for fun but not as necessity.

I didn't realize that being assigned in a mountainous municipality would include crossing hanging bridges, and when I say bridgeS, I meant, a lot. On my 2nd month, I have already crossed 3 of them and on my 4th bridge, I stopped counting.

I came to the barrio with all the idealism and gusto of a newly-licensed physician. I thought, I could change the world, or the barrio that I was assigned in, for that matter.

Much like the first time I had to cross a hanging bridge, I was excited and went ahead of everybody. I wasn't even halfway through when I realized that I was holding everybody up because I was really slow. I wasn't used to the height and the mobility of the bridge, not to mention that it was really loong.

I then asked all of my staff to go in front of me and lead the way. After all, they can cross the bridge without even holding on the the sides. I might as well learn from them.

Applying this in my everyday life here, I realized that the best way to incorporate change is to know the people first. Start with what they have, what they know and where they are.

It has been over a year and a half since I crossed my first hanging bridge in Alilem. I can cross without fear of falling now. But I still can't cross without holding on the sides. Hopefully, before my term ends, I will be able to do that.

There are a million things that I learned from this bridges, and I will definitely share them with you on my succeeding blogs.

Read more!

Road trip

The longest bus ride that I ever took, prior to my current job, was with my friends from med school when we had a North Luzon tour. I took longer land trips but usually in our family car and my dad driving. So long roads trips by bus are fairly new. I frimly believe that God makes me go through this long bus rides to test my patience, because I am a very impatient person.

Since November, I take the bus on the average of 12 hours a week or 48 hours a month. As I was telling my friend Angie the other day, I've already wasted 3 days of my life in buses. In this time and age where everything is instant, I can't help but feel like those 72 hours where really wasted. All the more, when I think of my colleagues in VisMin who take the plane and get to their destinations in less than an hour.

Since I am already a pseudo-expert on big buses, I've already learned a few things.

First, don't take the 1st bus that comes your way. Choose. Unlike before where I take the very 1st bus that comes, because I am afraid that will be the last one. As one of my friend's mom said, "There would always be one coming. Just like anything in life. We get second, third and even fourth chance." I believed her, but only on the bus part. Not about the other things in life.

Second, take the front seat if its vacant. Because I am a visual person, I like seeing everything in wide screen so there could be nothing better than the front seats.

Lastly, don't take seats in front of children. If an adult like me gets bored in these long road trips, what will you expect from children? Their attention span is 5 mins, max, and have energies equivalent to 5 bottles of Red Bull. They would have to find something to amuse themselves. Trust me, they can make your trip hell. You are lucky if they only put in maximum their PSPs or Game Boys' volume. But on unfortunate days, they resort to kicking the back of your seats, pulling your hair and even poking their fingers in between your seat. Before I took these bus rides, I was ambivalent to children. Now, I absolutely stay away from them if permitted.Kids will always be kids after all. And I am only human.

But don't let my pessimism get to you. If there are bad things about long bus rides, there are good things too. The 6 hours that I spend on the bus are considered MY time. These are precious hours where you can absolutely think, even rethink, about life. This is the best time to wonder if your cute seatmate is single? Or you even consider asking him yourself. Or why that creep across the aisle is ogling at you? Or why the driver drives so slow that you'd want to take over the steering wheel? Or why the hell are you thinking at all when you can be sleeping?

Then if you've thought of everything you can possibly think, there is the TV(with DVD, thank God). Don't worry, all air conditioned bus going north are equipped with 1. The best seats for watching movies in the bus are aisles seats, preferably from row 3 onwards. You'd strain your neck if you watch from the front seats. You'd see all kinds of movies. From cheap Pinoy movies, to great old foreign films. From the must-see to never-heard. But if you don't like what's showing, you can always resort to the previous activity -- thinking.

And then, you can always make friends in this long trips. Although I haven't personally done this, yet. If you are the type who can start up a conversation with a total stranger, then good for you. But you have to remember that at times when you just want to be left alone, I'm sure there are people who wants to be left alone too. So be cautious on being friendly with your seatmate.

Remember, you'd be in that bus, in that seat, at least for 6 hours. The very least thing you can do is make the trip comfortable for yourself and your seatmates too. Oh, and don't forget to look out the windows, especially during the day. The countryside is lovely.

Read more!

Boob tube, Ilokano, etc.

I never thought I would survive without TV, nor internet, for over a month until I was deployed in Ilocos Sur. I couldn't believe it myself but it's true. I went for an entire month without watching House or CSI.

I realized that I could go for an entire lifetime without TV provided I still get to talk to my family.

TV, just like any material thing in my life, is dispensable. It is the intangible stuff that really matters. I have never appreciated my family or friends' text messages as much as I do now. I remember on my first day in Ilocos Sur, I cried everytime I get a call because I get so overwhelmed with being alone.

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The thing about growing up near the city and in the city is that you grow up thinking that the entire Philippines speak the pambansang wikang Filipino. When I got to Ilocos, boy, was i sorely mistaken.

I don't understand even a word of Ilocano and I soon realized that was a handicap for me. In Ilocos, it is not normal to speak Filipino so when I am not concern, they won't speak Filipino even when I am around.

If you ask how I deal with my patients who don't speak a word of Ilocano but Kankanaey, I say that that deserves an entire blog of its own.

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In relation, once when I got back from hiking to a barangay, one of my staff asked me what we ate for lunch, I answered, sitaw (string beans).

He laughed and asked, "Aluminum or plastic?" Then everybody laughed. I soon realized that sitaw in Ilocano means timba.

You wouldn't want to know what they call sitaw (string beans) in Ilocano. You'd fall off your chair from laughing. Promise. Read more!