Countdown to Homecoming

by: Ida Marionne Arriola 

It has been 107 days since our unexpected departure from our home in Mirangan, Siay, Zamboanga del Sur. Since then, a hundred days or so were spent educating ourselves about the things we needed to learn for the second semester: trauma, infectious diseases and currently maternal and child health module. During these times, we might have forgotten what life was like in Mirangan as we were caught up with all the hustles and bustles of the city life and coping with the stress that comes along with preparing for exams.

Our community exposure helped us evolve as individuals and as a group, we became a community of people hungry for knowledge which we can apply and bring back to our Mirangan. We were always involved in activities as a group and it helped us get to know each other more and grow as a family. We spent birthdays together, studied for hours on end supporting one another and dozens of lunches spent mostly talking about school stuff but always coming back to stories we had when we were in Mirangan. There was something magnetic about that place that holds us all together in one bond, it inspired us to be better student doctors because people were counting on us. The whole experience made us feel so blessed to have known people who were willing to act in bringing about change healthcare wise or for the overall quality of life that we can all hope for in this lifetime.

Spending birthdays together.

In thirty eight days, we are scheduled to return to our home in Mirangan, I hope to see our friends with the same warmth and acceptance as they have shown us upon our first arrival. On our return, we hope to show the council the data we have collected on our prior exposure and begin to prioritize the problems that need socially acceptable and sustainable solutions.

During our month-long stay, we hope to begin building the foundations of what could be the greatest project of our lives as student doctors. It is the most critical phase among the steps that we are going to take in achieving our goals towards a healthier Mirangan. Knowledge we have acquired during the months that passed can be used to help develop the health team’s capabilities and the council’s point of view regarding health care and the whole system. Building a bridge where these two elements could meet would be our key to the future of Mirangan. We aim to determine what moves these people the most, what in their current situation makes them wish it were different, what needs to be changed and what needs to be done, now.

Studying together.

During our surveys, these questions were asked frequently, some residents, to our dismay, are used to the ways of their world that they no longer have it in them to demand for something better, something which every citizen had rights to and I am not just talking about health because education is of much importance as well. The customs and traditions of the people that dictate who they are as a part of an ethnic group or a tribe may or may not get in the way of planning for progress and it remains to be a stumbling block for our group to be able to work towards development without having to defy the values that they pass on from generation to generation. And though it’s a long shot, it would be better if we could work around these traditions through strengthening what is good for the overall health of the people and educating them about certain practices that are unhealthy and which could be modified to still fit their way of living. These and a lot more issues would then be discussed with the people, the council and the health care team to ensure that every element in this plan is well represented and to guarantee that no group feels left out in any way.

Though presented with a very diverse set of people and challenges we chose to perceive as opportunities, a wave of excitement brought about by some degree of uncertainty when we return continually circulates through our system. A lot of hopes and ideas are stirred by this excitement and we hope that it brings out the brilliant initiatives because the outcome of what we hope to begin investing on our return lies not only in the passion we all have for Mirangan. The endless possibilities that lure us into this journey should be shared with the people who live and breathe Mirangan, it is after all, a place they call home. The group knows it would all be worth it if even after we have left this community, activities and programs continue to be implemented year in and year out. And so, it is with a hopeful heart and an open mind that I end this entry with the dreams of sharing with you the future that beholds the beautiful uncharted territory that is, Mirangan.

Leaving Unexpectedly

by: Neil Ryan Marcos

It was an ordinary night. The smell of coffee and sound flipping papers enveloped the house. It was getting late. We were tallying our survey sheets as fatigue and sleepiness were weighing down upon us. Then amidst this array of tedious workload, the sound of a ringing phone suddenly broke in. It was from our classmate, who was having her community exposure in the same municipality. She informed us about the impending security crisis at hand, and advised us to start packing to be prepared for the worst. Upon hearing such news, I can’t help but leap for joy. The thought of going home filled my mind and awoke the exhausted spirit in me. But to make things even more brilliant, it was decided later on that we would leave tomorrow, as early as possible. I immediately went to our room and started packing and fixing my things. The thought of home with its chore-free life and clean toilet bowl made me ecstatic! As a result of my excitement, I was the first one to finish packing. After doing so, I sat down and started staring at everyone and at everything. The air was filled with noises of packing tape, stuff being put in boxes and people asking about all the stuff we had to leave behind and stuff we had to bring back to Zamboanga. It was then that I realized how self-absorbed I was. I forgot that I have responsibilities to my group mates as well. Hence, I started helping out by cleaning the living room. I was amazed at how much stuff we had lying around. It was very natural for us to build clutter everywhere. But even though our living room can be such a mess sometimes, we would spend most of our time there. It is where we shared some of our hardest laughter and funniest memories together.

Luggage strewn all over our living room.

Doing some last minute checking.

After the kitchen, I headed back and saw our calendar of activities on our wall. We placed our schedule in a big Manila paper and taped it in the middle of our house for everyone to see. We would mark each day as it passes. We would carefully weigh our tasks and plan them accordingly. The decreasing number of days would tantalize our dreams of being home again. But after thinking about it, I realized something: Throughout our survey adventures and buying sprees, we would always say at the end of the day, “uwi na tayo.” Then we would journey home to our little bungalow. This was the place we yearn to go home to after a tiring day of work. This was our solace. In a span of a few weeks, this place became a home for us. Then it hit me: I am really going to miss my friends and our home.

After a few hours, we had a meeting about the implications of leaving early. But more importantly we discussed how we would break the news to the people who were so kind and hospitable to us. We felt really bad that we would leave like this, after everything they did for us. We decided to make a letter for them. We made one in English, and another one in Bisaya.


The morning of our departure came. We barely had a few hours of sleep and everyone was in low spirits. We made our last arrangements and started saying goodbye to our neighbours. We went to our Barangay Captain and told him what had happened. His face grew sad as we told him about our predicament. But he also affirmed that it might be for the best given the situation. He also said he would be happy to drive us to the bus terminal with his truck.

Leaving with a heavy heart.

Getting off at the Regional Health Unit to wait for the bus. 

After a few minutes, the truck was ready. We loaded our luggage to the truck and boarded at the back. As the engine starts to rumble and the vehicle started to wobble, we stared at our little bungalow – how humble and sweet she is. All the memories started to build up tears in our eyes. Shortly, after traveling a few meters away, our neighbor saw us from his window. He quickly ran towards the road. I thought we might have forgotten something, or maybe something was up. But as he reached the road, he quickly raised his arms and waved us a big good bye. Upon seeing this, I can’t help but smile and be proud of myself. Surely, I may have done something genuinely good for this man to go out of his way just to see us off. But it wasn’t just that! As we pass along the neighborhood, people would stop just to wave us goodbye. It was simply an overwhelming feeling. I was happy that somehow I know I was able to touch their lives, but I was also sad to leave them. As our vehicle reached the national road and left the paradise we fell in love with, one thought kept residing in my mind – I WILL BE BACK, I’LL SURELY BE BACK.

MD - Mirangan Doctors

by: Felimon Mailig, Jr. 

MEDICAL STUDENT: the very idea of my own name attached with these two words gives me a rush of adrenaline. It is the road to my childhood dream and the mere fact that I have started my first step to the bridge of that dream makes me anxious and excited at the same time. Nervous, in the sense, that the bridge may not be strong enough, it may not be steady at some point and eventually, I might fall. I’m excited even when the bridge may be moving back and forth, I could still see great view both sides. But the BEST VIEW, which I could not see yet, is the one waiting for me on the other side. The thoughts of being ALMOST A DOCTOR make me ecstatic, and yet, the fears of the unknown as well as the weight of the responsibilities that lie ahead, pull me back.

But nothing is as easy as it seems. I’m back to being a student again. After 12 years of schooling, I decided to take up medicine, not knowing that things are not the same as the previous 12 years in school. Studying medicine is far more difficult than I have expected. There are a lot of things that I need to familiarize myself with and to be accustomed to for the rest of my years in medical school and beyond.

Getting the weight of children below 5 years old. 

First is the problem-based learning (PBL) type of curriculum. Since elementary until college, I was familiar with the traditional chalk and blackboard and the lecture type of teaching. But with PBL, I learned to look for answers on my own. After sometime, I learned to be a scavenger. I hunt for my food and learned not to wait for someone else to feed it to me. Not only was the type of learning hard, but the lessons and topics as well. The topics in each module became more difficult as days passed. This is one reality that I must accept and I must overcome these struggles instead of complaining. I must always have this idea written in my mind: “Being a doctor is tough, but you’ll never see what lies ahead if you’ll stop moving forward.”

We had our first community exposure in Barangay Mirangan, in Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay, on October 2011. I needed to prepare myself to become a community student doctor for 1 month. The immersion gave me a lot to think about and had me realizing certain aspects of my life. Being away from our families mean that we need to depend on ourselves, that we need to move on our own. For instance, we are accustomed to waking up and our meals are already served on the table. In the community, you need to wake up earlier than usual so that you could prepare your own meal.

Student doctors at work.

As a student doctor, our mission to the community we are in is not focused on treating the health problems of the individuals there but to take also into consideration and provide solutions the different aspects that affect the health of the people in the community. For us to do this, we need to adapt ourselves to the community, as well as to the group (student doctors) so that we could come up with solutions for the betterment of our community.

As I got to know the people, I have realized that I could be a catalyst of change. In my own ways, I know I have changed them. At the same time, they have also changed me. I was amazed of how simple their life is and still they are very happy and contented.

Even though I was away from my family, I never felt alone. I found an extension, my new family: Mirangan family a.k.a. Baldemorts family. I am not a student doctor and I could not call myself a student doctor without them, my Mirangan family and the rest of the Mirangan community. Hopefully, with them, not only will I become the best doctor in the future but a better person as well.