An Outlandish Dream

I woke up one morning and everything that I have are gone; my soft pillows, my bed that is comfortable to sleep with, my room that offers a lot of things and of course, my parents who would definitely wake me up to make me start running my errands for the day. Alarmingly, it seems to be just one of my childhood nightmares. I collected my self-back and tried to grasp my composure as I tried to awaken myself from a horrendous dream. But wait, I cannot wake my self up as I was awake all the while and everything that is happening is authentically in occurrence.

As I observed these few changes as I woke up with nine unique individuals sleeping closely together with just a mosquito net as a division. At first, I still cannot believe that it was not just dream and was not just a product of my inventive mind. But nevertheless, as I came into my senses and I had slowly realized that I was no longer in a place where I could say as my comfort zone but I was in a place that was unfamiliar for me and definitely lacked the essential things that can make my life comfy.

The first few days were not as bad as I expected and my fears that were form beforehand turn into delightful state of affairs and subsequently faded away as we immerse with the community and live with the people. Personal struggles oftentimes surface among us as we battle our own cry for comfort as days goes by. Days turn into weeks and evidently we were challenged by the way things were, but in contrary with our fears and hesitation, we stand fervently hoping that with our sacrifices today, as we reached out to the people of Tinglan, it will make us better doctors and good examples to other’s someday.

-Alfie "PIPO" A. Paghubasan (2009)

Reflection on ADZU-SOM

19 years since its conceptualization, the ADZU-School of Medicine had gone a long way. It had laid its foundations well, pioneered an innovative curriculum in the country, produced good doctors and catered to the health needs of the community.

One can only imagine the problems that can arise in doing something never done before and going to places never been before. But I guess the success of SOM comes from the fact that it was a group struggle. It was not the individual efforts that made SOM come this far, but the fact that everybody is taking part. Yes – one can be great, but as a group – you could only get further.

It is sometimes hard to translate your words into actions and a lot of things do get lost in the translation; good to know that SOM is still there for the community – its original intention still in place.

The ADZU-SOM embraces a good set of philosophy. Public health is a great concern for the progress of the community. Of course there are economic issues, but if you do not feel well – you do not think and act well. We are considered self-directed learners to become selfless for others – funny, but noble.

Emphasis is made on the school’s existence for the society and calls for maturity – both that I really like. It is great to know that the focus of the institution is on the societal level and not merely on producing doctors whose interests may only be personal. I am from Western Mindanao and I know a lot of people here; I like the idea that I can serve in my home and my people through the SOM. People more often than not, react differently towards you if you are one of them.

We also believe that learning is a lifetime process – something that should be realized early on. Knowledge is not stored for a period of time that stretches up until the exams that becomes irrelevant immediately after. We continue to learn and understand. That is the only way to go – the only SOM way.

“The ADZU-SOM envisions a medical school whose curriculum combines competency and problem-based instruction…responsive to the changing patterns of health care development and the needs of the community…” - Nothing is too ambitious for someone who is willing to do the necessary. This is what they envisioned and it is what is drawn now – I guess what is important is that we do not lose sight of the goal.

The institution aims to produce good and competent doctors who can really help those who need it the most. I think it is not how great the cases would be but how many you had actually gave medical assistance to. I like the idea of not going after the rare but working with the common, because then more people can relate to you and you deal not only with the privileged few.

By keeping people healthy – you keep them out of the hospitals. The attention is given not when things are going wrong but in preventing the wrong things to happen. It is community versus individual wherein taking care of the whole ensures the health of its parts..

“Medical education is both a maturation process and a metamorphosis with UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION as the first step in the continuum that includes POSTGRADUATE and CONTINUING EDUCATION.” It is going to be a totally different approach to learning that demands maturity in knowing what you can do and on how you go about things. I do expect transformation because it is at this point, inevitable. Going from the theories to where the action is would be tough – but hopefully also fun.

In ADZU-SOM’s Philosophy of Education – education is always regarded as a process. You can never force or hurry a process. I believe that it is gradual – from regarding the med students as adult learners to expecting them to solve health problems of Western Mindanao. It may be tough, but no one – so far – thought it be impossible.

The Tenth Day of the Tenth Month

The town of Mutia is never a lonely place to be when you got a lot of wonderful people around you. And when I say people, it doesn’t only include my group mates but the entirety of Mutia.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my group mates the “El Conquistadors” for making this day very unique and memorable. After all it’s not just the tenth day of the tenth month, it’s my Birthday! You have gain so much respect, admiration and inspiration in me. And for this reason alone, I will strive to do well in everything just to be always with you in every community exposure.

And one more thing, I just realized, I’d be spending three more birthdays with you in Mutia. I hope you will not get tired of me.

- Eduard Basille Remegia -

The Rocky Road Ahead

Life as we all know is a journey. A journey that begins with a single step that leads you to far destinations. Who would even know that it led us to Mutia, Zamboanga Del Norte? No one knows better than us, ADZU-SOM 2013. This is my personal highlight account of that journey. Strikingly special and bizarre moments that could only happen in Mutia, Zamboanga Del Norte.

I am a part of an intrepid group now known as “El Conquistadors”. And our motto says it all, “Maayong buntag, agi lang mi.” We surely lived by the name during our entire stay at Mutia. And our main mode of transport is our very own feet. Walking is part and parcel of our daily lives there. We didn’t only conquer the place but the hearts of the people as well.

We were so known to be foot patrollers that one day elementary kids finally joined us. One of the kids spoke of the coming 10-wheeler truck en-route to a government project high in the foot hills of Mt. Malindang. “Kuya,sakay ta anang dump truck”. Speaking in vernacular, I said “Will they allow a free ride?” The child said, “oo kuya,ako nang parahon.” Indeed it was a welcome treat for me and my buddy Ellery. After all its still three kilometers up, so we finally climbed over with the kids. It was our first time to ride a dump truck. And it was not that simple to climb the ladder that will bring us sitting next to a mound of earth intended for some government project up ahead. I found myself a comfortable place to wade the 15 to 20-min ride. I was in complete silence then savoring the panorama cascading before me. The sights were so mesmerizing that I never noticed we were nearing our home base at Tinglan Day Care Center. Then Ellery taps me, “Primo we just arrived”. “How are we going to get off this truck?” I turn next to the kid beside me. Speaking again in vernacular I asked the kid to go ahead and show us how to disembark. The kid smiled and said “sayon ra kaayo na kuya,ing ani ra.” The kids suddenly came jumping one by one until only the two of us were left. I looked at Ellery’s eyes in disbelief; we are not going to get off this truck as they did. We climbed down in reverse order and finally solid ground beneath our feet. One of the kids exclaimed, “Kuya wa lagi mu nangambak?” I never uttered a single word in response. And with trembling knees I turned to the truck driver and said, “daghang salamat, amping kanunay”. We head inside the Day Care Center with a great sense of relief. What a great day indeed.

-Eduard Basille M. Remegia-

A Walk to Remember

Yesterday, we passed by the road of a beautiful community named Mutia...
We were full of excitement as we smile to the people...
But they would look at us with a question in their faces, “who are they?”...

We wanted to let them know of our presence and have a chance to get along with them...
So we walked, walked and walked...
despite knowing that the heat of the sun would give us the dark complexion we have now,
despite passing the long rocky road that would give us body aches when we arrive home, and
despite having the thought that we know nobody in the place...
Still, we walked...

For each day we do, we see and feel the changes that made our journey happier...

To watch the colorful skies and the pretty flowers around...
To enjoy our group's bonding as we joke and stop to dance in the street...
To appreciate the very simple but happy life of the community people...
And to see them smile at us, greet us as we pass by and to feel welcomed by the people who were strangers before..

- Fatima Ayessah Ingkagan -

eyes wide open

The raindrops are falling hard on the nipa roof and I can almost feel the small hut sway with the storm-like weather outside. The windows are already closed but still the strong wind blew out the candle that served as the sole source of light in the room. I want to pee but I hesitate for I must endure the muddy 10-meter walk first to bridge the gap between our hut and suffocating comfort room. It’s dark outside and no one will accompany me. Everyone in the group is asleep—or at least I think they are. Dare to ask if one of them is awake, I do not; for we are not in good terms. The slightest movement, I’m afraid to make for we are lying down fully-crammed on the cold wooden floor covered only by thin blankets. We are only inches away from one another, separated by mosquito nets in this one-room hut that can hardly contain the ten of us. Due to my inability to contain the urge to urinate and despite my fear of going out alone, I forcedly get up to reach for my flashlight, and open the door…

I flicker my eyes open as well and now I’m out of my imagination. Those were the fears I had before our community exposure for we were told to expect the worse. Rocky roads, scarce water, limited food, no network coverage for phones, a rotten house and countless inter-personal conflicts were among my list of worries. Surprisingly though, my group mates and I underwent the challenges of our first exposure and actually had fun being together in one sturdy day care center that we turned into a home.

True, we will go through the same and even more struggles again and again in the future but we now know that we just have to swallow our fears and pride, gather our courage and open up our hearts and achieve our goal in bringing out the best in one another and of course, in our community.