Vital signs Tabloid August-October 2017

Vol. XXVII No. 1

August - October 2017

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS WVSU excels in NMSC research competition page 3

EDITORIAL Now is the time to speak out page 4

FEATURE Project K: Heeding the call for mental health awareness page 8

FILIPINO Japanese Encephalitis, dapat bang pangambahan? page 12

SPORTS Roxas Hall pledges 500 pounds in FitFil Challenge page 14

IT’S IN YOUR HANDS NOW. Dr. Joselito Villaruz (left) shares a laugh with Dr. Jose Nemesio Granada (right) as he turns over the reins to the latter as the new Dean of the college.

Dr. Granada is the second alumni dean, succeeding his former student after serving three terms as Associate Dean.

Photo by: Neil A. Cartujano

WVSU ranks 2nd; Avillo tops PLE 2017

by Christabelle B. Prebillo

The West Visayas State University – College of Medicine ranked second among 52 medical schools with 100 passers out of 101 examinees garnering 99.01% and a top three “taga-West” physician in the September 2017 Physician Licensure Examination (PLE).

Cebu Institute of Medicine and St. Luke’s College of Medicine topped the list of top performing schools with 100% passing rate. Third in rank was Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (98.15%) followed by the University of the Philippines – Manila at fourth place (97.33%) and University of Sto. Tomas and Ateneo de Manila University School of Medicine and Public Health – Pasig (97.10%) at fifth place.

Rounding up the top performing medical schools are: University

AVILLO

of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center at sixth place with 96.93%; Xavier University at seventh place with 96.43%; San Beda College at eighth place with 94.34%; Cebu Doctors University – College of Medicine at ninth place with 93.64% and Far Eastern

University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation at tenth place with 92.54%.

Meanwhile, Dr. Karl Phillip Avillo, Class Valedictorian of Batch Soli Gloria Dei landed the 3rd spot in the PLE with a rating of 90.00%.

According to Dr. Avillo, he had always wanted to top the PLE saying, “I began with the end in mind. I stated clearly what my goals were.”

He said that anyone can top the PLE as long as one can develop perseverance, focus and internal motivation.

The Professional Regulation Commission announced on September 22, just four days after the examination, that 3,340 out of 4,064 examinees joined the country’s roster of physicians with a national passing rate of 82.19%.

New Dean to introduce innovations, upgrades in medium of instruction

by Maria Inez S. Benedicto

Despite the strong downpour, Dr. Jose Nemesio Granada was formally inducted as the seventh Dean of the College of Medicine last June 23, 2017, ascending to the position after previously serving as Associate Dean for Administration.

A long-time faculty of the College, he is a known colorectal, laparoscopic, and endoscopic surgeon in the region, who acknowledged that taking on the task as Dean took convincing from family and colleagues including the former Dean, Dr. Joselito Villaruz.

“We are trying to innovate and upgrade the medium of instructions for school year 2018-19,” said Dr. Granada of his leadership plan, citing the College’s current process of acquiring more models and simulators for students (to page 2)

Medical students enjoy free tuition in SUCs

by Archieval S. Guitche

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced that new and currently enrolled medical students in 8 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) can now avail and enjoy full tuition subsidy this year through Cash Grants to Medical Students (CGMS).

The CHED and the Department of Budget and Management finalized the allocation of P317.1 million financial assistance to the SUCs offering the Doctor of Medicine Program. The fund will be divided among the 8 SUCs: University of Northern Philippines; Mariano Marcos State University; Cagayan State University; Bicol University; West Visayas State University (WVSU); University of the Philippines-Leyte; Mindanao State University; and University of the Philippines-Manila.

This government initiative is in response to the declining number of doctors in the country due to the skyrocketing cost of

medical education. The grantees will have to render a year of service per every year of availing the cash grant. The subsidy will only cover 100% of the tuition.

However, the students must shoulder the miscellaneous fees for each semester.

In order to address the concerns of the students of WVSU, the College of Medicine conducted an orientation to the implementing guidelines for the CGMS last July 25 at the Cultural Center, just a week before the start of enrolment.

To qualify in the program, medical students must pass the requirements of the SUC, maintain a general weighted average of at least a passing grade determined by the university, and complete the degree within the period allowed in the university.

Currently, there are 483 students enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program of the WVSU. Only 217 availed the cash grant for this year.

ADDRESSING CONCERNS. A panel consisting of representatives from the College of Medicine and the finance department answered the questions of the students during the open forum for the guidelines of the Cash Grants to Medical Students.

Photo by: Judy Failagutan

2

COM defers application for Level II accreditation

NEWS

WVSU excels in NMSC research competition

by Leodel T. Barrio

by Ian Leoj Gumban

You usually have to wait for that which is worth waiting for.

The College of Medicine’s (COM) application for Level II accreditation from the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) has been put on hold after the accreditation-giving body has experienced backlogs from the numerous schools that applied from last year.

In effect, its Level I status is retained which has afforded the College full administrative deregulation and financial deregulation in terms of setting tuition and other school fees and charges, and authority to revise the curriculum without CHED approval, among others.

“We have already submitted the requirements for our accreditation. However, we are still waiting for the formal

letter from PAASCU informing us about the next steps that we should take,” said Dean Dr. Jose Nemesio Granada.

The said requirements were already prepared last school year, under the administration of former Dean Dr. Joselito Villaruz, as the current accreditation was supposed to expire in May this year.

Aside from this, with its excellent performance in the latest Physician’s Licensure Examination, the COM has already caught national attention. Its recent publicity as one of the recipients of the government’s scholarship program for medical students continues its streak as one of the sought-after medical education institutions in the country.

The College is among the ten basic medical institutions accredited by PAASCU.

Roxas Hall hosts training in anthroposophic med

by Mary Francine B. Alfabeto

Roxas Hall opened its doors to multinational guests for the 2017 International Postgraduate Medical Training (IPMT) program on Anthroposophic Medicine last June 10-17, 2017.

The program was supervised by the Medical Section of the Geotheanum – the world center for the anthroposophical movement in Dornach, Switzerland – and their faculty Michaela Gloeckler, Michael Evans, and Daphne von Boch. Daily courses offered started off with hygienic eurythmy, meditation and morning echo.

The sessions continued in the afternoon with text studies on the Fundamentals of Therapy by Rudolf Steiner, an interactive take on the four organ systems, and a session on the seven metals and their relation to the cosmos. Before ending the day,

there would be the inner path work and the review of the day.

The IPMT started in 2002 and has been offering workshops all over the world.

After five years of attending a series of courses, and two years working with a small group as a mentor, a certificate of Doctor of Anthroposophic Medicine can be acquired. The seminars are also developed as training opportunities, not just for doctors of medicine, but also for individuals from other professions.

“I did not expect that I would find myself being interested in anthroposophical medicine, since I am not involved in the medical field.

It gave me a different view on how to appreciate life, the body and the soul and our relation to the world around us. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this training”, one attendee said.

New Dean to introduce ... from page 1 to practice doing the physical examinations before being exposed to actual patients in the hospital.

In his seven years as Associate Dean, he was a backbone to the success of the College, being instrumental in the latter’s accreditation with the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), serving behind Dr. Villaruz, his former student.

“If Dean Villaruz is ‘the first alumni dean’, I want to simply be known as ‘the second alumni

dean’,” said Dr. Granada after being asked on how he wants himself to be known during his service. He is a graduate of Batch 1983.

Immediately after his appointment, Dr. Granada has been actively participating in affairs concerning the medical education, most recently appearing before Congress to represent the College in giving opinions on the legislative body’s measure on scholarships and return services in connection with the free tuition for medical students.

FOR GOD’S EXALTATION. Student researchers pose with their certficates during the culminating activities of the NMSC last June.

Photo by: Leodel T. Barrio

Two pharmacology-based researches of level III medical students of the West Visayas State University - College of Medicine emerged victorious during the National Medical Students Conference Research Competition held in St. Louis University, Baguio City last June 17.

The research entitled “Antibiofilm activity of Plectranthus amboinicus against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens” presented

by Cassandra Elize Perez was awarded first place in the oral presentation.

The other pharma research, “Anticancer and Antioxidant Activities of Local Sea Cucumbers (Bohascia mamorata, Holothuria atra and Holothuria scabra) Crude Extracts found in Western Visayas” presented by Lennon

Ponta-oy made it to the top five.

Other schools that participated in the oral presentations include University of Sto. Tomas and Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Foundation.

Posters of the researches were also displayed in the venue.

The researches were screened and selected from entries of different medical schools across the country. The top five researches were given the opportunity to give oral presentations in front of the crowd and the judges.

Perez says she is thankful for the recognition of their novel study and that research is fun. “Once again, we are reminded that basic research is fundamental for the advancement of clinical medicine. We hope that our victory serves as a challenge to the younger generations in

making scientific discoveries to improve the lives of the Filipino people.”

Berlie Alvarado, the group leader of the antibiofilm study, expresses gratitude on their win. “Our team brings this championship to God’s exaltation. Each member’s efforts in conceptualization, long laboratory hours spent in conduction, learning about the intricate details of this study, and our forged relationships precipitated the outcome of which we are now thankful and grateful for.”

The research competition is one of the major events conducted during the National Medical Students’ Conference of the Asian Medical Students Association – Philippines, participated in by different member medical schools across the country.

College welcomes more freshmen; new building now used for classes

by Julinchel H. Licayan

This school year saw a rise in the population of medical students in the College as it welcomes 137 new students this year, roughly 30% of the total student population, outnumbering those from the higher years.

The increase of the accepted students is the College’s answer to the government’s call in light of the undermanned medical manpower pool in the country, said Dr. Jose Nemesio Granada, College Dean.

Added to this is the formal opening of the new building as classes of the batch are being held here since August. However, the full operation of the said building is still to be realized as renovations and finalizations are still underway together with the planned acquisition of new tools and equipment.

“There will be innovations as far as teaching is concerned.

READY FOR LEARNING. Freshmen hold most of their classes at the ground floor of the new building.

Photo by: Archieval S. Guitche

We are in the process of acquiring more mannequins and simulators for you to practice on before you get into the hospital that would be for the safety of our patients,” said Dr. Granada.

However, the Dean also relayed that the same number of students that will be accepted next school year may not be met as the College needs to comply with a quota to be generated by the Commission on Higher Education, where

the number of accepted applicants should conform to the facilities and equipment of a medical school.

The freshmen, who adopted the name Dum Vivimus Servimus which means (While We Live, We Serve), came from different schools around the country, where 62% are from government schools, 45% graduated with Latin Honors, and 78% hold biological sciences-related degrees.

NEWS

3

Justice for slain Taga-West doctor still being sought

by Ian Leoj Gumban

RENOVATE TO INNOVATE. The soon to open specialty centers like the Heart-Lung-Kidney Center, aim to offer people treatment without going elsewhere and to provide training opportunities for health professionals.

Photo by: WVSU-MC

Univ MC undergoes renovation, to open specialized facilities

by Christelle A. Villanueva

The West Visayas State University-Medical Center is set to improve its services to the public with the construction and enhancement of several infrastructures. Funded by the Department of Health (DOH) as part of its Health Facilities Enhancement Program, the new buildings are expected to be finished within a year.

Two major centers are currently in different stages of implementation. The Cancer Center, presently on its design stage, will be the first public cancer center in the region.

Equipment will include a linear accelerator and a brachytherapy machine. The Heart-LungKidney Center is on its proposal

stage and is anticipated to be 10-storeys high, accommodating upgraded equipment and doctors’ clinics.

“Instead of patients going to Manila for their treatment, they can be treated here to save cost,” Dr. Ramon Guerra, the Medical Center Chief said. The infrastructure for both centers are expected to be completed in the latter half of 2018.

Several other buildings are currently being renovated under the same DOH funded program.

The 3-storey emergency room (ER) complex will be completed later this year. The upgraded ER will house Magnetic Resonance Imaging and other ancillary

services, with an expected 150% increase in accommodation.

The operating room, which will connect to the ER and the Cancer Center, is set to be upgraded from 5 to 7 theaters.

Furthermore, the wards are also undergoing renovation specifically the medical, surgical and pediatric wards. The outpatient department is being expanded into four floors, complete with elevators, added space for different departments and a helipad. At present, a new dietary building is being constructed using hospital funds. The current dietary area will subsequently be turned into an extension of the obstetrics/ gynecology ward.

Student leaders convene to empower social change

by Leodel T. Barrio

Leaders and members of over a hundred different youth organizations gathered together for the 2017 Western Visayas Youth and Students Convention at the MB Social Hall, Iloilo National High School, September 15.

Participants from Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental came together

to address different issues confronting the youth and to empower and strengthen their role in the society amidst the promises of progressive reform by the government.

With the theme “Genuine Change or Loose Change,” topics discussed during the convention included “Good Governance and the Role of the Youth” by Hon. Sarah Elago

BE AWARE. Yunque, AMSA-WVSU Chairperson, stresses medical students’ responsibility to take part in societal issues.

Photo by: Leodel T. Barrio

of Kabataan Partylist and “Promoting and Striving for the Protection and Realization of Human Rights” by Rev. Marco Sulayao, regional chairperson, Promotion of Church People’s Response.

Vanessa Aura Yunque of the Asian Medical Students’ Association - West Visayas State University represented the College of Medicine.

She says that even medical students still need to inform themselves of what’s going on in our country. “In the future, we will be out and be rendering our service and as a protector of health, which is a right of our fellow Filipinos, I should also become aware of the issues that will affect our rights,” she further added.

The plenary ended with the election of officers, declaration of unity and a call for collective action.

After more than six months, no suspect for the killing of municipal health officer Dr. Dreyfuss Perlas has been arrested.

Police has been unable to provide for updates as to where the gunman, Nabil Banding, is hiding. Banding is said to have been hired by people who had a grudge against Dr. Perlas.

Special Investigation Task Group-Perlas was formed to hunt the suspect down, said Senior Supt. Leopoldo Cabanag, provincial police chief of Lanao del Norte. He said that while Banding is still in hiding, “we will eventually get him.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Perlas’ death has coincided with the introduction of the scholarship program for medical students whose beneficiaries are required to render one year of return service in the Philippines as Doctor to the Barrio (DTTB) for every year of cash grant received.

However, Dr. Perlas’ death resulted to a low influx of students availing of the said scholarship. WVSU-COM Dean Dr. Jose Nemesio Granada appeared before Congress to relay this information during the consultation for a legislative scholarship for medical students.

“I informed them about the low turnout of students who availed the scholarship and insisted that the bill should have a provision for security protocols for DTTBs. Thankfully, they included the provisions in their drafts and hopefully no more cases like that of Dr. Dreyfuss will be repeated,” said Dr. Granada.

He further reiterates that those who are availing the cash grant should not lose hope and instead make Dr. Perlas’ life as an inspiration to provide quality medical care to the underserved communities in the country.

MSC, AMSA hold bloodletting activity, intend to build a nation of heroes

by Anna Katharina L. Tirador

A HERO IN DEED. A donor watches intently as she donates her blood.

Organizers were able to donate 23 units of blood through the event.

Photo by: Leodel T. Barrio

The West Visayas State University (WVSU) Medicine Student Council, Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) and the Philippine Red Cross Western Visayas Regional Blood Center organized Sanduguan: Building a Nation of Heroes, a blood letting activity, last September 26, 2017 at WVSU Roxas Hall Conference Room.

The one-day event attracted approximately 60 university students to attempt to donate blood, and 23 bags of blood were successfully donated during the 4-hour activity.

The event was also supported by the College of Nursing Student Council and the University Student Council.

The blood drive conducted is part of Abuno 2017: The Visayas Medical Schools Bloodletting Activity, which is an effort to collect blood in a month. The

medical schools from Visayas were able to collectively collect a total of 634 bags.

Other schools who contributed to Abuno are University of St. La Salle College of Medicine, Cebu Doctors’ University College of Medicine, Cebu Institute of Medicine, Southwestern University Phinma, Gullas College of Medicine, Silliman University Medical School, Iloilo Doctors College of Medicine, MHAM College of Medicine - Student Council, Central Philippine University, University of Cebu, and Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation.

Another blood drive activity is expected to be conducted in February 2018, where medical schools across the country are planning to simultaneously hold drives within the month.

OPINION

4 EDITORIAL:

Now is the time to speak out

Indecisiveness can cause division that may lead to further chaos. This was exemplified as 16 senators signed a resolution condemning the extrajudicial killings of minors that has become more rampant now in the country. The said resolution became controversial after seven administration members, who are known to be supporters of the president, were excluded from signing. In response to this, the latter senators filed their own resolution calling on the government to “exert and exhaust all efforts to stop and resolve these extrajudicial and all other unresolved killings.”

Ever since the ‘war on drugs’ was waged by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, numerous cases of extrajudicial killings has been reported. Though senseless killings has been rampant even before Duterte’s term, the program against illegal drugs became a catalyst for more crimes against humanity to be committed.

As the months went by, we heard about famous drug personalities dying one by one, whose deaths are mostly attributed to defensive killing as the police try to arrest them. According to the Philippine National Police, in their #RealNumbersPH statistics, 3,811 drug personalities have died in anti-drug operations. However, this number excludes those who died and were considered as collateral damage.

The most famous faces under this category are those of Kian Loyd delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman, all minors who inspired both resolutions filed in the Senate. Their deaths symbolize the people’s helplessness in the midst of this war, where safety is no longer sure and death has become more inevitable. While we laud the Senate in their effort to decry the rising deaths in the country, it is surprising that it took the deaths of these three minors to have them take this bold stand.

We, as members of the medical community, are not excused from this matter. We are still haunted by the horrors of the sudden death of Dr. Dreyfuss Perlas. Then we mourned the deaths of Dr. Shahid Jaja Sinolinding, Dr. George Repique Jr., and Dr. Vicente Soco. Let us not wait for another colleague to die on our watch. Now is the time to speak out. Let the walls of Roxas Hall ring our call to end these senseless deaths and collaborate for a better plan for change.

As this issue bypass political realms, let us remember our duties as future doctors, and be guided by the adage, “To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.” Let our call be one that comforts the people in this era of hopelessness.

Digital Anomaly

by Leodel T. Barrio

Editor-in-Chief

LEODEL T. BARRIO

Managing Editors

MARY FRANCINE B. ALFABETO ALOE DANICA B.DEALA

Associate Editors

CHRISTABELLE B. PREBILLO JIREH MARIELLE C. ZARAGOZA

Circulation Officer

CHRISTELLE A. VILLANUEVA

News Editors

MARIA INEZ S. BENEDICTO IRIS DAWN D. TABANGCORA

Opinion Editors

ARCHIEVAL S. GUITCHE IAN LEOJ M. GUMBAN

Feature Editors

NOR-AIN L. BARANI ALEXA GIANNE L. MORGA

Filipino Editor

JESON E. DE VICENTE

Sports Editors

NEIL A. CARTUJANO JULINCHEL H. LICAYAN

Literary Editors

MARK ANTHONY P. CELESTIAL ARIELLE ANGELIQUE S. CRUZ

Photojournalists

CHARISSE ANN M. MONSALE JADE MARIE M. SOBREPEÑA

Cartoonist

PHILIP G. BALOGO

Adviser

MELANIE JANE A. TENDENCIA, M.D., MPA, FPSMID, FPASMAP

Dean

JOSE NEMESIO A. GRANADA, M.D., FPCS, FPSGS, FPSCRS, FPALES

Vice President for Medical and Allied Sciences

GIOVANNI A. DE LOS REYES, M.D., FPCS, FPSGS

President

LUIS M. SOROLLA, JR., Ph.D.

email: vitalsignspublication@gmail.com

facebook.com/vitalsignswvsu

Healthcare in the digital age: Patient-doctor relationship still matters It seems like every week, there’s a new viral post relating to an incident where patients were not able to receive appropriate treatment in a health care facility. Most often, these posts, composed of lengthy narratives and an accompanying picture of the assumed perpetrator, would spark public outrage and would sometimes go to an extent where they would harshly criticize the capabilities of the health care provider (mostly doctors) and may possibly ruin their careers. On the other end there’s the patient and his/her family, who may have suffered serious injuries or even died as a result of the error or neglect in question. So who is to blame for all of this?

During the National Medical Students’ Conference in Baguio City, I had a privilege to attend a plenary led by Dr. Enrico Paolo Banzuela, who aside from being a doctor is an author, blogger and board exam reviewer. His topic was on doctor shaming. During this session, we were asked to discuss in our subgroups about a doctor shaming post on facebook and were tasked to enumerate reasons why these posts happened and what we can do to stop it from happening in the future.

As we happen to present our outputs to the rest of the group, we were able to identify several factors

that could lead to doctor shaming posts. Some would place the blame on the patient’s side saying that there are actual protocols that could be done when an incident happens.

Others would blame the doctor, citing that the doctor may have deficiency in his/her skills. Most of us blamed the problem to our country’s poor healthcare delivery system.

Most of these reasons are probably true and could be interrelated, however, as Dr. Banzuela explained, most of these posts come from patients from the low socioeconomic sector. Why is this so? Most of us, especially those working in health related jobs, know of certain channels and protocols that can be followed when giving complaints. But, are these being followed? For most patients, the most convenient, easiest, cheapest and fastest way to air a complaint is by posting through social media. Is it effective? Yes, it gives attention to the problem and the more attention it receives, the more it becomes resolved. Is it right? This may be the issue here, however, Dr. Banzuela emphasized that making a complaint/post on facebook is a right of a patient.

There’s a phenomenon in the response of the public with regards to these posts. As observed, most healthcare professionals would side

with the doctor, while those with no background in health side with the patient. What does this imply?

Certainly, it shows that there’s still a societal divide with regard to health issues.

Can educating the patient with proper communication channels in filing complaints prove to be beneficial? As Dr. Banzuela says, this is not outright realistic. Patients will still go for an easier means. He also adds, “Why educate, when you can prevent it from happening?” implying that the patient-doctor relationship still matters. According to him, majority of patients do not complain when they form a good relationship with the doctor, even if the doctor commits a major mistake.

What comes next? To ensure quality service from doctors, Dr. Banzuela recommends that doctor rating sites should be considered. A rating system, such as those used in restaurants, hotels and service oriented establishments could help patients in finding doctors who give quality service. It can also keep doctors in check with the care they give to a patient, hopefully establishing a good and fruitful therapeutic relationship.

Currently in the U.S., sites such as ratemd.com have been utilized to assess the doctors services.

There are still detractors though, (to page 5)

OPINION Imprints

Specere

by Iris Dawn D. Tabangcora

by Ian Leoj M. Gumban

Law in Brewing: Is Philippines Ready for Medical Marijuana?

Today’s political climate is fixated on the fight against use and abuse of illegal drugs like shabu or cannabis (more commonly known as ‘marijuana’). Waking up to news of streets riddled with slain bodies of alleged drug pushers and addicts has become a staple morning starter for quite some time. This administration believes that the main pathology of this country is our problem with illegal drugs, thus, the vicious and uncompromising approach of ridding.

However, on September 26, Monday, the House Committee on Health endorsed House Bill 4477 entitled “Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act” authored and filed by Isabela First District Rep. Rodolfo Albano last May 2014. The bill seeks to legalize and regulate the use of medical marijuana in compliance with the government policy that balances the national drug control program and regulated use of dangerous drugs for medical purposes in qualified and competent patients.

It’s hard not to notice the glaring contrast here. While the ‘war on drugs’ have cost us broken families and orphaned young children this groundbreaking bill can potentially improve, if not prolong the quality of lives of people with potential indications like epilepsy, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. In the Philippines, marijuana is on the

top of the list of dangerous drugs under Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Medical marijuana refers to the use of flowers, stems, and seeds of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica to treat a range of debilitating symptoms and illnesses. It can come in various forms: capsules, lozenges, suppositories, dermal patches, and vapor. Currently, there are two Food and Drugs Administration (FDA)approved medications containing cannabinoid chemicals in pill form.

However, medical marijuana is still not an FDA-approved drug.

There are no large-scale clinical trials to demonstrate the benefits and risks of marijuana in hundreds to thousands of human subjects.

Furthermore, the long-term effects of this need be studied as it is the state’s policy to safeguard the wellbeing of its citizenry.

Some of the provisions in the bill include establishment of medical cannabis compassionate centers (MCCC), medical cannabis safety compliance facilities (MCSCF), issuance of identification cards for qualified patients, and prohibition of discrimination against patients who avail of medical cannabis.

The use of this is not allowed in public places and patients will be educated on avoiding tasks that may require body or motor

functions that are impaired during medical marijuana use.

Sounds well-put, right?

Questions still remain: is there a need for a law when FDA already allows the compassionate use of medical marijuana based on certain rules and restrictions?

Does the bill really address compassionate use of medical marijuana? Furthermore, are we ready for the responsibilities that come with its implementation?

The whole idea of medical marijuana being able to potentially alleviate the suffering of patients is a beacon of hope for them and the caregivers. But with our circumstances, it may be too premature to come up with a decision. A task force may be created to review existing systems and policies. Another option would be too fund specialists that can exhaust up-to-date treatments.

Given our situation, assessing our readiness for the responsibility that comes with the provisions of the bill is as important as analyzing if the benefits of medical marijuana outweighs its risks. At present, there are no statistics to some of the diseases that medical marijuana will cover. While there are anecdotes about its success, we cannot afford to endanger the lives of Filipinos as the lack of studies about its merits can also lead to tragic failure.

Pressure Points

by Philip G. Balogo

The FOI’s New Clothes In a country where government officials blatantly steal in front of its citizens, where the Presidential Communications Operations Office assistant secretary unashamedly spreads fake news, where a lot of media people are killed for speaking too much, the president finally signed an executive order for Freedom of Information. The citizens and media ask, will the law finally give the Filipinos access to quality and credible information or further distance them from the truth?

The issue has been dressed and redressed several times that even the media are unsure of whether the law would finally serve its purpose. The people’s right to information is in fact already part of the 1973 Constitution while the 1987 revision further added provisions. Even the Code of Ethics of government officials mandate them to make their documents accessible to the public.

What are the implications of the FOI law to the layperson? One benefit to the citizens would be the reduction, if not the elimination, of graft and corruption. As an example, any citizen who requests for Statements of Assets, Liabilities,

and Net Worth (SALN) of public officials to an oversight body, as long as they could present a valid proof of identity, will be granted.

Majority of the media rejoiced as this could only mean that they would finally have easy access to the government’s kept state records.

Some shared their grievances on the amount of hoops that they had to go through and the constant rejections they received.

On the other hand, Floyd Whaley, a foreign journalist shared the ease of access that he had experienced while doing research on Mary Jane Veloso, the woman convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia in 2010.

He argued that the FOI would only mean more restrictions to access in the future. The FOI is a way to manage information or a guideline, rather an instrument to free up information.

Much work is yet to be done on the enactment of the law. The law, for example, only covers offices under the executive branch, while the legislative body is exempted.

No citizen shall be denied access unless the information falls under several exceptions. Examples of such limitation is the invocation of “executive privilege” and

Healthcare in the digital age ... since they view this as “sucking the life” out of the practice.

In its core, medicine is built upon an environment of trust created by the doctor and patient.

It is this mutual understanding

5

privileged information relating to “national security”.

The decades-long fight to recover the stolen wealth of the Marcoses is an example of how the powerful can use the law to protect their interest. The complexity of the international judicial web made it possible for the political dynasty to enjoy the fruits of their corruption and get away with their crime for years.

The people demand accountability and transparency from its government and hope that those who violate its laws will be given immediate judgment and fitting punishment. Yet, how can anyone be certain when the criminals themselves interpret their laws? Despite all this, the FOI is a good initial step in the right direction. In the midst of contrasting views and opinions, the general hope remains the same. The hope that the law, in all its complex layers of clothing, will continue to serve the interest of the people.

FOI is a good indicator that a country is indeed free. It is our greatest desire that whatever clothes the FOI might be in, the people’s interest should always be the priority

from page 4

that enables a patient to achieve the goals set together with the doctor. And now that more and more incidents are being reported, it is essential for doctors to instill in the minds of the patients that

health care shouldn’t be horrifying at all, and by working together hand in hand with the health care team, they will be able to solve their ailments, with minimal to no problems along the way.

For whom is your ‘medicine’ for?

For a medicine student, Facebook is a nice place to explore other people’s ideas and to connect with other students and doctors who share tidbits of their experiences and opinions online. I chanced upon an article shared by a friend about Tu Youyou, the awardee for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015.

Tu was the recipient of half of that year’s prize for her contributions in discovering a novel therapy for malaria. It was reported that she took on this research upon orders from Mao Zedong himself. Tu said that she did not want to be famous for her work saying that, “I do not want fame.

In our day, no essay was published under the author’s byline.”

However, in contrast to what Tu Youyou has managed to have, our culture sometimes depend on patronizing people to prove their worth and medicine is not indifferent to this. People flock the clinics of famous doctors because they are proven to make miracles happen. We are sometimes required to claim our practice as ours, to treat ‘medicine’ as our own.

Here at Roxas Hall, we are taught to be cautious and generous to our future patients. Since day one, we are constantly reminded that medicine is not a means to become rich. We are even challenged that if our goal to become doctors someday is to be rich, we must stop this journey once and for all.

‘TRIP TO MARS’ We were taught that rational prescription to patients may even mean prescribing no medicines for them. Of course, we are told not to follow what some doctors do, where they overprescribe medicines whether the patient needs them or not, either broadspectrum antibiotics for simple infections or a range of medications from one company.

I have heard about a doctor that would require all laboratory tests and prescribe a third-generation antibiotic together with other medicines manufactured by a certain pharmaceutical company whenever a patient comes for a checkup. I would always hear gossips about doctors who avail of “trips to Mars” every year because of exceeding quota for prescription.

It is sometimes disheartening that people would look at doctors like predators who think about themselves first. While we know that these instances exist, it can sometimes demoralize us since we’re taught to be total opposites of these doctors.

‘LAWAY LANG ANG PUHUNAN’ Even though social media websites can serve to inform the learned, they may also become avenues for bullying and false accusations toward health practitioners. I know some of these reports are unfair and may even be false; patients tend to think that they are masters to be served and not patients to be cared for. However, there are some cases where patients’ accusations were true.

Aside from the “loyalty prescription” happening, physicians tend to be the subject of ire from patients because of expensive consultation fees. They would always say that doctors can charge any amount and only have their saliva as investment, as they burden patients with numerous laboratory tests and high fees.

Even those in government hospitals are being accused of taking advantage of patients. We can’t deny that these things are happening as the advent of faster information exchange continues to hound us with these stories.

RICH DOCTOR, POOR DOCTOR We can’t also deny the fact that people see doctors as those from the levels of the upper social strata. Most doctors would drive cars, live in big houses, and wear expensive clothes. Because of this, people see medicine as a good money-making profession, offering the best future for everyone.

Meanwhile, doctors who are not extravagant in their appearance would sometimes be called ineffective, with the absence of their wealth a proof that they do not do their jobs well. As a student, I become astounded by this narrow-minded comparison but cannot help as this is what society has shaped our fellowmen’s attitude.

Again, we can’t deny that medicine has become a vanity desired by people for personal gains. But does this qualify as a necessity in this journey?

GIVING OUR ‘MEDICINE’ TO THE PEOPLE Back in 2014, the Department of Health (DOH) debunked the notion that the country lacks doctors. Officials were quick to retort that the Philippines has enough doctors but there was just maldistribution due to low compensation for those willing to serve the people.

However, after two years, former DOH Secretary Paulyn Ubial said that we still need 15,000 doctors. Our doctor-to-patient ratio is stuck at 1 doctor for 33,000 patients, especially to far-flung areas.

This led to the government schemes to encourage would-be doctors to choose service over personal gains even just for the first few years of practice. But this must not prevent us from striving to be effective healthcare providers for our sick countrymen.

Aside from learning to be effective physicians someday, we must also strive to change people’s views of doctors. I hope that our graduates will be like beacons set apart and show compassion to people, letting them know that we have nothing more but service to offer. Our ‘medicine’ should be for people who need it.

I’m glad that Roxas Hall has been constant in reminding us to be humble and to serve the Filipino people, asking us to define for whom we offer this dedication to become doctors. How about you? For whom is your ‘medicine’ for?

opinion

6

Let’s Discuss

Just a Thought

by Ralph Marco Flores

RSA Blues Return Service Agreements (usually abbreviated as RSA) are legal contracts given to students who have been given study grants and should return the “favor” by applying what they have studied.

This is a common scholarship scheme here in the Philippines especially to those who are granted scholarships by the Department of Science and Technology.

In the recent years, the health sciences center of the University of the Philippines initiated return service agreements to their students which expanded from the College of Medicine to the other health related courses such as Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health and allied medical professions.

This is to augment the apparent dispropotion of the number of health professionals in the urban and in rural areas and to ensure that there are adequate number of health professionals in the different areas of the country. RSAs are implemented independently by each institution, as such, there is no hard and fast rule on the content of the contract. The common thing in these contracts is that there is a specified number of years for service for each year of grant.

WVSU’s College of Medicine has started its implementation this year in accordance to the Free Tuition to Medical Students Grant by the Commission on Higher Education

for the year 2017. Although it gained traction in the recent years, there have been no results that RSA is able to solve the increasing discrepancy in the number of health professionals in the country.

The RSA implementation for the medical students is a step back to our alma mater’s vision and mission. While the school envisions its students to become a well-rounded primary health care physician but we are also trained to become equally ready for clinics, teaching and research. It is not in its vision to force the students to a specific path. This is a problem that arises from RSA contracts.

Students are forced to serve through deployment programs such as Doctors To The Barrio (DTTB) or Non Government Organizations before they are able to pursue their life plan. RSA does not take into consideration the human side of doctors and sees the medical students as only numbers that will be able to fill up the needed spaces.

The RSA should not deprive us from fulfilling our dreams and plans.

The way I see it, it drives and forces the schools to become diploma mills and a factory of physicians molded chaining us to a destiny that we are not ready to accept.

While it is well-intentioned, it does not in any way reflect the humanity of the medical students who have dreams and aspirations way before

those service contracts. It is only advantageous for those who have prior plans of going to DTTB. Actually, there is no point in making a fuss about it. If you don’t want to, then don’t apply for the scholarship. It’s as easy as that.

However, what irates me is that this scholarship should be given freely to ALL medical students without any form of return service agreements. This current budget realignment did not emanate from a policy of having RSA to students but an absolute tuition free grant that is the same of those with undergraduate grants. There is no harm in giving it to every medical student because it is a surplus budget and it can accomodate all.

It is such a waste that the budget alloted was not maximized just because the government sees us medical students as numbers filling in vacant positions.

Policy makers should also consider that we are humans capable of dreaming and they can’t just force us to do something that is way out of the path that we wanted to take. The same is true for medical schools, just like our parents, they feed us, mold us, equip us with what we need but after that they let us choose the path we take because they are confident that whatever path we take but in our core we would still be serving the Filipino people.

Road Less Taken

by John Arthur Mabaquiao

The unforgiving path of Medicine All of you have probably wondered how I was able to survive for two years in med school, still alive and kicking. To be honest, I’m not really sure. But before everything else that I’ll be sharing, let me paint a picture of what life in West Visayas State University – College of Medicine is.

In “West” as we affectionately call our school, the College of Medicine has a non-traditional style of learning. We are dropped to the battleground of Problem-based learning (PBL for short) in favor of pure traditional classroom lectures.

We are given mini-lectures about the topics and it is our job to read more and expand our knowledge on the said subject.

Every other week, we are gathered in a small group where we are given a problem or a trigger, a symptom like “Abdominal Pain” or “Diarrhea”, then we discuss how it happened, why it happened and what to do with it based on what we have read on.

The college has a block style of scheduling where we take on subjects like anatomy, physiology, chemistry and we focus on a specific system. For example, the cardiovascular system, which can be as short as two weeks or last as long as nine weeks. We will discuss the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology and pharmacology related to that particular system for the duration of the entire

block. We are given long exams every week especially Monday and Block exams in the end of a block which is a conglomeration of all long exams. Aside from exams we also have patient duties that we have to do interview and their physical exam and then submit a written report later in the same week. So to summarize what we do in a week are major exams that can be up to 4 in certain weeks, small group discussions, patient assignments, lectures, community work and laboratories.

So let’s go back to the question on how I was able to survive this.

Considering that I have a nonmedical related undergraduate degree, to be honest I can’t exactly say how. You can take it in a day by day, week by week pattern. In some days you do well, other days are horribly bad, most of the time it’s just a struggle. I then I ask myself, “am I meant for this?”

Life in medical school has completely changed me. I’m buried in books or notes. Scrolling though facebook can sometimes be daunting because you see your friends buying their own cars and homes, travelling abroad, starting their own families while I’m still stuck in here. Sometimes you get frustrated because you failed a test. On other occasions you celebrate because you got a high score or passed a test. Indeed, life in med school is as colorful as can be.

So, given my years of experience here, how do you survive? Despite all that is happening, I am still giving myself room to breathe, play a of round league with friends and classmates, have a game of football, and play an hour or two with my ever so beloved video-games. Have a date with my ever so lovely girlfriend who tortures me relentlessly and loves me at the same time.

And most of all, you can’t forget about your family. These are your weapons against the stresses of med school. Well some of them give you additional unnecessary stresses that can push you to the brink like a fight with your parents, or girl/boyfriend, a game before exam day, video-games that keep calling instead of studying. I still fight through those things to keep me sane at least. As I tread through these dangerous waters that keeps battering me down with test scores that are at least satisfactory, poor performance on discussion and other stuff, Those things keep me alive and kicking on this hellish waters.

Lastly, I think about what the future holds. There’s nothing sweeter than hard earned success.

Although it’s so cliché to say “never give up,” it’s a timeless piece of advice that will always be effective.

No matter how much the odds are against you, if you strive hard to achieve what you want, life will always find a way to give it to you.

by Archieval Guitche

Redefinition: A Valuing Perspective We live in a world of redefinition. This era of high exigency on modern technology keeps us at pace with this everchanging world. We carry those tiny media powerhouses in our pockets that can instantly peek into other people’s lives and let you update everyone with your life events. Everything seems so fast and virtual, right? In just one click, you will see a lot. And not those “a lot” could actually bring satisfaction. Those are not the entirety of what we are truly looking for.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET. If we see other people’s lives better, more exciting, and more successful than our own lives, we feel that we are missing out, that we are left behind. This would bring us to a mere reflection on how we really live our own lives. Pangs of pain and envy would settle deep in our minds which make us think that our lives are not as good as theirs, or worse, our lives are dull and unsatisfying. Remember, most of the time, people put their best food forward. They post things which are appealing not only for themselves, but what they think would be satisfying for all.

It really points out that even our own senses could deceive us and that is really detrimental on how we perceive life, in general.

This age of social media can make or break someone’s life.

You are now thinking that this is just an exaggeration but come to think of it. People, nowadays, define success on what they see others are achieving as they post it on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. Their travel pictures could really consume much of the loading speed of your phone.

And as soon as they appear, you will say to yourself that if only

you have the luxury of time and money. Whenever we see an old friend who posts one of her pictures with lots of shopping bags and fancy things, first thing that would come to our mind is that she can buy whatever she wants for she has a lot of money, for she is successful, and for she has this luck in life. And there you are, thinking of how you will budget that small amount of money at hand for a week. There is nothing wrong with it. However, struggling to keep our lives at pace with or ahead of everyone is completely a different story.

That is the problem the society faces today. We put someone’s worth on how much they earn, how fancy his or her life is, and how successful people are. We tend to forget that our existence doesn’t root from materialistic pursuits. That’s how people of today define it.

Moreover, you can chase after everything you’ve ever wanted and get it all. It won’t be enough. At the end of the day, every day, you will still feel empty. No wonder we often feel so dissatisfied.

This battle of discontentment could reveal how we define life.

Remember that we are the ones who ascribe meaning to it. Our life’s value is not based on what others think about us or what we think of ourselves. We are intrinsically valuable regardless of who we are and what we experience. No amount of filter and photoshop could mask the reality of life.

To encapsulate, a major redefinition of this earthly life could bring us to a fresh perspective of the world. Always consider what really makes you happy and everything will fall to its right place. Life is neither a race nor a competition.

Random Thoughts

by Maria Inez S. Benedicto

Trials for Our Intellectual Minds We are now living in the digital era where everything is just a click or a swipe away. Most of us probably depend on the things posted on social media platforms for news and updates. And with this great accessibility, almost everyone can act as journalists now and post updates.

At some point, we may have been fooled by such articles that are circulating about in social media sites like facebook. Friends and family may have shared them to us, with a belief that they are true.

However, some of the information posted aren’t even real.

Fake news and fake journalists are on a rise. The word “fake news” has not yet been added to the dictionary but it is frequently used to describe a story which is seen as damaging to an entity, usually, politically-motivated and with an intention to manipulate.

It is a very difficult problem to

solve especially when government officials themselves are accused of propagating fake news.

Most individuals called out for spreading fake news argue that they are merely expressing their opinions and stopping them would be synonymous to violating their freedom of expression. But I believe that it is the other way around.

These people and their fake stories not only destroy the people’s trust in public institutions but they also threaten the genuineness of freedom of speech by driving our legislators to create laws that could possibly limit free expression.

So, what we can do now is to be watchful and educate the public and, especially, ourselves to make informed judgments and to be critical on the things we read online. Afterall, being critical isn’t being undemocratic, it means being educated.

news

7

AMSA renders medical service to university security guards

by Leodel T. Barrio

Embodying the core value of service, members of the Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) gave medical attention and care to the security guards of the Main Campus of West Visayas State University (WVSU), last September 22, 2017.

Coined “SGD” or “Security Guards Day,” the event was conducted in order to provide medical service for the security guards’ health problems. Dr. Gregorio Anastacio Rufon, AMSA-WVSU adviser gave consultation to the guards on duty. Free medicines and lunch were also provided. AMSAWVSU members volunteered in vital signs taking and the giving of medicines.

Vanessa Aura Yunque, president of AMSA-WVSU, says that events like SGD goes in line with their organization’s goal which is to provide health care to the often neglected sectors of the society. “We often take for granted the hard work that our guards undertake for our safety, this activity allows us students to give back.” She added.

Due to the success of the activity, AMSA-WVSU announced that Security Guard’s Day will continue to be conducted every 22nd day of each month and that hopefully it becomes a long-term project that will prove to be beneficial to the security guards.

SECURING THE GUARDS. Security guards are prone to environmental risk. This free medical service of AMSA-WVSU recurs every month.

Photo by: Leodel T. Barrio

OA blood drive aims to meet demands

by Mark Anthony P. Celestial

In partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, the Order of Asclepius successfully led the blood donation of 35 units from the different colleges in the University through the efforts of the volunteers from the Western Visayas Regional Blood Center (WVRBC) last August 24.

This blood drive, called ‘Blood for Glory,’ is the Order’s initiative to meet the 2,5003,000-unit blood demand of Filipinos. This biennial event has provided a venue for heroes of this generation to extend their support in saving lives through blood donation.

Medical students primarily took part in the event overcoming the requirements for blood donation, giving 450 cc of whole blood for this to be a success.

“This blood drive is specifically organized by the Order to cater to medical students who are willing to donate blood but cannot because of schedule and logistic problems. We are hoping that this event will continue on

for many more years and be able to help a lot of Ilonggos in need of blood,” says Grand Master Asclepian John Romeo Dominick Diño.

The blood drive is also held due to the fact that there is no substitute for human blood, keeping medical students rooted in the conviction of preserving and maintaining life as future doctors.

“It feels really good to donate. It’s like giving a part of me to help someone live a full life. I am very glad that even as students we can create an impact in the lives of other people even by just donating blood.” says Jeline Encarnacion who is a regular donor.

Last year the Order was awarded the Gold Special Citation for its nine-year partnership with the WVRBC during the 18th Blood Donor Recognition and Awarding Ceremony held at Hotel del Rio, Iloilo City. This marks the tenth year of partnership between the two parties.

FOR THE PEOPLE. Order of Asclepius continue to hold ‘Blood for Glory’ to cater to Ilonggos in need of blood.

Photo by: Order of Asclepius

ICONIC DOCTORS. Dr. Jaydee Anne Dela Fuente channels Beyoncé to impress onlookers. “Balik Roxas Hall” draws alumni of COM from all over the world to celebrate and reminisce their journey to be the doctors that they are today.

Photo by: Leodel T. Barrio

Balik Roxas Hall brings Icons to WVSU-COM

by Leodel T. Barrio

Roxas Hall was filled with nostalgia by the comeback of alumni of the West Visayas State University - College of Medicine in “Balik Roxas Hall” held last July 13, 2017.

Taga-West doctors traded their stethoscopes for fun and laughter as they paraded around the Main Campus representing

WV student journos meet for PIA-6 confab

by Nor-ain L. Barani

More than 400 student journalists from 63 different college publications in Western Visayas joined the annual Journalism SeminarWorkshop of the Philippine Information Agency – Region VI (PIA-6) last August 16-18 in Amigo Terrace Hotel, Iloilo City. The three-day activity aims to develop the skills of the participants through lectures and workshops in journalism.

PIA-6 Director Atty. Ma. Janet Mesa opened the event with a talk on development communication, freedom of information, and the approaches on development in relation to the change advocated by the Duterte administration.

Journalists gave lectures that include news writing, feature writing, editorial and column writing, sports writing, copy reading and headlining.

In light with the rising forms of new media, the critical role of online news writing in the society today was addressed through lectures on online journalism and production.

Apart from the lectures, Information Officer Leonard Pineda also discussed about the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in line with its 50th year anniversary where the Philippines is serving as the Chairman.

New staff members of Vital Signs participated in this three-day event.

an era of music complete with their own pop icons.

With the theme “ICONnect,” the said homecoming celebrates batch 1992’s silver anniversary.

Alumni from batches 1982, 1987, 1997, 2002, and 2007 were also in attendance.

The event began with a parade featuring each batch assigned to a decade in music, with a corresponding representative dressing up as their icon. This was followed by a street dance number showcasing the talents of the respective batches.

Some of these include, Madonna, Tina Turner, and Michael Jackson for batch 1987, Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin for batch 1992, ABBA

representing batch 1997, Beyonce and Bruno Mars for batch 2002 and Spice Girls for batch 2007.

After the opening program, it was followed by a talk entitled “The Green MD and the Planet Earth” for the Dr. Angel De Leon Memorial Lecture delivered by Dr. Helen CaroPastolero of Batch 1987. The lecture highlighted the effects of climate change and the role of doctors in the solutions that foster both public health and environmental sustainability which gears toward a greener, healthier future.

The event was capped with a fellowship night at Diversion 21 Hotel where each batch had their grand presentation.

Workshop for faculty mulls research competency

by Aloe Danica B. Deala

In line with the College’s vision to produce professionally competent medical graduates who are committed to delivering primary health care, the Office of Research, through Dr. Edna Medez, faculty research training coordinator, organized a lectureworkshop entitled ‘Propose or Be Disposed: Continuing the Fun in Research,’ in order to inspire medical professionals in continue doing clinical research last September 22.

About 60 participants made up of full-time and part-time faculty, staff, specialists, junior, and senior residents of the Medical Center took part in this event. Consultants and residents from Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital and Iloilo Mission Hospital were invited in this effort of the Office of Research in becoming a leading center for research in medicine and allied sciences.

Lectures and small group discussions about experimental, clinical, and social researches were given to equip participants with the basic skills in preparing papers which were subsequently utilized for the workshop that followed. Participants were

divided into groups and were required to prepare proposals that were presented in a plenary session. The proposals are expected to be submitted for technical review of the research committee by the end of this year.

The Office of Research, through its tag, ‘Research is Fun,’ hopes to encourage professionals and students alike to engage in more research activities and spread their knowledge for the advancement of the medical field. Prof.

Charmaine Malata, head of research, stresses that it is the office’s desire to extend help for those who need it.

In the future, the College and the Office of Research aim to hold more lecture-workshops to continually train medical professionals and to advocate research as a tool to help more people in the future.

This event is one of the planned trainings by the College as it is accredited by the Professional Regulatory Board to give Continuing Professional Development units required for medical professionals.

FEATURE

8

by Jesher Joshua Arsenio

A

ccording to the World Health Organization, a case of suicide happens every 40 seconds, amounting to about 800,000 deaths per year globally.

This figure becomes even more alarming when taking into account the Center for Disease Control’s statistics for mortality, which point towards suicide as the third leading cause of death for the 12-19 age group. Depression has also become the second most common cause of death among people aged 15-29, and is the leading cause of illness and disability among 10-19 year olds, with the Philippines ranking first among countries in Southeast Asia in terms of cases.The numbers only underscore the pressing need to emphasize mental health in our country’s healthcare systems, especially with the number of diseases constantly on the rise in adolescents.

In response to this call for action, the Order of Asclepius launched Project Kaleidoscope last 2015. The initiative aims to teach Ilonggo youth effective ways to cope with the stresses of their daily lives through a mental health workshop series led by members of the Order. In the three-part workshop, participants are taught researchand tool-based coping strategies that enable them to recognize stressors, respond with positive coping mechanisms, and strengthen their social and emotional resilience.

Photos by: Order of Asclepius

PROJECT K AT A GLANCE What the workshop aims to achieve can be better understood through its name. The project’s title literally means “beautiful form of coping”, stemming from the Greek words Kalos (beautiful) and logos (form), a rhetoric which the project seeks to espouse.

Project K, as it also fondly called, engages participants in brief lectures and workshops that beautifully meld together the serious reality of their perceived problems with the fun and practicality that come with workshops, sharing sessions, and games. Among these modules include “The Power of Breathing”, which teaches breathing techniques that help clear the mind, and “The Stress Mindset”, which evaluates

their stressors and their response to each. The workshop also provides participants with an innovative tool called the “SchooleidoSCOPE Kit”, which features tangible and accessible reminders of the program’s lessons and strategies such as stress balls and ballpens.

“A lot of times, some of the strategies we impart upon the participants are ones they’re already familiar with, turning to these techniques in times of great stress. Sometimes, the goal then is not to teach them something totally new, but to make definite these abstract concepts; often, that alone is enough to bring some clarity and a certain degree of self-awareness to how they respond to situations, giving them the power to better tailor how they handle future adverse events,” said Maria Montelibano, one of the Order’s Project K team members.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS Since its inception last 2015, Project K has catered to over 200 youth participants from different schools within the province of Iloilo, partnering with non-government organizations, civic groups, and local elementary and high schools. Among its beneficiaries include the Grade 9 students of Jalandoni Memorial National High School, scholars of the Uygongco Foundation, Juvenile detainees from the Daluyan Home for the Boys in Lapuz, Iloilo, and high school students from the University of San Agustin.

When asked about what lies in store for Project K in the coming months, Dominick Dino, Project Leader for Project K, said “We hope to expand the reach of this project within this year and be able to help spread awareness about Mental health one teenager at a time. There are a lot more youths in Iloilo who have not had our [workshops] yet, and so we hope to reach them one by one within the coming years.”

Merriam Webster defines the word kaleidoscope as a variegated changing pattern or scene, or a succession of changing phases and actions. In the same way, the Order hopes that Project K catalyzes change within the landscape of adolescent mental health and its prioritization in the Philippines.

by Arielle Angelique S. Cruz

W

hen someone says that they plan on proceeding to medicine after college, one tends to assume that person is either taking up or has graduated from B.S. Biology, Nursing, Medical Technology, Public Health or Pharmacy. After all, it seems only natural to have a preparatory course in line with the field of medicine for an easier transition when the time comes. However, this is not always the case as medical schools accept graduates from any Bachelor of Arts or Science courses. Students can come from a wide range of backgrounds, even from rather less conventional ones.

In the West Visayas State UniversityCollege of Medicine alone, there are already a handful of these students roaming through Roxas Hall and working hard toward their dreams of becoming physicians.

Third year student, John Arthur Mabaquiao, recalled being nervous during his first few months into medical school. Having graduated from B.S. Information Technology and worked as a data analyst prior, he found himself struggling with the demands of his new course. Arthur, however, could not be deterred. “This is what I want and would rather do than be stuck in an office every day.” He stated that despite feeling at a disadvantage compared to his classmates, he survives by working harder than everyone else.

Ryan Laglagaron, a 2nd year student, had always wanted to become a doctor but he also had a great love for sports. Upon seeing a course that had combined both of his desires, he decided to pursue Bachelor of Sports Science. His undergraduate studies had helped him with some subjects in medical school such as with the musculoskeletal system but he too found it hard to keep up with his peers, especially with regard to study habits. Rather than dwelling on the negatives and comparing himself with others however, Ryan has chosen to focus on improving himself instead.

Though new to the college, Denzel Dumalag, a 1st year student and B.S. Legal Management graduate has had his taste of the trials and tribulations of medicine. He had originally planned on taking Nursing as his preparatory course but circumstances led him to choose one geared towards legal aspects of business. Despite this change, his desire to proceed to medicine did not waver. While some subjects have caused him difficulty but his optimism and excitement towards this new course keeps him going.

When asked how they managed to cope with the difficulties of medicine, all three said that their friends and classmates have been really helpful, answering their questions and assisting them in adjusting to the demanding lifestyle.

To those taking up medicine and have come from less conventional preparatory courses, Arthur says, “If you really want to do it, just do it.

Always believe that you have what it takes.”

“Study hard but don’t forget yourself. People around are always willing to help so don’t be afraid to ask,” advises Ryan.

Finally Denzel tells us, “Take everything as a learning experience because at the end of the day it will help you become a better physician.”

Photos by: Jade Marie Sobrepeña, Denzel Dumalag and Ryan Laglagaron

FEATURE

9

Paperphilia and the Woes of Waste

by Jireh Marielle C. Zaragoza

S

trings of text glow in fluorescent ink.Two circulation books sit forlorn on the bed. The overworked, moody printer coughs up a blotchy precept document.The sight of it all makes one wonder, who would you be without your printer? Your DIY bound reviewers? An exhausted ream of paper is equally stressful to the sudden death of your favorite highlighter. Since college, or high school, even, your tactile receptors have been insatiable in their search of the sensation of text-heavy sheets, as if to assert control over the knowledge you must partake of within one week. Quantifiable, therefore measurable—yes, you could say, you could almost see your success on paper.

“It’s (using printouts and personal notes) a more effective studying method. I can remember and recall information better,” explained Dani*, a first year med student.

In the age of rapid technological advancement, paper products are gradually being kicked out from its role as the primary medium of information dissemination. However, medical students, for instance, are guilty of allotting a certain percentage of their allowances on—you guessed it—bond paper, sticky notes, and other affiliate products, despite the shiny tech gracing even the planet’s humblest dwellers.

Speaking of inventions, paper can be considered on equal ground as the wheel in terms of being the most revolutionary invention of all time. As drastic, as well, is the widespread loss of thousands of hectares’ forest cover. With various species displaced and gone extinct, basal temperatures (and sea levels) rising significantly, the Earth has been ‘burning up’, so to speak. Its inhabitants are not at all immune to the consequential health issues.

On that note, the concept of going paper-less using electronic devices for studies or documentation is nothing new. So why is it still more of an ideal than a reality? After all, paper production and printing do not come cheap. Luigi Dan Alit, a third year, prefers using electronic devices exactly because of these reasons. “It’s eco-friendly, easily accessible,

and portable. Printing notes is also effective for me, but it’s just not practical.”

Len Lunar, a second year, held the same stance. “I like both physical books and e-books. I read both. The information is the same. However, I’d say E-readers are more practical and logical. You can carry a hundred books in a single device and you can take them with you around without straining your shoulders and arms, but I’d still prefer physical books any day,” she said.

Despite the benefits of going paperless, it seems that the decision to use paper products for studying is based on efficacy and convenience, not practicality. (To be fair, passing the module exams is of higher priority to med students.)

Daphne Tanya Molenaar, a first year, explained why she doesn’t often use her handheld device to study. “Other apps and whatnot become 10 times more distracting and I still have the tendency to turn my data on to check something.

There is something about bright screens that are also hard to read through but I’m trying to get used to it considering the amount of material we have to read.”

The challenge lies on what to do with the growing stack of pre-loved notes. One student, Fred*, says that he resorts to either “stacking them in a corner”’ in his room or “giving them to (his) younger sibling to use for his drawings.”

In the case of tree-huggers, one common approach is recycling them, as Daphne plans to do one day. “I’m keeping them piled and will donate them to a recycling plant together with all my papers from college. I’m still looking for a place, though.” For third year Dan*, recycling may mean anything from “burning for bbq/cooking, paper mache or projects, restudying and turning them into a booklet if it is still in good condition.”

On the other hand, some would rather store them away, much like Len does. “I’m a pack rat for this kind of stuff. For now, I don’t intend to toss them out for the next

Photo Credit: krafty.com

decade. I don’t have the heart to get rid of them just yet but I do see myself repurposing some of them into useful pieces of art.”

The process of recycling paper is generally viewed in a positive light, although it is not at all unproblematic. In the country, for example, paper recycling mills are not exactly found just around the corner. Transporting your documents would mean eating up your time, money, and gasoline, the last bit proving counterproductive to your environmentally agreeable intentions. Besides, the wood pulp can only be recycled for as much, and eventually another tree has to be sacrificed for the human race’s quality of life.

Forgoing the use of paper altogether may seem too drastic a transition to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. After all, a life devoid of paper and the writing skill seems all too unimaginable. However, man has always found a way to find to improve the circumstances to his advantage; hopefully, this time, he would remember to factor in the ecological consequences of his actions. In the meantime, the empty space behind your notes would almost certainly not mind getting all inked up.

* not their real name

MILLENNIALS: A Generation Stuck Between Change and Sentiment

by Alexa Gianne L. Morga

W

e all have different problems in our lives. We have different ways to handle our troubles, different ways to react to complications, and different ways to cope with the stresses of our daily lives. Even the way we learn and grow from these trials vary from person to person. No one shares the exact same burdens with another human being, no matter how similar these issues might initially seem. In fact, if one looks hard enough, you would notice that there’s always one tiny detail separating one person’s crisis from another man’s dilemma. There are no exchangeable equivalents when it comes to troubles.

However, even if we do have different setbacks and different worries in life, it’s still important to note that – to a certain extent – all humans suffer in the same way.

These days, with all the chaos and unrest that dominates current times, Millennials want nothing more than to just be a kids again. To crawl back into the safe haven of their respective childhoods, cozy up next to their parents, and ignore the troubles of the outside world in favor of a tub of ice cream and cartoons.

Such is every Millennial’s fantasy.

And as selfish as that may sound to some people, you cannot put the blame entirely on the Millennials for wanting to go back to simpler times. One cannot blame them for searching desperately for their happy place. A peaceful place. You cannot blame them for wanting to remember what it’s like to feel safe again. To go back to a time when their worries were few, fleeting, and largely trivial now that they’re a little older.

What troubled them then? School was hell on earth, as it always is when you’re ten and a little weird. The other kids were capable of such cruelty – of such malice. It’s interesting wonder sometimes if people are really born hateful, or if the hate is slowly built into them. Are people really brought into this world with an innate distaste for their fellow man, or is it something that society puts into them, setting the foundations when they’re too young to understand what it truly means, letting it fester in their hearts until it’s much too large and much too strong to fully get rid of?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

Because truth be told, it’s easy see hate everywhere and every day, even in the places you shouldn’t be finding it. We are constantly bombarded by news reports of wars and of tragedies and of political unrest. Of people drowned in floods and children being shot in the streets. As we breathe, someone out there is either fighting, or dying, or both. These reports flash rapidly on the television screens and in our cellphones, one image after the other coming in quick succession, vanishing just as quickly as they appear.

Millennials are exposed to overwhelming amounts of sadness and horror that the human race just isn’t meant to synthesize.

They never have enough time to fully process one tragedy before another one comes slinking into view. And their grief, though genuine and profound, is always interrupted, cut short, and never fully realized. It leaves them with a hollow, dumbfounded feeling.

Not quite sadness, not quite shock – but more of a reserved numbness. A small throb in their hearts that doesn’t really hurt, per se, but isn’t exactly pleasant either.

They say that when you’re in your 20s, you’re stuck between two different worlds: one side of you is pointed to the future, while the other end clings to the past. You become a sort of mediator between these two places; a navigator of the brink between old and new, constantly teetering back and forth from one side to the other, never truly committing yourself to just one place.

It takes a long time for someone to get unstuck, partly because of fear and partly because of sentiment.

The Millennials are scared to face their future and much too fond of their past to truly walk away from it, so instead, they reserve to stay in a purgatory of “almosts”, “soons”, “not quite yets”, and “what ifs”.

And while it’s tempting to think of this as an odd predicament for Millennials to find themselves in, wedged between these two opposing sides, it actually puts them at a great advantage.

With this point of view, Millennials are able see both perspectives with the clarity and impartiality that only they have the privy to, looking out into the future while simultaneously being mindful of the past. And only they can see the world this way. How it grows and changes from this strictly in the middle type of perspective, balanced and even, the mix between two clashing ideals finding common ground through their eyes.

With the way the world is today, it’s easy to want to give up and accept all this madness as the new normal. Except we know that it isn’t normal. We know that this isn’t how the world should be. We know that this is all going terribly wrong and someone should say something about it.

If the Millennials choose to stay silent now, who will stop this from getting worse?

As human beings, we are all innately different.

We will always have things we disagree on, beliefs we might not share, and ideas we might not stand with.

And it’s only in those rare, momentous occasions in history that we actually come together as one human race to accomplish something, and even then, it’s a tedious task to do.

But have faith for the future. Believe in your heart that the youth of today – the Millenial generation – is more than capable of accomplishing such a task.

Even though people would consider them “trapped” between childhood and adulthood, they are crafty and clever enough to use that perceived set-back to their advantage. To use it to bring people together, in the face of adversity, and rise up to create something better.

Therefore, the Millennials must take it upon themselves to keep up the good fight – to not succumb to the chaos and the despair that currently dominates our world – but rather – endeavor to find an antidote to its suffering.

Digital Art by: Alexa Gianne L. Morga

FILIPINO

10

WVSU Medicine Student Council at iba pang organisasyon, nagbahagi ng tulong sa Marawi ni Jeson E. De Vicente

KAPIT KAMAY SA TAGUMPAY. Isa ang IRCP sa mga aktibidad ng MSC na naglalayong pag-isahin ang mga mag-aaral sa kabila ng kanilang tambak na gawain at aralin.

Kuha ni: Charisse Ann M. Monsale

Amazing race tampok sa IRCP ni Archieval S. Guitche

Muling nagpasiklab ang bawat mag-aaral ng College of Medicine sa taunang InternResident-Consultant Program o IRCP na idinaos sa West Visayas State University (WVSU) noong ika-12 ng Agosto sa pangunguna ng Medicine Student Council (MSC). Ang nasabing aktibidad ay binigyang kulay ng temang: “Medventure Time”.

Ang dating format ng nasabing event ay binago at

EDITORYAL:

inihalintulad sa Amazing Race.

Sa opisyal na pagbubukas ng IRCP, ang bawat mag-aaral sa iba’t ibang antas ay hinati sa bawat pangkat. Ang aktibidad ay inumpisahan sa pagpapakita ng kanilang natatanging kahusayan sa cheers at yells.

Tuluyan itong sinundan ng pagpapamalas ng kanilang angking galing sa aspetong pisikal at mental. Ang bawat grupo ay kinakailangang kumpletuhin

ang pagsubok sa bawat istasyong kanilang pinuntahan.

Ang nasabing aktibidad ay tuluyang nagtapos sa isang maliit na salo-salo o boodle fight na inihanda ng MSC. Kasabay nito ay ang paggawad ng parangal sa mga nagsipagwagi.

Layunin ng programang ito na pagkaisahin at paigtingin ang samahan ng bawat magaaral sa College of Medicine.

Sa pamumuno ng West Visayas State University (WVSU) Medicine Student council kaakibat ang iba pang mga organisasyon tulad ng Asian Medical Students Association-WVSU, Order of Asclepius, Vital Signs, at Campus Crusade for Christ ay nagawang makapamahagi ng tulong sa mga pamilyang naapektuhan ng digmaan sa syudad ng Marawi noong unang araw ng buwan ng Hunyo.

Nakalikom ang mga naturang organisasyon ng tatlong malalaking kahon na naglalaman ng bigas, mga pagkaing de lata, noodles, sabon at mga damit. Maliban sa pagkain at mga damit ay nag-ambag din ang iba’t ibang organisasyon ng WVSU College of Medicine ng pera na ibabahagi sa mga taong nadamay sa malagim na trahedya sa Marawi.

Sa presensya ng Tulong Kabataan Volunteer Network Visayas, grupo ng mga kabataan na may layuning tumulong sa mga nangangailangan, at sa tulong na rin ng Department of Social Welfare and Development ay nagawang maipamahagi nang

Sino ang nawalan?

Hindi maitatanggi na laman ng bawat pahayagan at media ang kaliwa’t kanang patayan. Sa tuwing maririnig natin ito, ano ang unang sumasagi sa iyong isipan?

Ito ang panahon kung saan makikita na walang pangil ang batas – ang hustisya ay nasa kamay ng iilan lamang. Ang kultura ng bihilantismo ay tila nagiging pangkaraniwan na lamang sa atin. Isang masakit na katotohanan ang walang pakundangang pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan ng mga nasa kinauukulan.

Kasabay nito ay naging mainit na isyu ang malagim na sinapit ni Dr. Dreyfuss Perlas, isang doctor-to-the-barrio sa Lanao del Norte.

Ang insidenteng ito ay muling sinundan nang sunod-sunod na pagpatay sa mga manggagamot sa iba’t ibang parte ng bansa. Hindi pa man natatapos ang taong ito, anim na doktor na ang pinaslang.

Ayon sa pahayag ng Department of Health, may umiiral na kakulangan sa hanay ng mga empleyadong medikal sa bansa lalong-lalo na sa mga malalayong lugar sa bansa. Itinatayang may isang doktor lamang para sa bawat 300,000 katao. Sa bilang na ito’y kakaunti lang din ang nagkakagustong magsilbi sa pamahalaan.

Upang punan ang kakulangang ito, kasalukuyang nagbibigay ang pamahalaan ng iskolarship kapalit ang pagsilbi bilang doctor-tothe-barrio. Maliban dito ay may nakabinbin ding batas sa Kongreso na naglalayong bigyan ng Sistema ang libreng papapaaral sa mga nagnanais na maging manggagamot para sa bayan. Ngunit hanggang hindi nabibigyan ng hustisya ang pagkakapaslang kina Dr. Drey, patuloy na mailalagay sa walang katiyakan ang estado ng pangangailangang ito.

Ang pagpaslang sa mga manggagamot ng lipunan ay isang malaking insulto sa mga mamamayan. Ang kanilang sakripisyo ay maituturing na isang kabayanihan, na mas pinili nilang manatili sa bansa at magtiis sa kakarampot na kita makapaglingkod lamang sa bayan. Ang mga doctors-to-the-barrio na pinapadala sa pinakamahihirap na sulok ng Pilipinas ay siyang inaasahan ng marami sa ating mga kababayan na hindi nabibigyang pansin ng pamahalaan. Ang kawalang hustisya sa mga pangyayaring ito ay isang malaking pagnanakaw sa kinabukasan ng kanilang mga pasyente at mahal sa buhay.

Iba’t iba man ang motibo ng pagpaslang sa ating mga manggagamot ay hindi maisasantabi ang malaking posibilidad na karamihan sa mga ito ay may kinalaman sa isyung pulitikal. Tila nakakalungkot ang pagsasawalang bahala sa usapin ng karapatang pantao at ang maliit na pagtingin ngayon ng nakararami sa buhay ng tao. Tunay na isang malaking papel ang ginampanan ng administrasyong ito sa paglaganap ng ganitong mga nakagigimbal na pangyayari.

maayos ang mga nakalap na damit at pagkain sa mga bakwit na siyang pangunahing biktima sa di inaasahang pangyayari sa syudad ng Marawi.

Ayon kay Binibining Anna Katharina Tirador, Presidente ng WVSU Medicine Student Council at punong abala sa Marawi donation drive, “Gusto lang namin na matulungan ‘yong mga kababayan natin” at hindi lang daw ito ang una at huling tulong na maibibigay nila bagkus ay simula pa lang ito ng pagkakapit-bisig ng mga organisasyon sa WVSU College of Medicine para maghatid ng pagmamahal at tulong sa kapwa natin Filipino.

PARA SA KAPWA. Nagbigay ang mga estudyante ng WVSU ng tulong sa mga apektado sa malagim na trahedya sa Marawi.

Kuha ni: Anna Katharina L. Tirador

FILIPINO

11

Talakayan

Talastasing-Pilit

ni Ian Leoj M. Gumban

ni Christabelle B. Prebillo

Maging Henyo: Ipaglaban ang Mental na Kalusugan

#Metoo, ano ang maaari mong gawin?

Kadalasan, hindi alam ng ordinaryong tao ang pinagkaiba ng kalungkutan at klinikal na depresyon kung kaya ang sakit na ito ay hindi binibigyang pansin sa ating kultura. Nariyan din ang negatibong pananaw laban sa mga taong nagsasabing nais na nilang mamatay at sa mga taong kumitil ng kanilang sariling buhay.

Marahil ang mga saloobing ito ay nakaugat sa ating malalim na paniniwala sa relihiyon at kulturang nagbibigay halaga sa buhay. Kahit na ilang dekada na ring napatunayan ang medikal na katotohan ng depresyon, mariin pa ring masasabi ng karamihan sa mga Pilipino na ang mga taong nakararanas nito ay posibleng may kakulangan lamang sa pananalig sa Diyos.

At kahit ilang ulit nating ibabahagi ang impormasyon tungkol sa depresyon, may mga opinyon pa ring lalabas na tututol sa katotohanang ito. Ibig sabihin, marami pa tayong dapat gawin para sa kalagayan ng mental na kalusugan dito sa ating bansa.

KAHIT TAYO AY HINDI LIGTAS SA DEPRESYON Marami sa inyo ang nakakaalam ng aking pakikibaka sa kolehiyong ito. Hindi ko naisip na kailanman ay maaari akong magkamali at umulit ng mga blocks ko sa aking medikal na pag-aaral. Ngunit nangyari nga ang hindi maiiwasan at ako’y nakaranas ng kabiguang akala ko’y hindi ko na malalampasan.

Dumating ako sa puntong nawalan na ako ng pag-asa at nakaranas ng malubhang kawalan ng kakayahan sa buhay.

Aaminin ko, humantong din ako sa puntong ninais ko nang mamatay sa kadahilanang ako’y lubhang nalungkot sa aking mga naranasan.

Mabuti na lang at nabigyan ako ng pamilya at mga tao sa simbahan ng umalalay at nagpaliwanag sa akin

na sila’y nandiyan lang para sa akin.

Isa rin sa nakatulong sa akin ay ang mga mumunting aliw na ibinigay ng mga palabas sa telebisyon. Isa na doon ang noo’y sikat na sikat pang AlDub sa palabas na Eat Bulaga. Sa ngayon, masasabi kong korny at nakakatindig-balahibo ang aking pagkahumaling sa tambalan.

Naging takbuhan ko ang mga video ng AlDub sa internet para maiwasan ang lubos na pagkalungkot. Kung bigla kong maiiisip ang mga nakakalungkot na pangyayari sa buhay ko, manonood ako ng Kalyeserye at itatawa ang nararamdaman. Hindi na ako humantong sa sitwasyong kinailangan kong magpakonsulta para sa aking nararamdan ngunit sa ngayon, masasabi kong sana ay sinubukan ko upang ako ay maagang natulungan.

Kaya nga ako ay nabigla nung ibinalita na may sinabing hindi maganda si Joey de Leon, isa sa mga hosts ng Eat Bulaga, tungkol sa depresyon. Bigla akong naghinayang dahil isa ang palabas nila ang masasabi kong nagbabawas sa kalungkutan sa mga taong nanonood.

HINDI KAILANGANG MAGING HENYO Sinabi ni de Leon sa palabas na hindi totoo ang depresyon. Ang kanyang eksaktong mga salita ay, “Hindi, ‘wag niyong suportahan, gawa-gawa lang niya ‘yun, pabayaan niyo… nagpapasosyal lang.” Higit pa sa pagsasaoras ng kanyang sinabi ay ang araw na iyon: sinabi niya ito noon ika-5 ng Oktubre, limang araw bago ang pagdiriwang ng Pandaigdigang Araw ng Mental na Kalusugan.

Halata sa kaniyang pagkakasabi na marami pa rin sa Pilipinas ang hindi mulat sa katotohanan ng mental na kalusugan. Nandiyan pa rin ang dungis na nauugnay sa mga taong

may problema sa pag-iisip at hindi pa rin lubos na tinatanggap ang ugaling pagpapakonsulta para sa problemang mental.

TULOY PA RIN ANG LABAN Ayon sa World Health Organization, ang bilang ng mga taong nabubuhay na may depresyon ay nadagdagan ng 18% mula 2005 hanggang 2015 at mahihinuhang may 322 milyong taong nabubuhay na may depresyon sa 2015, kumpara sa 280 milyon noong 2005.

At kahit na ang Pilipinas ang may pinakakaunting bilang ng nagpapakamatay sa Timogsilangang Asya, sa bawat 100,000 katao ay may 2.5 sa mga lalake at 1.7 sa mga babae ayon sa Department of Health National Center for Mental Health. Noong 2012, tinatayang may higit sa 2,500 katao ang nagpakamatay: 2,008 sa mga lalake at 550 sa mga babae.

At kahit may negatibong pagpuna sa sinabi ni de Leon sa kanilang palabas, naging paraan din naman ito upang mabigyang buhay ang talakayan ukol sa mental na kalusugan sa bansa.

Pinuri din ang reaksyon ni Maine Mendoza sa kanyang pagtatanggol sa depresyon bilang isang totoong pangyayari.

Humingi na rin ng tawad si de Leon at inakong nagkamali siya sa kaniyang sinabi at nagpahiwatig ng kakulangan sa pag-unawa sa bagay na ito. Nang dahil sa mga ibinahaging mga post sa social media ay naging mainit din ang pagtalakay sa mental na kalusugan kahit saan.

Bilang mga mag-aaral medikal, sana’y hindi tayo patitinag kung tayo ay pinupuna dahil sa ating mga ibinabahagi online tungkol sa mental na kalusugan. Sana ay patuloy nating ilaban ang karapatan nga mga Pilipino at maging bahagi sa pagmumulat ng ating taong bayan.

Oktubre ng taong ito ay lumaganap sa social media ang hashtag na #metoo. Bawat tweet at status ay nagsadula ng pangaabusong seksual na naranasan ng libu-libong kababaihan sa mundo.

Mula sa magaang pagpatong ng kamay sa tuhod hanggang sa panggagahasa, ibinahagi ng mga matatapang na kababaihan ang mga pagdisrespeto sa kanilang pagkababae ng mga lalaking ginamit ang kanilang dahas. Sa mga kwentong ito, ipinakita at pinatuyan ng mga babae na tunay at nangyayari sa ating lipunan ang pang-aabuso sa kababaihan.

Ayon sa United Nations Women Organization, tinatayang 35% ng populasyon ng kababaihan sa mundo ay nakaranas ng pisikal at/o seksual na pang-aabuso. Ayon rin sa isang survey na ginawa ng naturang organisasyon sa Pilipnas, tatlo sa bawat limang Pilipina ang nakaranas ng pang-aabuso.

Sa isang 5-year retrospective study na ginawa sa lalawigan ng Iloilo, may naitalang 22.13% na seksual na pang-aabuso kung saan 50.37% ay panggagahasa at 22.13% ay lascivious conduct tulad ng panghihipo, pamboboso at paninipol. Lahat ng biktima ng mga kaso ay kababaihan at ang madalas na nag-aabuso ay ang kabit-bahay.

Ang mga numerong ito ay nakakabahala at ngayon ay patuloy pang tumataas. Tila nagising nga ang mundo sa katotohanang nakakagimbal na ito. Nabigyan ng boses ang mga kababaihan at kanilang napagtanto na sila ay hindi nag-iisa. Ngunit, ano ang dapat gawin upang mabigyan ng kaukulang responde ang problemang ito?

Ang mga iskolar tulad ni Lauren Rosewarne at Jessalyn Keller ay nagpaliwanag na ang paggamit ng hashtag na #metoo ay isang modernong paraan ng pagtaas ng kamalayan ukol sa sexual abuse. Ngunit ang uri ng aktibismong ito ay may maliit na lugar ng pagprogresibo lampas

sa simpleng pagbabahagi ng iba’tibang karanasan at ang social media ay naglalagay din sa kanila sa isang bukas na lugar para sa cyber-bullying. Hindi sapat na malaman lamang ng mga tao na nagaganap ang mga karahasang ito at hindi rin sapat na itala lamang natin sa papel kung ano ang nararapat gawin sa pamamagitan ng mga batas.

Datapwat, kailangan nating paigtingin ang moralidad ng lipunan at palakasin ang kahalagahan ng respeto sa bawat isa. Nararapat na bumuo tayo ng isang lipunan kung saan malayang maipapahayag ng kababaihan ang kanilang hindi pagsang-ayon. Hindi ko maipagtanto kung bakit tinuturuan ang mga batang babae kung paano umupo, paano dumamit at paano gumalaw na hindi mababastos ngunit tila hindi pinapasok sa isipan ng mga batang lalaki na masama ang mangbastos at tingnan ang isang babae na tila matamis na prutas. Nakakaalarma na ayon sa survey na ginawa ng UN Women Organization sa bansa na mas maraming babaeng biktima ng pang-aabuso (24%) ang naniniwalang kasalanan nila kung bakit sila inabuso kaysa sa mga kalalakihang nag-abuso (21%). Ang mga kababaihan ay hindi dapat lumaki na pilit na pinapaunawa sa mahigit kalahati ng populasyon ng mundo na ang kanyang katawan ay hindi isang ulam. Kailanman ay hindi hawak ng babae ang malaswang pag-iisip ng isang lalaki, ang kanilang mga kilos ay hindi namin responsibilidad.

Tunay ngang sa bawat tahanan nagsisimula ang magandang asal ngunit hindi pa huli upang bumuo tayo ng isang lipunan kung saan ligtas ang karapatan hindi lamang ng kababaihan ngunit pati na rin ang kalalakihan at may pagkakapantaypantay at respeto sa bawat isa.

Nawa’y sa susunod na #metoo na magtetrend, hindi na kuwento ng pang-aabuso ngunit kuwento na bawat isa ay may nagawa upang mabuo ang lipunang ito.

Balintataw ni Jeson E. De Vicente

Krusada

Tara, Med tayo!

Sa panahon ngayon, marami na ang tumatahak sa landas ng pagmemedisina.

Mahirap, mayaman, bata man o matanda, lahat pupwedeng maging isang doktor. Hindi lingid sa kanilang mga kaalaman ang masalimuot na kaganapan na maaari nilang maranasan sa oras na tinahak nila ang ganitong landasin.

Hindi lahat ng mga nagmemedisina ay pinangarap talagang maging isang doktor, may mga iilan na tila napilitan lang kesyo sabi ng kanilang mga magulang dapat maging ganito ka kasi ganito din ako, kesyo magmemedisina din daw ang kanilang nobyo/nobya o kesyo may pera naman daw sila.

Masakit mang isipin subalit may mga iilan na nakatapos na lamang sa kursong pagmemedisina nang mapagtanto nila na hindi pala pagiging doktor ang nilalaman ng kanilang mga puso.

Apat na taong paghahanda sa kolehiyo bago ka makapasok sa pagmemedisina at karagdagang

apat na taon para mapag-aralan at ma-isapuso mo ang tunay na layunin ng isang magiting na doktor at karagdagang isang taon para maghatid ng serbisyong publiko nang walang hinihintay na kapalit bago ka maging kwalipikado para kumuha ng Physician Licensure Examination na siyang huhusga sayo kung karapatdapat at handa ka na ba talagang magsalba ng buhay ng ibang tao.

Mahigit kumulang sampung taon para sa titulong nais. Mahigit kumulang sampung taong pagsasakripisyo malayo sa pamilya.

Mahigit kumulang sampung taong pagiging manhid sa mga samu’t saring panlalait mula sa iba’t ibang personalidad na maaari mong makasalamuha sa pagkamit mo sa iyong mga pangarap. Sampu, sampung taon at marami pang nakaabang na taon ang maaari mong isakripisyo kung hindi naman talaga pagiging doktor ang siyang iyong ninanais.

Datapwat ang pagiging doktor

ay hindi isang magarang kotse na pwede mong ibalandra, ipagmalaki at ipagmayabang dahil sa mahal, maganda o natatangi ito sa lahat.

Ika-nga ni uncle Ben sa Spider-man, “With great power comes great responsibility”.

Nang mga sandaling naisipan mong maging doktor ay ang mga sandaling tinapos mo na rin ang pagiging makasarili mo. Sapagkat hindi buhay mo ang mahalaga kundi ang buhay ng ibang tao.

Kaagapay ng titulong MD ang pagpasan mo sa responsibilidad na alagaan at ingatan ang buhay ng mga taong nangangailangan ng tulong mo.

Kaya bago pumasok ng pagmemedisina, mag-isip. Isa, dawala, tatlo o kahit ilang beses pa hanggang sa malaman mo talaga kung ano at sinong persona ang nakikita mong maging ikaw pagkatapos ng sampung taon.

Bagkus, walang mahirap basta para sa pangarap. Ang masaklap kung ito’y pawang pagpapanggap.

ni Berlie Alvarado

Magnanakaw Nakakabahala na ang mga pagamin ng presidente sa mga gawagawa lamang na bank accounts at pati na rin ang paghamon niya sa mga namamahala ng iba’t ibang ahensiya gamit ang militar at ang sobra-sobrang pagbawas ng badyet. Idagdag pa ang mga panggulong komento at pagwaldas ng pera ng mga hindi naman kwalipikado sa mga matataas na posisyon sa gobyerno.

Ilang paraan na ang ginamit upang ilihis ang imbestigasyon sa walang sawang mga pagpatay na hindi dumadaan sa kaukulang pagbusisi. Hindi na maikakailang buwag na ang mas payapang pagiisip ng mga Pilipino noon. Para sa mga nakakaintindi ng moralidad at magandang asal, ang inaasam nating maayos na lipunan ay hindi maaatim sa karahasan.

Masasabing nabuwag ang payapang pag-iisip ng bawat Pilipino na nakakakita at nakakaramdam

sa mga nangyayari. Ang seguridad mo habang naglalakad sa kalsada, sa loob ng sariling bahay, kahit sa loob ng sariling opisina. Hindi na nakakatulog ng maayos sa gabi.

May takot na umaaligid sa kasuluksulukan ng utak. Dilat ka na nga, pero binabagabag ka pa rin ng mga kathang-isip mo, pinakatagu-tago mong saloobin, ng konsensiya mo.

Ang sabi ng utak mo, may dapat kang gawin, may magagawa ka, parang may mali, o ipagsawalang bahala na lamang. Ang totoo, parte din tayo ng lipunang ito kaya’t may magagawa tayo. Magsimula dapat sa sarili.

Kung bukas ang mata nang may pag-intindi sa kasalukuyan, maari pa itong maagapan. Kung sana ay kilala nila ang Diyos. Ay hindi, kilala na pala nila. Kung sana ay nakikinig sila sa Kanya... hindi man perpekto ang mundo ay maaaring mas maging payapa ang paligid at kalooban natin.

lathalain

12

ni Jeson E. De Vicente

“K

asabay sa pagkamit ninyo sa inyong panibagong yugto ang pagsibol ng mga hiblang abong ito”. Maituturing na pagsubok ang pagtahak sa landas patungo sa ina asam-asam naming titulo, ang titulong pinangarap namin magmula pa noong kami’y musmos. Pero lingid sa kaalaman nang iba ang kwento ng isang pilosopo tasyo na sumasabay din sa pagpasan sa bulubunduking kalbaryo sa loob ng bulwagan ng kolehiyo ng medisina sa paaralang WVSU, siya ay walang iba kundi si “Tatay Rex”.

Nangungulubot na balat dala ng katandaan, mala-kontrabidang bigote sa pelikula at di gaanong kagandahang tikas, ilan lamang iyan sa mga pisikal na katangiang mamumutawi sa iyong balintataw sa tuwing makikita mo si Tatay Rex. Ang kanyang postura ay makikita mong pagod na sa araw-araw na gawain niya sa loob ng bulwagan (taga-linis ng sahig, taga-lampaso ng banyo, tubero, mekaniko at kung anu-ano pa) pero bakas pa rin sa kanyang mga mukha ang mga ngiting nagsisilbing tungkod sa mga nanlulupaypay na katawan at tila inaantok na mga mata ng mga mag-aaral ng medisina. Sa bawat bukang-liwayway na kaming mag-aaral ay nakikipagdigma at sa mga libulibong babasahin na aming sinasagupa ay siya ring pakikibaka ni Tatay Rex para labanan ang antok at magpursiging talunin ang grabidad na humihila pabalik sa kanyang kinahihigaan sapagkat dala-dala niya ang responsibilidad na buksan ang bulwagang nagsisilbing tahanan ng mga magigiting na doktor sa hinaharap. Sa mga panahong nababalot na ng kadiliman ang paligid na hudyat na ng paghahanap ng kanyang mga anak at kanyang asawa’y wala siyang magawa kundi ang maghintay sa pagtatapos ng mga samu’t saring kaganapang kinalalahukan ng yaring mag-aaral. Minsan nga’y kasabay na nang Kuha ni: Jade Marie M. Sobrepeña

paglubog ng haring araw ang pag-asang makauuwi pa si tatay Rex nang maaga sa kanyang mumunting tahanan sapagkat nariyan ang lupon ng mag-aaral sa iisang kwarto at nagsisikantahan pa at sa kabilang kwarto nama’y mayroong nagsisiyawan din. Pero sa kabila nang mga pagsasakripisyo niya’y hindi siya nakitaan ng anumang pagsalungat sa aming ginagawa sa halip ay nariyan pa siya’t nakikisuporta sa tuwing kami’y may mga palabas.

Minsan, bandang hapon, sa isang espasyo’y mayroong nagpupumilit isiksik ang kanyang katawan sa kasuluk-sulukan at may pagkaing inuubos. Si tatay Rex, ang matandang mama, ay siya pa lamang mag tatanghalian sapagkat natagalan siya sa pagtapos ng kanyang mga gawain. Tila yata’y nakikisabay siya sa aming mga nagmemedisina sa larangan ng pagod at gutom. Sa bawat araw na aming ginugugol sa pag-aaral ay siya namang oras na nilalaan niya sa pagtatrabaho.

Sa bawat oras na sana’y nandoon kami sa aming mga pamilya’y siya ring oras na nangungulila si tatay Rex sa kanyang mga anak at minamahal. At sa bawat sandaling nais na naming sumuko’y ganoon din si… hindi, hindi siya sumusuko, sa mga panahong nais na naming sumuko’y nariyan siya’t handang umalalay at magsilbing gabay, hindi man sa larangan ng medisina, pero sa pag-aalay ng dasal at paghahandog ng mga katagang tatagos sa iyong damdamin at uugong sa inyong mga tenga’t magsasabing kaya mo ‘yan!

Si Tatay Rex, na minsang nagsabing “Kasabay ng pagkamit ninyo sa inyong panibagong yugto ay ang pagsibol ng mga hiblang abong ito”, mga kataga na siyang droga, natatanging droga na malamang hindi ayaw ni pangulong Digong, na nagbibigay ng walang humpay na ligaya at nag-uumapaw na pag-asa sa aming mga nagmemedisina na bukas makalawa kami ay giginhawa at bukas makalawa titulong MD ay makakamit.

ni Christabelle B. Prebillo

N

agdulot ng pangamba lalo na sa mga magulang ang iba-ibang balita at posts sa social media tungkol sa isa na namang sakit na nakukuha sa kagat ng lamok. Tila nanatiling isa sa mga pinakamadalas na tagapaghatid ng sakit ang mga lamok partikular na sa mga bansang tropikal tulad ng Pilipinas. Isa na namang sakit dulot ng kagat ng lamok ang tumatala ng lumalaking kaso sa bansa, ang Japanese Encephalitis. Ano nga ba ito at paano ito maiiwasan?

Ang Japanese Encephalitis (JE) ay isang sakit na galing sa Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) na nagdudulot ng pamamaga sa utak. Ang JEV ay isang uri ng flavivirus tulad ng dengue, chikungunya at malaria na nakukuha sa kagat ng lamok. Ayon sa World Health Organization, ito ay isa sa pangunahing dahilan ng viral encephalitis sa maraming bansa sa Asya na may tinatayang 68,000 kaso kada taon. Ang Pilipinas ay isa sa mga bansang may panganib ng JE ayon sa Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Ang mga pangkaraniwang biktima ay mga bata 15-anyos pababa. Karamihan sa JEV infections ay nagdudulot lamang ng lagnat at sakit ng ulo ngunit tinatayang 1 sa 250 na impeksiyon ay nagreresulta sa malubhang karamdaman. Ito ay nilalarawan ng mataas na lagnat, sakit ng ulo at tiyan, pagkapagod, paninigas at pananakit ng leeg, pagsusuka, kumbulsyon, paralisis at

ang JE ay lumalaganap buong taon ngunit mas madalas tuwing mga buwan ng Abril hanggang Agosto dahil sa mauling panahon.

Wala pang natutuklasang lunas ang sakit na Japanese Encephalitis kung kaya mas nararapat na iwasang matamaan ng sakit na ito. Sa kasalukuyan, may bakuna para maproteksyonan mula sa sakit na ito ngunit ito ay limitado lamang at umaabot sa halagang Php 3,500 hanggang Php 5000. Ang Department of Health (DOH) ay may planong isama sa national immunization program sa 2018 ang bakuna para sa JE dahil sa patuloy na paglaki ng mga naitalang kaso sa bansa. Mula Enero 1 hanggang Agosto 26 ng taong ito, umabot na sa 133 kaso ng Japanese Encephalitis ang naitala at 9 rito ang namatay.

Ayon sa DOH, dapat ding isabuhay ang 4S laban sa mga sakit na hatid ng lamok. Ito ang: (1) Search & destroy mosquito breeding places o Photo Credit: Center for Disease Control pagkalap at pagsira sa mga lugar na kawalang-malay. Nakamamatay ito sa 30% ng mga itlugan ng mga lamok, (2) use Self-protection apektadong kaso. measures o pagsusuot at paggamit ng mga Ang JEV ay may reservoir sa baboy at kapag proteksyon laban sa nangangagat na lamok, nakagat ng lamok na Culex tritaeniorhynchus, (3) Seek early consultation for fevers lasting maaaring malipat sa lamok ang virus at maisasalin more than 2 days o agad na pagpapatingin sa sa tao sa pamamagitan ng kagat. Dahil dito, doktor kung may lagnat na higit na sa 2 araw, karamihan ng kaso ng JE ay matatagpuan sa mga at pang-huli, (4) Say yes to fogging when there rural o mga agrikultural na bahagi ng bansa. is an impending outbreak o pagsuporta sa Kadalasang nangangagat ang Culex mosquito pagpapa-usok sa lugar na may napapabalitang tuwing gabi at malamig na panahon. Sa Pilipinas, paglaganap ng sakit.

multi-lingual

“N

ak, bugtaw na kay udto na!” Ini mga tinaga nga permi ginahambal ni KD sa iya mga kabataan sa kada adlaw nga gin-ubra sang Ginoo. Paano bala kon mag-abot ang adlaw nga ang iya naman nga mga kabataan ang magahambal sa ila iloy nga, “Nay, bugtaw na kay udto na?” Manami bala ini?

Ang iloy, nga mas bantog sa ngalan nga KD, manubo nga bayi, matambok, kag daw haluson na nga indi mabugno tungod sa iya nga nawong nga daw nagakusmod lang permi.

Bisan pa, tama gid siya ka mapinalanggaon sa iya nga mga kabataan nga tanan na lang iya ubrahon mahatag lang ang tanan nila nga kinahanglanon.

Apang, sa iya nga pagkapisan kag sa sobra ka pag-atipan sang iya mga kabataan kag bana, amo man ang iya paghalad sang iya panglawason nga nagresulta sa indi manami nga ginabatyag. Ang mapinalanggaon kag mabuot nga iloy nag-amat-amat nga nangluya tubtub nga nahibaluan na lang nga madugay na siya gali nagabatyag sang mataas nga altapresyon nga nag resulta sa pagkaguba sang iya nga duwa ka bato.

Indi lang langit kag duta ang naghaplak sa kabuhi ni KD kundi nabatyagan niya gd nga daw bilog nga kalibutan ang natumba sa ila panimalay nga daw haluson na lang nga makabangon. Ang masakit pa sini, ang iya nga bata nga dugay na nga nagapangabay sa iya nga magsaka sa entablado tungod kay permi ini makabaton sang medalya tungod sang iya kaalam daw indi niya na guid maubra. Kon sang una, ang rason niya lang amo nga indi siya magsaka sa entablado kay daw

13

kabulig lang siya kuno kung tulukon, sa subong indi na siya makasaka tungod gapalangluya na ini halin sang nagsugod siya sa iya dialysis. Ang iya nga mga kabataan nga permi lang nagatapik kag nagasalig sa iya naga amat-amat na batyag sang kabudlayan kag kasakit.

Sugod sang nagguluwa ang mga balatian sa lawas ni KD nagsugod man ang mga pamangkotanon niya sa aton Ginoo kon ngaa bala siya gid, kon ngaa indi ang mga adik nga nagapamatay sang mga inosente nga tawo, kon ngaa indi ang mga pulitiko nga ang kalipayan lang ang ubuson ang manggad sang Pilipinas, kon ngaa indi ang mga tawo nga tsismis lang ang ginaubra sa bilog nga adlaw, kon ngaa indi ang mga ISIS nga amo ang rason sang pagkapatay kag pagkaguba sang mga kabuhi sang mga nagaistar sa Marawi, kon ngaa indi, ngaa siya gid, ngaa si KD gid.

Si KD, nga sadto anay matambok subong maniwang na nga bayi. Kon sang una daw indi siya mabugno tungod nagakusmod lang permi ang iya guya sa subong indi na siya mabugno tungod nga siya pila na ka adlaw nga nagahigda kag nagatulog sa ospital.

Tungod sini ang iya mga bata naman ang nagahambal sa iya sang mga tinaga nga, “Nay, bugtaw na kay udto na.” Ini mga tinaga nga nagapakita sang paglaum nga tani isa ka adlaw maga-ayo na ang ila iloy. Nga isa ka adlaw mabatian nila liwat ang tingog sang ila nga iloy nga magahambal sang, “’Nak, bugtaw na kay udto na”.

Si KD… may CKD, Chronic Kidney Disease.

Photo credit: pinterest.com

Bisayang Doktor

Sa Amon Dakbanwa

ni Jessica Danielle G. Dato-on

ni John Rex Baltazar

Kanus-a sayup ang paghigugma?

Kanus-a ba dyud sayup ang ka kung wala ka nanikal. Mao ning una nga paghigugma? Kung masakitan ka? Kung sayup sa paghigugma, dili pa ka andam to makasakit ka? Ni-ingon sila nga dili dyud show your true self. sayup maghigugma; ingon nila sayup Pa-unsa pa gid? Imong gi-like tanan niya imong gihigugma o sayup inyong timing nga posts sa facebook, gipagluto nimo sya, pero para sa akua pwede dyud magsayup hatid-sundo pa dyud, muadto ka sa tanang ang paghigugma. dula niya para mu-cheer bisan takyan pa iya Pa-unsa? Gihigugma dyud nimo sya, ginadula, halos tanan buhaton nimo para mao gusto mo hindi sya masakitan, mao niya bisan gikapoy na ka og daghan pa kang manikal ka kay gusto nimo panalipdan iyang basahunon sa med. Mouyon ka sa pagtuo gibati. Manikal ka nga dili na mo higalaay niya nga bagay ang yellow og brown ipares sa imong ex kay para nimo mag-away bisan dili dyud bitaw ka kauyon og para nimo ra mo kay dili sya murag igit ang makasabot. Manikal “Mali ang paghigugma kung yellow og brown ka nga bagay niya maguban. Unsay iyang bago nga wala pa dyud nimo nahatagan sayup nga buhaton pagputol sa buhok og gugma imong sarili.” nimo ni nga mga bisan murag siya si bagay para niya?

Annabelle. Manikal Syempre, grabe nga lami kaayo iyang giluto nga pasayan og dyud imong gugma para niya mao na gusto mao na imong bago nga paboritong sud-an nimo palangga-on sya. Ginabuhat man bisan luod kaayo og kasukaon na ka. Bisan pud ni niya para nimo. Ganahan man ka dako o gamay pa na imong pagpanikal, ikaw na ginakilig niya, grabe man gihapon ang pangutan-on, epektibo man? Dili dyud. Kada pagpukpok sa imong kasingkasing. Pero pagpanikal nimo, gabuhat ka lang hukay sa igo lang ba ang kilig para magsige ka og taliwala ninyong duwa. Kadugayan wala ka hatag niya? Dili pud. Bago ka makahatag kabatyag, galalom nga galalom ang hukay og gugma para sa uban, kinahanglan hangtod mahulog siya sa imong gihukay nga imo anay higugmaon imong sarili. Love og ma-fall out of love sya. Ngano man? yourself first. Dili man ka selfish, bal-an mo Gihigugma mo gid man sya, pinalipdan mo lang nga okay lang nga dili mo dungan pirme. gani iyang gibati kay di ka gusto muhilak Mas daghan man pud imong mahatag nga sya. Simple lang, tungod nanikal ka, may gugma kung gihigugma nimo imong sarili anay. parte sa imong sarili nga wala nimo napakita Hinumdomi, mali ang paghigugma sa imong gihigugma, kadugayan para sa kung wala pa dyud nimo nahatagan og iyaha lain ka sa tawo nga imong gipakita gugma imong sarili, gugma nga igo para sa iyaha kumpara sa kung kinsa ka gid. dili ka maulaw nga ipakita kung sino ka gid, Wala ka kabalo, mas higugmaon diay niya warts and all.

Sa Mata sang Isa ka Matuod nga Ilonggo Bal-an mo bala kon anu kadako ang pagbag-o sang syudad kag probinsya sang Iloilo sa sulod sang pila ka tuig?

Sa akon pagtinir kag pag-eskwela sa syudad sang Iloilo, madamo ako sang nakitanan nga pagbag-o kag pag-asenso. Kun sang una daw haluson ang mga Ilonggo ka pangita sang ila ulubrahan para makabulig sa pamilya, sa subong, ang trabaho na ang nagapangita sa ila; ang Iloilo naga kinahanglan na mag-imbitar sang taga iban nga lugar para lang mapun- an ang mga obra nga nagasurobra.

Nagtahum na gid ang atun syudad. Kon sang una, daw haruson ang syudad makaimbitar kag pangita sang mga negosyante, subong ang syudad na ang nagakakulang sang espasyo para mapahamtangan sang mga dalagko nga gusali para sa negosyo.

Apang, sa tanan nga pag-asenso kag pag umwad sang negosyo kag pangabuhi sang mga Ilonggo, kita nagakahangawa nga ang tanan nga atun gin pangabudlayan madula tungod sa mga pagpang-guba sang atun nasyonal nga panguluhan. Anu gid bala ang rason kon ngaa ginahingabot ni Duterte ang mga opisyal sang Iloilo? Ini bla bangod sa indi pagsuporta sa iya sang mga lokal nga lideres sadtogn nagligad eleksyon?

Kon anu man ang iya mga rason, kita ang nagaka apektuhan sang iya mga ginabuhat. Sa sulod sang pila ka bulan nga pag-guba sang ngalan sang Iloilo ni Duterte, dako ang nangin epekto sini sa turismo kag pagsulod sang mga investments sa syudad kag probinsya sang Iloilo. Ini nagdulot sang

kakugmat kag kahadlok indi lamang sa mga banyaga nga mga turista kundi pati man sa mga lokal nga turista. Madamo ang nag atras para sa paghiwat sang mga pagtililipon kag convention, madamo ang mga turista nga nagbawi sang ila plano sa pagbakasyon. Dako ang nadula sa kon tani mangin kwarta pa sang mga Ilonggo.

Sa sulod sang masobra sa isa katuig nga pagdumala ni Duterte sa atun nasyon, atun nakita nga nagnubo ang pagsalig sang iban nga mga kompanya sa iya, dugang pa ang indi matapos-tapos nga pagpatay sang mga drug suspects nga wala man lang nakasuhan sa mga korte, nga nagdulot sa pagbawi sang ila mga investments sa Pilipinas.

Sa pila ka tuig nga paghimakas sang mga Ilonggo para mag-umwad kag mabutang ang pangalan sang Iloilo sa bilog nga kalibutan, madula nalang sa amu sini ka insigida?

Sa pila ka tuig nga paghimakas sang mga lideres sang Iloilo para mapanami kag mangin lugar sang negosyo, pabay-an ta nalang bala nga mag-amat-amat nalang dula ang negosyo kag investors natun?

Kita magbinag-binag.

Mangin manugbantay sang mga nagakatabo sa aton gobyerno. Indi kita mangin sunodsunoran sa mga malaot nga tuyo sang mga tawo nga wala sing pagpalangga sa atun syudad kag probinsya.

Kun ikaw isa ka tuod nga Ilonggo, mapasugot ka nalng bala nga maguba ang ngalan sang lugar nga imo gin palangga kag padayon nga naga suporta sa imo mga kinahanglan?

SPORTS

14

ADeoS conquers Med Hinampang Volleyball

by Neil A. Cartujano

WE GO HIGHER. IMS President Dr. Japhet Fernandez-De Leon joins students in the FitFil’s signature 4-minute workout. FitFil Philippines aims to promote a healthy lifestyle to Filipinos.

Photo by Leodel T. Barrio

Roxas Hall pledges 500 pounds in FitFil Challenge

by Anna Katharina L. Tirador

The West Visayas State University Medicine Student Council (WVSU-MSC), represented by Chairperson Anna Katharina Tirador in behalf of the students of the college, committed to the Iloilo Medical Society and FitFil Philippines that the college will lose a collective weight of 500 lbs. during the Opening Ceremony of the National Medicine Week last September 24.

The pledge was made in response to the invitation of Dr. Japhet Fernandez-De Leon, Iloilo Medical Society (IMS) President , for medical students

to contribute to the Philippine Medical Association pledge of losing 100,000 lbs. collectively.

Other activities include a mass, and wreath laying ceremony to Dr. Jose Rizal’s monument.

Members of the IMS Board of Directors and WVSU students were then introduced to the FitFil Challenge and exercised to FitFil’s signature 4-Minute Workout, which involves jumping jacks, squats, pushups and lunges, and.claims to burn 600 calories.

The WVSU-MSC partnered with the Order of Asclepius and Asian Medical Students’

Association to lead students to take on the challenge and organize activities for healthy weight loss. The weighing in for students began on September 28 with a collective pledge of 322 lbs.

FitFil Philippines is an online and on-ground health, fitness, and wellness movement, free for all Filipinos to join. It aims to gather 1 million lbs. weight lost by participants collectively for a period of 6 months, from June to December 2017. This campaign envisions to unite the people towards a healthier lifestyle and to create millions of Fit Filipinos by 2020.

The See-Saw that is the Med Hinampang Football Games Women: ADeoS vs DVS

by Julichel H. Licayan

The women of Batch Dum Vivimus Servimus (DVS) and Batch Altera Deo Servimus (ADeoS) went head to head for the first set of Med Hinampang Football games last October 1.

Batch DVS valiantly held the off the third years, holding up a strong defense for the entire game however, Batch ADeoS’ steady offense kept the ball at a dangerous distance from the opponent’s goal for most of the match. The third years aggressive play payed off late in the first half of the game where they finally scored a point and closely followed by two more in the second half.

ADeoS did not give DVS an opportunity to retaliate and closed the game with a 3-0 win.

Men: DVS vs ADeos Batch ADeoS men found a fierce competition in their match against DVS, being forced on the defensive several times before repaying in kind. Batch DVS held their own against the third years and kept the game at a standstill of 1-1 until the time was up.

With the game calling for a conclusion by shootout, the DVS men out-skilled ADeoS, and emerged victorious at 3-2.

Batch Altera Deo Servimus (ADeoS) overpowered the batch Dum Vivimus Servimus (DVS) at the Med Hinampang Volleyball last September 30, 2017 at the PESCAR gym.

Batch ADeoS gave an early show of force for this year’s Hinampang Volleyball games, heralding another intense competition similar to that of the previous year.

In the first match of the evening, the ladies of batch ADeoS gave no quarter to their opponents, immediately taking the advantage with a smooth teamwork born from years of team play. In a matter of minutes, they stacked up a significant lead in the first set and ended it at 25-9, leaving the first years at a grave disadvantage.

However, despite the seemingly hopeless outlook for batch DVS, the spirited first years held on to their focus and attempted to retaliate.

The women of batch AdeoS remained undaunted and did not let up the intensity of their play in the second set and went on to take the game, 25-8.

Stepping into the court after the wake of the previous match, the first and third year men took up their positions in tense silence. Seemingly to make up for their female counterpart’s loss, the men of batch DVS came in fierce in the early exchanges of the first set, giving the third years a hard time- but after an exchange of service errors from both sides, they remained at a close contest.

The ADeoS men then took a page out of their female counterparts’ book and scored point after point to win the first set with a good lead. The second set was no different and the third years once again took the win, ending the game at 25-16.

Batch ADeoS Women’s basketball team is still undefeated champion, 24-17

by Neil A. Cartujano

The Med Hinampang Basketball Championship last October 21, 2017 was a moment of triumph for the women of Altera Deo Servimus (ADeoS) against Claritas Consano et Concordia (CCetC), 24-17, unyielding as the undefeated champion for the third year in a row.

The evening opened with the women’s game between Batch ADeoS and Batch CCetC. With two consecutive victories in the previous games, Batch ADeoS had a twice-to-beat advantage.

Undeterred, Batch CCetC gave their all for a shot at becoming champions, making the 3rd years fear for their undefeated title.

Both teams mightily focused on their offense while keeping the enemy at bay. Batch ADeoS was in the lead with Batch CCetC hot on their heels, never more than a few points behind, keeping both teams at a tense competition for the entire game

and the spectators at the edge of their seats.

At the final moments of the game, ADeoS successfully maintained their lead and was met with cheers as the whistle signaled the end of the game, claiming the championship with the final score at 24-17 and closing their Hinampang careers as undefeated champions.

In the previous years they faced formidable opponents from Batch Excelsior, Batch Medicus Devoveo, and Batch CCetC. Year after year, with their dedication they came out on top. This year- their last year of joining the Medicine Hinampang, pitted against the eager and competitive Batch DVS and CCetC they defended their title as champions one more time, walking out of the court as undefeated queens and leaving an impressive legacy for the next batches to follow.

FOOTBELLES. Batch Altera Deo Servimus and Dum Vivimus Servimus battle it out for the goal in the first game of football women during the med hinampang games.

Photo by: Charisse Ann M. Monsale

Women: CCetC vs DVS In the 2nd weekend of football, Batch CCetC took on Batch DVS, each side giving the other a difficult time on the field, attacking and defending in equal measure to end the game at a stalemate.

With neither side scoring a goal, the game needed settling with a shootout. Batch CCetC proved itself superior as they

scored goal after goal to win the game 3-1.

Men: DVS vs CCetC Batch DVS men shocked the 2nd years as they played for another win. Batch CCetC’s tactics would prove to be ultimately futile as the first years outkicked them to take the game with a score of 2-1, winning their second consecutive game.

Basketball

Softball

Volleyball

Football

Men

Men

Men

Men

1st ADeoS 2nd DVS 3rd CCetC

1st ADeoS 2nd CCetC 3rd DVS

1st ADeoS 2nd CCetC 3rd DVS

1st ADeoS 2nd DVS 3rd CCetC

Women

Women

Women

Women

1st ADeoS 2nd CCetC 3rd DVS

1st ADeoS 2nd DVS 3rd CCetC

1st CCetC 2nd ADeoS 3rd DVS

1st ADeoS 2nd CCetC 3rd DVS

SPORTS

15

In the Game

The Snitch

by Neil Cartujano

by Leodel T. Barrio

On SEA Games

Med School and Sports: A great Combination Every year, students of West Visayas State University – College of Medicine participate in the Med Hinampang. The sports extravaganza, lasting from September to November features various activities from big league Basketball, Football, Softball and Volleyball to minor games such as track and field, swimming, tennis, badminton and chess.

During this season, each batch prepares intensely in order to give their best in every match.

Despite having hectic schedules full of lectures and examinations, Taga-West medical students still manage to find time for work and play. Naysayers may think that having these activities can affect the learnings and the future of the students. It can, but in a more positive way than what you would think.

In an article by Dr. Taylor Hobson of the University of California- Los Angeles, he said that he wanted to prove that sports is a welcome addition to med school.

One significant benefit of sports in med school is that it promotes balance. The busy schedules can sometimes be

detrimental to the well-being of a medical student. Dr. Hobson says that he found out that medical students that also play sports can balance the demands of medical school better.

Another benefit is teamwork.

The medical school and clinical environments rely on camaraderie and teamwork. Success outside of medical school is not about the “survival of the fittest” but on how well you can establish a good relationship with your health care team.

Lastly, playing sports gives you confidence. Having an athletic

mindset of “being the best at whatever you do” can help boost someone’s drive to chase their medical dreams. Being able to set goals and having the right way of thinking can help someone attain it.

The benefit of sports is not only limited to the physical fitness of a person. It develops his/her whole being. As future physicians, we are expected to become holistic individuals. Now knowing the influence of sports in the future practice, we shouldn’t think twice of holding that ball and to shoot it.

Team Philippines flew home with 24 Gold Medals at the end of the 2017 SEA games held last August in Kuala Lumpur. This is, sadly, a pitiful fraction of the 404 Gold Medals at stake during the biennial event involving the 11 countries of Southeast Asia. In the 2015 SEA games in Singapore Team Philippines won 29 gold medals, the same number of gold medals they brought home from the 2013 SEA games Naypyidaw, Myanmar. These numbers are a far cry from the best performance our country has had in the SEA games, the 113 Gold medals won

by Team Philippines in the 2005 SEA games held in our capital.

Granted, the home advantage may have been a great factor in this triumph but it would be no different from what seemed to have happened in this year’s SEA games.

63 Gold medals was the target that Team Philippines intended to win in this year’s games. Unfortunately, it was only able to win just over a third of that number in part due to much of their projected budget being unapproved and also due to the fact that many of the sports that the Philippines often dominates, such as Women’s

boxing and Softball, were not included in the events selected by the host country.

Malaysia, the host of this year’s SEA games, became the top performing nation with a staggering 145 gold medals. Being the hosts, they understandably included many sports in which their own players would have superiority, this in itself is no real surprise since it is what every host country has done for most of the SEA games history. Beyond being the hosts, Malaysia was incredibly well prepared for this year’s games, with a generous budget backing them up their best players were brought from all over the country and were sent to be trained abroad. With all their effort and preparation it was no question that Malaysia earned this triumph.

Despite this year’s setback, Team Philippines is eager to prove themselves. The 2019 SEA games is set to be held in our country, in this we have the opportunity to pull off a victory akin to that of the 2005 SEA games. With enough preparation and support, Team Philippines has a grand chance to show their mettle once more and give our country another SEA games to be proud of.

Replay

by Julichel H. Licayan

The Referee: One of the most powerful officials in any kind of sport In basketball, the referee can blow a whistle and award possession to another team, call out fouls, and award free throws.

Football refs have their cardsyellow and red, two yellows in a game and the player is out, a flash of the red card is an immediate dismissal, beyond that- the referee also has the power to dismiss a manager from the sideline. In boxing, the ref is the only person, apart from the boxers, allowed inside the ring during a fight- and he can stop the fight if he sees it fit.

It is this powerful and influential nature of their job that also makes it the hardest in the sports arena- they run around the court as much as the players do, they must possess eagle eyes to see across fields, keep their heads cool against the buzzed aggression of players, be unmoved by the jeers and taunts of fans, develop the uncanny ability to be there when a call must be made, and maintain lung power to blow that whistle and call out fouls.

With all these in mind, it is easy to forget that the referees, beyond their striped shirts, whistles and cards, are human after all. They’ve made mistakes that changed the course of sports history, have offended teams, players, managers and even whole nations.

I believe that we are recent witnesses to one of these situations- Filipino boxing icon Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title defence against Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australiarefereed by Mark Nelson.

“Yung referee, walang experience,” Pacquiao said after the loss that dropped his record to 59-7-2. Roach lamented that there were “way too many headlocks, way too many clinches”. Manny further cemented his distrust when he stated later that he would agree on a rematch only if none of the three judges, or referee Mark Nelson, will be involved in the second fight.

How about the great fun of Game 4 of the NBA Finals? The home crowd went wild as the Cavaliers evaded a near sweep at the hands of the juggernaut Warriors at 137-116.

A true historic sports scene.

However, the whistle-fest was real. The officiating crew of Mike Callahan, John Goble, and Marc Davis did not have a good night.

Draymond Green’s second technical foul in the third quarter should have been the end for him- but it wasn’t.

The officials had taken a U-turn and said that Green’s first technical on the first quarter had not actually been on him but on his head coach, Steve Kerr- how did that happen?

The crew’s confusing calls and lack of control stunted the game flowstretching the third quarter for what felt like hours when it only took less than an hour.

I’m sure sports critics and fans can think of a few more games that would top these two. It is highprofile errors such as these that have earned them critics and ridicule from a succession of players, managers, and fans. And who’s to say that the referees don’t deserve it? They’re not completely blameless.

A reminder however- sports, by nature, is rebellious and brutal.

The players cheat body and mind to perform feats of superhuman speed, endurance, agility and skill. In contact sports such as rugby and hockey, the players are bred a little bit crazy. And it’s not just the people inside the arena that you should be wary of, the fans in the stands can be as passionate and physical as their idol players.

In the middle of all this are the referees- given responsibilities that may tip the weight for a win or lose.

They are expected to babysit the players when they are on full beast mode, to discern the actors and the fakers and stop tantrums and fullout brawls.

And the refs- as human as you and me, get things wrong. They are bound by the same anatomical and physiological laws as we are. The human brain and eyes are limited, and the actual game moves so quickly and can’t be replayed, they can miss things.

They are also feeling beings, absolute objectivity is impossible when you know the players. And the laws of the game allow for individual interpretations and loopholes, combined with the crowd pressure to influence any decisions they make, it is easy to slip up and miss calls.

To put it simply, it is almost hypocritical to expect perfection from the referees. It is unfair to lay all the blame at the hands of the referees- but considering their position, they must step up their game.

As the adage says, “with great power comes great responsibility”.

The Courtside

by Laurence Nathaniel J. Nadala

Beyond the Game As the great American basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Sports do not build character, they reveal it.” I’ve had my fair share training in the various disciplines – from the hardcourt that is basketball, to the fields of softball, even dabbling in a few sets of volleyball, one sport stands out above the rest – football, the portal upon which I made my first steps and strides in athletics. The sport tested my metal from the get-go; a handful of my firsts, from my first win to my first loss, where I learned the art of humility and sacrifice.

It was what I’ve learned from football that I’ve come to know of the many other forms, that I’ve come to appreciate their culture, and in turn, gained insight as to what life has in store for each one of us.

I’ve come a long way since lacing up my first pair of football cleats, they were a hand-medown from my dad. Since then I’ve had dozens of pairs, ran them a hundred kilometers back and forth the pitch, and clocking in countless hours from practices and official games. All of which wouldn’t have not been possible without my father.

You see, he’s the one with the real passion for the sport.

From the field to the television, he appreciates the game no matter who’s playing. Born and raised in Barotac Nuevo, football is like religion to the people there; beyond the skills, records,

and the name you bear on back, it was a place where they built themselves and defined who they are. Like he always told me, “You learn a lot about a man by the way he conducts himself on and off the field - how he approaches the game, handles the ball, run the plays, and takes care of his health. He embodies the totality of his effort and dedication.”

It was only when I got a little older and really immersed myself in this culture that I’ve come to know what the sport meant to my father, what those one-on-one passing back and forth of the ball was, the all-out support he’s always shown when I play...at first, I thought it was just an attempt to get me off the couch, stay fit, or relate to him in his interests, but he was training me for something bigger - he was preparing me to play the game of life. True enough every sprint down the field taught me to go further, every aspect of the game I have come to understand made me better - the next thing I know I’m constantly finding ways to improve myself.

Though I never got the chance to see my dad play in his glory days in the UP Soccer varsity team (I wish had), I need not look far to see how good he was, for his life is a testament to how well he played. Up until now he watches my games, and I hope I have come close to being the man he hoped I’d be, both on and off the pitch.

16

NATHANIEL

FRANCIS ADRIAN

by Mark Anthony P. Celestial

O

ne would say, it is rare to find both whooping levels of sports devotion and the pursuit for academic excellence existing at the same time, fortunately I found them taking human forms in Roxas Hall.

In a crowd of medical students, whom you’d expect to wolf down lecture notes day by day, there is coalescing group that is about to take on a different battle — the university sports fest.

While readying themselves to the said event, I had a lucky time to talk with the two of our athletes and a teensy weensy fanboy moment.

From my eyes, the Nadala siblings tower like titan blood has been coursing through their veins whilst exuding that Olympian spirit, well truthfully, it’s the blood of their doctor parents who must have known the secret ingredient to life and vitality.

Born to a previous UAAP football player and a full-time faculty member in the college, were siblings Francis Adrian, Nathaniel and Thea Carmelle Nadala.

Thea Carmelle, from Batch Altera deo Servimus is the youngest. She has certain proclivity in basketball and her scales also tip towards football, softball and volleyball. Thea has been giving pride to the university since her undergrad years in as she participated in regional and national SCUAA olympics for four consecutive years, two of which earned the championship for the school.

Nathaniel of Batch Medicus Devoveo is the second eldest, he leads his team mates on the road to multiple victories in basketball. As one of his batch mates would say, “he is mamaw in court.” Nat is on his way to clerkship this January.

The eldest son, Francis Adrian represented Batch Juventus Aestimat Excellere in basketball with that 6’4’’ height. Back in his time, no usurpers can come near the ball throne for three years. He is currently undergoing his pre-residency at the university medical center.

The three were graduates of BS Biology PreMedicine of the College of Arts and Sciences.

During summer breaks they’d keep the curdling lust for sports by joining the Iloilo Developmental Basketball League which gave Thea the Most

Valuable Player title for two years. Truly nothing can break the connection between a ball and its elemental bender whose ultimate goal is to win it, whatever it takes. The goal however that surpasses all bounds for these three was their dream to become a doctor.

It was long since decided that would embark upon a journey to medicine just like their parents.

It was doing what they love and loving what they do that fueled them to become the best versions of themselves rather than succumbing to the pressure of parental achievements.

“Many would assume I feel pressured as the youngest child and both my older siblings play sports and fare quite well, but I beg to differ,” Thea says with conviction. “We never felt pressured in both academics and sports. In fact, we have both the support from each other and from our parents like it’s a bonding thing.”

In a current world of rigid upbringing, the siblings were raised in a very supportive and permissive household. They were just kids when they fell in love with sports and their parents, would always take a time off their work just to watch their games and cheer them on.

Three generations of athletes, their proclivity and devotion in sports made them assets and jewels of their respected batches.

When asked who plays best, Thea jokingly answered aye in a heartbeat. Research would say true enough that elite athletes were more likely to be later born children. Though no sibling rivalry was happening on the sides as Thea claimed.

Something worth pointing out is the fact that medicine seems to come off smoothly for them because of all that athletic and chill vibe, that is just a fanboy assumption.

In the end though, we are left thinking that there’s nothing worth more that can come close to how they were genetically modeled to be athletes with the heart for medicine.

THEA CARMELLE

Photos by: Leodel T. Barrio, Charisse Ann M. Monsale and Nadala Family