This is my buddy Gordon’s music video. A gifted artist and a great guy with a positive message, if you like the music or the video please pass it along!

From volunteering in the provinces to enjoying the unique flavors of the Philippine Islands, I have been fortunate enough to experience many new things. A day trip to the city of Tagaytay (“tuh-guy-tye”), escorted by a handful of the UP College of Medicine’s loveliest students, brought me to witness a truly unique land formation -  a lake within a volcano, within a lake, within a volcano.

The city of Tagaytay encompasses something truly unique: a lake within a volcano, within a lake, within a volcano. I know what you’re thinking… V O L C E P T I O N.

Lunch

Our first stop in Tagaytay was for lunch at “Bag of Beans,” a local restaurant known for its namesake coffee and freshly baked pies.

Bag of Beans is mainstay for locals and visitors alike in Tagaytay

Around the side of the bakery, a staircase descends to the outdoor seating area.

Guests enjoy food amidst scenery that accentuates flavor 

Mesmerizing tropical flora are found throughout, even on the way to the washroom

A bite of Caesar salad, prepared with chunks of fresh anchovy, prime the palette for the flavors to come.

Tender roast beef and buttery mashed potatoes bring my senses back stateside…

A festive plate of shrimp bursting with both colors and flavors alike

French fries served with mayonaise, buttermilk pancakes, and Bag of Beans’ famous beef and mushroom pie.

Enjoying good food and even better company with my “tour guides.”

Standing on the Edge

Following lunch, we arrived at Tagaytay Ridge. From my vantage point, I peered into the crater below to see Taal Volcano, one of 21 active volcanoes in the Philippines. Since 1572 Taal has erupted 33 times, most recently in 1977. For an area that seemed inhospitable, I was surprised to find something else within the volcanic crater - life.

Just past the thinning outcrop of trees, descending into crater surrounding Taal Volcano, verdant vegetation springs to life.

Several barangays dot the crater surrounding Lake Taal.

At the heart of the lake lies Taal Volcano, and within the volcano - Crater Lake.

The Park

Leaving the ridge, we made our way to the nearby Tagaytay People’s Park. Offering lookout points, horse rides, and a zip-line, I felt like a kid in a candy store.

The horizon is adorned by a breathtaking view of Lake Taal and Taal Volcano

Travelling across the zip-line is an exhilarating adventure over 250 meters at a speed of 60 kilometers an hour, 300 feet above the forest floor

Mr. Moo

Before leaving Tagaytay we made sure to stop by another local attraction, Mr. Moo’s. Serving the freshest in milk products from cow, goat, and caribou alike, Mr. Moo’s is known for the most delicious, rich, and creamy milks, snacks, and desserts in the Philippines. Purchasing a box of pastillas, an indulgent blend of sweet and creamy bite-sized confections, and a bottle of caribou milk, I was pleasantly surprised at the unique flavors of each. (Sadly, no pics of the pastillas were taken as they “disappeared” before I had a chance to document their existence!)

Operating at the roadside adds to the rural charm and creamy decadence of Mr. Moo products

Mr. Moo’s serves a wide selection of dairy goods

My small bottle of caribou milk possesses a richness, thickness, and creaminess comparable to whole cream. Indulgent? Yes.

Thoughts and thanks

Leaving our adventurous afternoon in Tagaytay I realize I have experienced yet another face to the Philippines. In addition to the sprawling metropolis of Manila, with its luxurious shopping centres and condominiums, and the modesties of the provinces, the unique backdrop of Tagaytay provides a moment to enjoy the majesty of nature. With a sprinkling of local fun and flavors, it is a visit I would rewind and replay over and over again.

An overcast evening in Tagaytay, combined with the humidity of the Philippines, tease the imagination as to what lies beyond the horizon

A big shout out of gratitude and thanks to my hostesses - Abi, May, Charvs, and Ling. None of this would be possible without the assistance of Manila’s finest future doctors!

Concrete floors and paint-chipped desks. Blood-stained newspaper and the chemical odor of anti-septic fluid. For the impoverished, the modesties of these surgical settings are not met with concern, but gratitude. Accompanying the students and alumni of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine on a medical mission to Bulacan, I was embarking on an experience of service the likes of which were unprecedented stateside.

Beneficence

The “spirit of service” here is just that - intimately tied to the nation’s religious identity

Just north of metro Manila lies the province of Bulacan. Weaving our way through the tight, vendor-lined side streets commonplace outside the big city, we arrived at our makeshift medical site for the day - a local elementary school. The mission today was two-fold: to provide circumcisions for the boys of the province (a tradition in many Filipino communities), as well as check-ups and medications to the sick and elderly, free of charge.

Our medical site - a local elementary school

Living beyond the borders of the Philippines’ flagship city of Manila often-times means living in a medically underserved community. With the majority of graduating physicians flocking to the amenities provided in the city or employment opportunities internationally, few return to the humble provincial life from whence they came. Stepping out of our van into the school’s courtyard, it became clear that charity medical programs were not things easily passed up.

Families begin filling the schoolyard at daybreak, awaiting their turn for free medical attention

Scanning the area, it was easy to lose sight of the mission’s volunteer medical staff: stationed at small tables on the school’s modest stage, they were easily hidden amongst the crowds of people seeking their help. Despite the disproportionate demand, I knew, the hundreds of people seeking the attention of our handful of doctors was just a microcosm of the under-served communities that existed outside the city.

Physicians provide locals with free consultations and donated medications

Observing these physicians at work - tirelessly collecting histories and performing physical examinations in the unrelenting heat of the tropics, for a patient population too large - I realized I was witnessing work on the front lines of medicine. Little did I know I was about to witness so much more…

Droves of people wait for their turn to see a doctor

Make Do

The air hung thick - hot, weighted with moisture - inside the cramped classroom that served as our O.R. for the day. Steel-barred windows were lined with young, eager-eyed onlookers, each waiting to take their first steps into manhood. Weathered schooldesks were pushed together lengthwise and covered with newspaper as children filed in the room. Observing and assisting the operating medical students and physicians, the surreality of my surroundings slowly settled in - like something out of a fever-dream.

A physician sterilizes the surgical site with betadine as family members support an apprehensive child

Regaining my bearings, it didn’t take more than one glance around the room to know that the conditions were far from ideal. Yet, for the students and doctors on site this was routine. In situations that were anything but textbook, they did what they do best - make things work. After all, they were trained to.

For the majority of patients who arrive at Philippines’ General Hospital, a government institution and the nation’s number one teaching hospital where the students and doctors of the mission were trained, resources are scarce. These patients have little in the way of affording the diagnostic tests, medications, and surgical supplies often taken for granted in the U.S.(take for instance the fact that the minimum wage here for a full day’s work is 400 pesos, or just under $10 USD, and you begin to understand how simple medications can become unaffordable). Some travel days from distant provinces for the chance to be seen at PGH, where the majority of doctors’ and hospital fees are waived. The medical staff of PGH work to ensure that their patients’ pain-staking efforts are not in vain. Knowing the financial limitations of those they care for, these doctors have evolved their skills of clinical detection out of necessity. They learn to be efficient. To order and prescribe what is needed. To spare unnecessary burdens from the poor and sick who show up on their doorstep. And now… 

The packed wards of PGH - only a few feet separate patients, as amenities like privacy become luxuries

… they were making do here. Maintaining laser-like focus and attention to detail, they worked precisely. Given the sub-optimal settings, sterile technique was crucial to avoid the looming threat of infection that permeated our surroundings. Conserving materials, sutures were utilized judiciously and gauze applied sparingly - each member of the team knowing full well that the donated supplies would have to be stretched to last the hundreds of children that were lined up outside. This was all routine. This was what they were trained to do. To make do.

A child does his best to be brave while a doctor begins the procedure

Thanks

Experiencing a medical mission like the one to Bulacan wouldn’t have been possible without the hospitality and kindness shown to me by the students and alumni of the U.P. College of Medicine, and specifically the sisters and brods of Phi Lamda Delta and Phi Kappa Mu. Thanks to them, I have come to appreciate medicine in a new form - conducted in a place unlike my own - I witnessed service distilled into its key components. Exemplifying resourcefulness, a commitment to helping those in need, and compassionate care, these individuals have provided me much food for thought. That despite the differences, I cannot help but conclude that medicine, at its core, is something that spans distances and cultures. That medicine, at its best, is universal.

So, to those aforementioned - maraming salamat po

Daybreak in the remote Kalinga mountains

Just returned from a 4 day medical mission to the distant province of Kalinga. Way behind on posting about my past few adventures, but here’s a little taste of things to come…

Glancing out the window amidst a sea of high-rises and concrete, waves of metal bob and weave in and out of lanes in metronomic fashion. Speeding through the congested, traffic fraught streets of Manila, neon lights and smog in the rear-view, I was making an escape…

Traffic in metro-Manila. Every. Day.

After three weeks of experiencing big city life in metro-Manila, a Sunday trip to the neighboring province of Pampanga provided, both literally and figuratively, a breath of fresh air. Travelling to visit family friends in San Isidro, a small barangay (buh-rung-guy, n. : village), in Pampanga, I was treated to one of the biggest celebrations this little town had to offer. Every 15th of May the residents of San Isidro pay tribute to their patron saint, St. Isidore the Laborer, by throwing a fiesta.

Life outside the city-limits takes on a very different feel

Just an hour from the boundary of metro-Manila, and it seems I’ve been transported to a different world. Waves of lush vegetation spring from the roadsides, a reminder of the vast array of flora and fauna afforded by this tropical nation. 

Further still and the land seems to invite us onward, providing its own cover from the elements

The multitude of busses patrolling Manila transform from rules to exceptions. Cars fade into relative obscurity compared with the city. It doesn’t take long before the flavor of the land takes hold, and the rural charm of our surroundings can be truly appreciated.

Mount Arayat, an active volcano, looms ominously in the distance

The roadsides are littered with stands offering forth the fruits of the land

While the aesthetic differences between Manila and Pampanga are quite clear, I can’t shake the subtle commonalities between city and provincial life. The large class gap dividing the citizens of Manila extends here as well, with mansions popping up between brick-and-mortar style buildings.

[Top] Large homes like this stand-out from their modest neighbors [Bottom]

Arriving in San Isidro, the contrast is striking: no longer standing in the shadows of condominiums and vast shopping centres, life takes on a more simple nature.  

San Isidro’s storefronts

Turning down a dirt road and disappearing into the bush, my first impression is to think that my driver and I are lost… until the dust clears and the faint outline of a building comes into view.

One more turn…

…down a cramped dirt road…

… and we’re here

Stepping out of the car we have finally arrived at our destination. It’s lunch time. And fiesta. This can only mean one thing.

Food.

And lots of it.

Barbecue chicken Filipino-style: dressed in a concoction of oyster sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a variety of local ingredients, this tangy barbecue is unlike any stateside

Kare-Kare (kuh-reh kuh-reh)[Top]: a stew with a subtle peanut-butter based sauce, it is a Filipino delicacy best enjoyed with bagoong (buh-goo-ong)[Bottom], a salty paste made up of ground shrimp

Pancit Malabon: of the many varieties of “pancit,” a traditional Filipino noodle dish, this version features thick chopped noodles topped with finely crumble fried pork, green onions, egg, and showered with a generous spritz of a small, lime-like fruit called kalamansi (kahl-a-mahn-see)

Our hosts, Nanga (left) and Kaka (right)

After a huge lunch, enjoyed at a balmy, un-airconditioned 90-degrees (F), our hosts lead me outside for a post-meal surprise. Approaching what appears to be a trashcan my optimism was rewarded as they removed the lid to the telltale sound of crunching ice:

Don’t judge a trashcan by its cover, this one is filled with delicious, creamy, and fresh handmade ice cream from the barangay’s local caribou. Speckled with curdled chunks of cream, the texture is unique to any ice-cream I’ve enjoyed before

Following ice-cream and a quick nap, I set out to explore the rest of the barangay. Taking my first steps down the dusty side-street I begin to imagine how I would feel if I were claustrophobic. These simple homes are built shoulder-to-shoulder, lining streets barely wide enough to accomodate the width of a modestly sized car.

The streets of San Isidro

As I head further down the narrow, winding streets of the barangay, the sounds of the Philippines’ rich musical history come to life. Peering over the fences of the homes I pass, nearly every one features groups crowded around karaoke machines. From Katy Perry to Celine Dion (and a handful of singers I have yet to identify), the atmosphere is something out of a Jack Johnson song: up-beat, yet laid-back… The perfect disposition for one to take in a tropical paradise.

Off-duty motor-bikes and their significant others

Turning down a long corridor, the sounds of cars and live music catch my ear, building closer to crescendo with every step.

Vendors line the corridor offering trinkets, table games, and toys

Crowds of children surround vendors offering toys, balloons, and these little guys - chickadees dyed a “festive” set of colors (from what I’ve heard, not the best investment…)

A crowd of on-lookers anticipate the highlight of the fiesta

Reaching the end of the corridor I find myself on San Isidro’s main road. Just in time for the procession…

Some of the floats on display

It’s cool bro…

… Jesus is my homeboy too!

Small Filipino children with floats (Because it needed a caption for uniformity)

The strong Catholic influence from Spanish colonization is readily apparent in every aspect of life here in the Philippines.

The Churches of the Philippines are grandiose in design, and lavish in decor. Even the churches of little San Isidro rival the most aesthetic in the U.S. These establishments, built just feet away from the dirt-roads and humble homes seen previously, are prime examples of the inequity plaguing the Philippines…

Just outside the walls of the church-yard, vendors pray their wares attract buyers

Leaving San Isidro for Manila, I feel a growing hunger to explore the varied cultures and peoples in each of the Philippines historied locales.

From the provinces to Manila, the things I have experienced and people I have met so far have afforded me a wealth of opportunities to learn. To appreciate. To reflect. With two and a half months still ahead of me, this journey is just beginning.

Oh… And I saw a goat.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ^_^

If only it worked out like this all the time…

It may have been over the slowest internet connection I’ve ever encountered, but watching the Miami Heat shift to the next gear in the 4th quarter against the Boston Celtics just made my day. Eastern Conference Finals: Lehgo!

Since arriving in the Philippines, the food-filled family reunions have come as fast and as frequent as beads of perspiration under the Manila sun. And while I hadn’t seen these relatives in years, every lunch, merienda, and dinner continued to find me surrounded by sincere company and showered with immeasurable hospitality. Yet despite the savory foods and the sparkling conversation, I couldn’t help but wonder how bonds so deep could be forged so quickly - as if the ties that bound us had been there all along.

Then it hit me…

Maybe they were.

Sunset over Manila

Despite the unpredictable trajectories life seems to take - the twists, turns, and forks in the road we face daily - in the end, life seems to find its way back to where it started.

Seated amongst table after table of long, seemingly lost, relatives, I pondered the events that defined our shared relationships. These aunts and uncles were more than distant figures from a foreign land. To my father and mother, they were siblings. They were friends. They were godmothers, godfathers and, at times, babysitters. And though their hairs had grayed and their skin had become weathered, I marveled at the thought that their arms had once supported my infantile weight, had once corralled my infantile girth. Their eyes were cameras that had documented days long past and their minds photo albums of moments I had failed to capture. Returning to their company, they recalled what I could not.

Staying at my gwama’s house, the same house my mother and her siblings were raised in, I find myself amidst history. Hallways littered with black and white photographs, pictures of my late grandfather as an infant, and my 80-year-old grandmother as a beautiful twenty-something, document the passage of time. Interspersed between these collections of aging prints I find photos of my mother’s childhood and my own, and the cyclic nature of life becomes clear. Where our stories stop, someone else’s begins.

Closing my eyes, I envision the process that brought my predecessors here: once young and brash teenagers, their generation had shut their eyes for but a moment to awake and find themselves parents, merely batted their lashes to be roused by the soft patter of their grandchildren’s footsteps. This was a song stuck on repeat and, I realized, I was entering the refrain.

Sitting here in the dark cool of my air conditioned room, my one-year old cousin, Teddy, giggling on my lap, I regretfully ascribe to the fact that my young cousin will bear absolutely no recollection of this perfect moment.

I realize, as many before have, that this is okay.

It was never his job to.

It’s mine.

My youngest cousin - Teddy

The start of something good: administered my first vaccine today ^_^

Food. The great unifier of peoples and cultures. Both unique and universal, food exists in an almost limitless number of forms: varying drastically from continent to continent, and subtly from region to region. Whether enjoyed in its traditional preparation or through its modern-day descendants, food is just that - enjoyed.

In the 4 days I have been here in Manila I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many of my favorite traditional Filipino dishes. The food of the Philippines is a unique blend of indigenous flavors that harbor Spanish and Chinese influences as well (the Philippines remained a Spanish colony for over three centuries and currently hosts a significant Chinese population).

Patatim (pa-ta-teem) is a dish of stewed pork-leg originating in China

The cuisine here utilizes food in full capacity. Wasting no nutrient-bearing cut of meat, and taking advantage of the plethora of unique vegetables and fruits found in this lush tropical country, the food of the Philippine Isles is borne at the crossroads of practicality and resourcefulness. But don’t let this pragmatic approach to food fool you. It is, without-a-doubt, delicious.

Sinigang soup, my gwama’s favorite, is a Filipino favorite featuring pork neck bone or pork shoulder in a sour broth with daikon and okra. Because of the hot weather, saving food over long periods of time was difficult, so the tastes of aging meat would be hidden, and bacteria neutralized by the acidity of a sour broth. A practical and delicious application of logic…

Dinuguan (din-oo-goo-ahn) is a delicious pork dish prepared with pigs’ blood. The pigs’ blood is heated and prepared with vinegar, causing it to coagulate and curdle into a dark brown sauce that is tastier than this description may allow you to imagine.

My Favorite Meal: Breakfast

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day, is traditionally served with sweet Filipino breakfast meats, eggs (or “itlogs”), and garlic rice. Tocino and the sausage-like longanisa, made of pork or chicken, are prepared in a sugary marinade and allude to this tropical nation’s penchant for sweets. Similarly, tapas grace the menu as the beef counterpart to breakfast.

(From left-to-right, and top-to-bottom:) Chicken tocino, pork longanisa, tapas, and itlogs.

Filipino garlic rice: possibly the greatest smell to wake up to in the morning. Simple, yet timeless, this dish is a staple here and for good reason - it is delectable.

Fruits of the Land

The Philippines features a variety of unique amenities to its residents. Primarily the diversity of flora available here in the tropics.

Peanut butter and jelly, meet your worst nightmare: Ube jam and Coco jam. Ube is made from a purple tuber, akin to a sweet-potato. With just a hint of sugar, it becomes a dessert delicacy

Not to be outdone by their savory counterparts, meals are regularly capped off with the refreshing flavors of fresh fruit.

Above: Fresh sliced mangoes are the traditional capstone to an already memorable meal. Below: Dragonfruits appear alien from the exterior, but even more so inside

Parting Notes

Thus far into my trip I have been lucky enough to enjoy many of the Philippines’ most notable eats. I wake up to fresh glasses of buko juice (cracked fresh from coconuts right in our yard), and eat my weight daily in mangos that melt away at the slightest touch of a spoon. There is very little food stateside that can compare to what the Isles has to offer, but then again maybe this is how it ought to be. Each region a unique set of food to enjoy, a defining set of customs. Neither one better than the other… Just different. Offering something unique to appreciate. It doesn’t require much effort to see food has a lot to teach us. After all, it is the great unifier.