First Few Days
Magandang Umaga from the Philippines! Good morning! These past days have been quite busy, but I am happy to share my (short) first blog post with you all.
When I arrived in the Manila (six days ago!) I was welcomed by a rain storm. For those of you who don’t know, the Philippines is in its wet season. Fortunately, the weather lately has been beautiful with lots of sun and some breeze. Also, I am grateful to have FINALLY adjusted to the time zone (+12 hours). I still fall asleep around 8 or 9PM, but it is a great improvement since first arriving.
On our first day, I met other students who will be participating in the program. Although the ten of us started on the same date, our programs differ in both length and location. The seven students participating in the two-week intensive program have already left for the province. The remainder of us have a more in-depth orientation and will be leaving for Quezon Province in a few days. During our first few days together, our coordinators (Dr. Joel, Dr. Lopao, Dr. Jerry, and Jomer) brought us around some landmarks such as Rizal Park, the Intramuros, and the National Museum.
When touring the areas, our coordinators pointed out the disparity in the community. While one street was thriving with business, the next would be in poverty. We walked around a block and were told that over two-hundred families were packed into that small area. It is immensely overcrowded to the point where families have sleeping schedules. If they were not sleeping, they had to stay outside. This lesson was the first disturbing reality that I have witnessed since arriving. Our coordinators called our attention to the disparity between the rich and the poor since it correlates with the health inequities that are unfortunately prevalent in the Philippines. The following days, we visited different types of hospitals both in the city and in nearby provinces. However, I will write all about it in my next post!
On the brighter side, we had dinner at Barbara’s, where we ate delicious food and watched performances of traditional Filipino dances. It was interesting to learn more about the different cultures that influenced the Filipino culture in the form of art.
Okay, I have to leave for orientation day now! See you all later :)
