The Road Less Traveled

Maria Daniela Romana, MD

The road less traveled is where I dared to go…
The path was not easy; after all, no one told me so.

August 26-31, 2005, Casiguran, Aurora. This was the itinerary of the UP Ugnayan ng Pahinungód Medical and Surgical Mission. I had mixed feelings when my med school classmate invited me to be part of the team. I was excited (to volunteer again for my alma mater!) and apprehensive (to go for several days with people I have yet to meet) at the same time. My excitement won over apprehension and I decided to join. I was given the necessary orientation, antibiotic prophylaxis and forewarning about travel and accommodations. My expectations were meager, as I have acquired the habit of expecting less so as not to be disappointed (re: mobile network signal, electricity, decent comfort rooms). The weather during our trip going to Casiguran was not cooperative either. News of an impending storm increased the possibility of challenges awaiting the team. True enough, the projected 12-hour trip, extended to about 15 hours. During the trip, our bus bravely crossed three rivers!

The entire mission was filled with obstacles to be hurdled. Even the scheduled rest and recreation became a daunting task. The promised haven by the sea, turned out to be an undeveloped sea-side area with no right of way so to speak. We had to wee out shrubs & trees for an hour just to get there. The fact that there were no cottages or even umbrellas around, at noontime, made matters worse. But we had fun just the same, thanks to our sense of adventure and camaraderie.

I have been involved in medical mission work with some NGOs for several years now. I have traveled to different provinces in the Philippines as a volunteer, so that I initially expected this activity to be no different. But I realized that there is a distinct quality in Pahinungód volunteerism. The medical-surgical mission impressed on me a facet of serving people: to serve with a sense of nationalism. The UPM Pahinungód team served the beneficiaries not only because it was an adventure to get to their place but because they were fellow countrymen, fellow Filipinos or kababayans.

I felt a sense of pride to be serving with volunteers who left their day jobs temporarily, brought their own stuff, braved the storm and set aside personal preferences just to give free services to the constituents of Aurora. These doctors, nurses, dentists, paramedics, etc. did not only go the extra mile. They went miles further! The volunteers went beyond the limit of physical fatigue. Medical consultations & elective procedures were conducted more than 12 hours a day, yet some doctors were still willing to even donate blood for anemic patients! Matatawag mo talaga ang mga volunteers na mga bagong bayani.

Most of these modern-day heroes plan to go abroad. There were even those from our team who already got there and came back. I also plan to apply for further training in Australia or US. Critics would probably accuse us of causing the brain drain or hemorrhage phenomenon. But could you blame us? Could you blame us for wanting to provide for our families amidst economic crises and poor compensation? Could you blame us for feeling demoralized when, after going extra miles, we come face to face with traditional politicians who only care about publicity and photo shoots? Could you blame us for being discouraged by political alliances that cause problems to the delivery of basic services in the provinces? Could you blame us for being disillusioned as we witness hunger, malnutrition and poverty happening simultaneously with profligacy, political dynasty and corruption?

As Iskolar ng Bayan, the UP Pahinungód volunteers are doing their part to give back what they owe to their country by serving the Filipinos the best way they can. The evolution of young idealism into intellectual cynicism and political disappointment is a complicated, multi-factorial phenomenon. I believe that it is a hasty generalization to claim that people from the allied medical professions are ungrateful, once they go abroad. I daresay, there is a story behind that story.