https://linktr.ee/vitalsignspublication

Vital Signs Publication, West Visayas State University/College of Medicine, La Paz (2025)

Q: What is the address?

West Visayas State University/College Of Medicine

21/09/2025

𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒔: 𝑨 𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑰𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆

Medicine has always been taught as a war against death for the most part.

Knowing their history with every question asked. Defining and sculpting the human out of the once indistinguishable mass before you.

Examining them and getting to observe their features – the way they look with all their symmetries and peculiarities, the way they feel upon the touch of your hands, finding where their heart beats loudest or how their breath sounds when you listen intently.

Ordering tests to confirm what the senses have observed, gathering evidence

Finally, we move on to prescribing this drug or that drug – with all their mechanisms of action, dosages, kinetics and what have you, all to solve the malady existing in every patient that sits right in front of you in the consultation room.

There comes a time however that despite everything, death’s inevitable cold grasp pulls away at the strings of the tapestry of your patient’s life story. Each string unraveling a worsening condition – a complication, a metastasis, an unstoppable force. We are taught to be the gentlest of ferrymen with all our calming presence to those departing, and all our reassurances to the about to be bereaved. We give them drugs to numb the pain of this voyage.

We are somehow given an image, that all men are equal in this experience.

I couldn’t be more wrong.

How could I be right when the halls of hospitals ring with the agonizing cries of the desperate? How could I be right when a child, with all their hopes and dreams and innocence, deteriorates while waiting for tests and procedures whose lines last for weeks and months?

How could I be right when mothers, fathers, sons and daughters lose their lives on the road while traveling to get access to another center that will inevitably make them wait again for treatment?

How could I be right when daily wage earners continue to wait for free medical assistance despite their hands being strewn with lacerations already, or they cough with such intensity as if to expectorate what’s left of their weary soul?

All this happening only to realize that a different world exists on the other side of the socioeconomic curtain, one unimaginable to the hoi polloi. A world where hypotension secondary to an investigational hearing is met with immediate medical attention at an overseas center. A world where cervical injury secondary to evidence of plunder is managed speedily with a neck brace and wheelchair combination. A world where butchers of men are treated with utmost humanity in stark contrast to their unfortunate victims - starved, shot, mutilated, left to die.

The powers that be ask us as healers to show up and soak this all in unquestioningly. Our voices stifled, our complaints invalidated. Demanded to smile in the midst of it all —under the bludgeoning weight of restless shifts, sometimes with no food nor water, they wring every last bit of your labor and your soul. Smile still, because you were foolish enough to choose a profession that demanded every bit of sacrifice on your end.

When you decide to pack up your things and leave, you’re selfish, only interested in the money. When you stay, you’re a martyr in every sense of the word — forced to acquiesce to the wishes of local overlords who fancy themselves kings of their local fiefdoms in the provinces; forced to bow down your head in the face of unjust compensation — even as we’re made to spend hundreds of thousands, and years of our lives as we’re meant to accept lack of funding for our education as a “harsh reality.”

To add salt to wounds, a better world would have been possible — a better world is possible! If only justice and accountability reigned supreme. If the people’s money didn’t go to lining the pockets of bureaucrats and dubious contractors. If human rights like healthcare and education weren’t treated like commodities, locked and gatekept behind a paywall by the avaricious who would rather see people die than lose a chance for another horse, Rolls Royce, yacht, or trip abroad.

If only.

But a better world is still possible. How can I lose hope when there are those who continue to spend their time and life serving the underserved despite everything that is going on? When there are those who show their passion in fanning the flames of hope in the newer generation?

How can I lose hope, when there are those who are sick and tired of being force fed the notion of the status quo being normal?

A hope for a better world exists, not because of any individual nor bureaucrat, but because the masses continue to move despite the seeming impossibility of changing things — after all, things always seem impossible before they’re done.

Perhaps in the birth of this better world, death can truly be equal for everyone.

Written by Patrick John Benedict Limos
Artwork by Chloe Reynaldo

21/09/2025

𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨. 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙡𝙯𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧’𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮.

Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia, responsible for 60 to 70 percent of cases worldwide (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023). Dementia itself is not a single disease, but a broad term for conditions that impair memory, reasoning, and the ability to perform daily activities. Among these conditions, Alzheimer’s is the most common and most recognized form. It is a progressive disorder of the brain that gradually damages memory, reasoning, and independence. Unlike the minor lapses we associate with aging, Alzheimer’s brings profound changes that deeply affect those diagnosed as well as their families and caregivers.

Globally, more than 55 million people live with dementia, a number projected to almost triple by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Disease International [ADI], 2023). In the Philippines, the challenge is just as urgent. Research shows that around one in ten older Filipinos has dementia, and the vast majority of these cases are Alzheimer’s disease (Dominguez et al., 2018). The burden is not only medical but also financial, as families often shoulder costs that can reach nearly ₱200,000 per patient each year (Dominguez et al., 2021). These figures highlight the need for stronger awareness, earlier detection, and more community support.

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s may include persistent forgetfulness, confusion about time or place, difficulty completing familiar tasks, changes in personality, and withdrawal from social life (National Institute on Aging [NIA], 2021). While age is the greatest risk factor, genetics, heart health, and lifestyle also contribute. It is crucial to emphasize that Alzheimer’s is not an inevitable part of aging but a disease requiring medical attention and compassion.

Although there is currently no cure, science continues to move forward. Researchers are investigating new treatments, and studies show that healthy lifestyle habits such as exercise, mental activity, and social engagement may lower dementia risk and slow decline (Livingston et al., 2020). These advances bring hope to millions of families.

𝐀𝐥𝐳𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 is a time to reflect on what we can do. Families and caregivers often shoulder heavy burdens in silence. By raising awareness, supporting community programs, and showing kindness to those affected, we can reduce stigma and build a more inclusive society. Each small act of patience and advocacy makes a difference.

May we remember that behind every forgotten name or misplaced memory is a person deserving dignity, understanding, and hope. Together, we can break the silence and move toward a future where no one faces dementia alone.

Article by Jonathan Calibjo
Layout by Chloe Ellesse Faciolan⁣⁣

21/09/2025

[𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍]

𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟
𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙇𝙖𝙬

Some wounds do not heal, and no, this isn’t about a diabetic foot.

There are those in the nation’s body that refuse to close, and have left scars etched so deeply that every breath, every step, every heartbeat carries their ache, and Martial Law is one such wound. Even after decades have gone by, the pain of this wound still reverberates in communities whose voices were stripped away, in generations that learned to whisper rather than speak, and now, on this anniversary, the greatest danger is not that we remember too much but that we are being asked, through silence, distortion, and calculated indifference, to remember less.

During Martial Law, the nation's health was a catastrophe hidden beneath a facade of “strength and progress.” It’s tempting to think that the construction of hospitals and clinics during this era signified improvement, but deep in its bases are evidence that the services they provided were undeniably inadequate. Historical accounts reveal that vital, life-saving information was often concealed or distorted, while patients endured mistreatment due to a lack of cures and equipment. Antonio Mabayag’s story illustrates this grim reality: shot in the head during a crossfire that killed his eight-year-old son, he survived but received only a single hospital treatment. A second transfusion was delayed until the blood had expired, rendering it useless. His suffering was not unusual, it was, in fact, common during those years. Human rights organizations documented detainees being tortured under guard, with medical personnel complicit in falsifying certificates or denying care. In one case, a prison doctor forced a detainee to sign a document denying his bruises; in another, a febrile prisoner was dismissed with the chilling remark, “Kaya pa niya.” Imagine dying of a fever because someone in power decided you didn’t matter enough to be treated.

Even after Martial Law ended, the public health issues it left behind were massive, that 79% of preschool children were malnourished, infant mortality reached 44 deaths per 1,000 live births, and preventable diseases including measles, diphtheria, rabies, and schistosomiasis ravaged communities as noted by the Asian Development Bank (Xillium, 2021). The Philippines has recorded the highest rates of whooping cough and tuberculosis in the Western Pacific, as well as the third-largest number of blind individuals worldwide, owing primarily to vitamin A deficiency. It was listed that 62 out of every 100 Filipinos died each year without ever visiting a doctor, and more than half of localities lacked functioning health centers. What Martial Law left behind was more than just political devastation, it also left a nation ill in both body and mind.

It is in this context that doctors must speak, for medicine has never existed in a vacuum, and health has never been untouched by the policies that govern it. To treat the body while ignoring the disease in society is not professionalism but denial. Today, under the Marcos Jr. administration, estimates suggest that as much as ₱197 billion may have been lost annually to corruption in flood control projects, money identified by the Office of Senator Panfilo Lacson as largely unutilized and siphoned away. According to calculations using Department of Health salary standards and WHO human resources targets, those funds could have doubled the nation’s hospital beds by adding 56,827, hired 201,542 nurses and 63,596 doctors to finally meet WHO-recommended ratios, and built 15,711 barangay health stations to cover every community (DBM, DOH, WHO, 2023). Instead, the system remains starved of resources, and the cost is not measured in pesos but in untreated illnesses, mothers lost to childbirth, and children dying of curable disease, because corruption drained the lifeblood that could have kept them alive.

Some will claim that politics is not a doctor's domain, that compassion stops at the hospital's doors, but every policy that silences criticism, every order that normalizes brutality, and every act of corruption seeps into the wards and clinic. Public health, hunger, and poverty are all political concerns. During those years, complicity was measured not by lost arguments, but by lives cut short. To commemorate Martial Law today is more than just remembering; it is about refusing to forget, recognizing that truth is part of healing, remembrance can be medicine, and democracy is a safeguard rather than a privilege.

To speak is not to abandon medicine, but to fulfill it. Raising our voices is not partisanship; rather, it is a prescription for justice. History has warned us that silence can kill, and if doctors do not speak up, it will continue to do so. On this particular day, the medical community must refuse neutrality and proclaim with all the power of conscience, with the urgency of those who have witnessed the cost of neglect and corruption: never again.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁. 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁.

21/09/2025

As we approach the 53rd commemoration of Martial Law, we honor all healthcare workers and volunteers who put their lives on the line to treat political prisoners, laborers, and underserved communities during the Marcos regime. We acknowledge the lasting impact of torture, malnutrition, and human rights violations on the nation’s health.

𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡.

With this, we also join the call for the reinstatement of the Medical Scholarship and Return Service program, release of performance-based bonuses of frontliners, and better compensation for all allied health professionals. We condemn the corruption of public funds, and we urge for proper budget allocation and investment in the health sector.

The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve tells us that our long-term memories do not decline until we completely lose the information. So long as we are still here, we will .

Caption by Alyssa Nicole Maquiran
With research from Mariane Gabrielle Cagalawan, Jessa Nikki Matillano, and Christian Haj Pariñal
Layout by Justin Mark Gamba

20/09/2025

[𝐒𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘]

𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲

In the stillness of ordinary days, life quietly unfolds: a friend’s laughter echoing around the room; the quiet footsteps of walking home; water splashes on a still pond.

These moments often go unnoticed, fleeting; memories that easily get forgotten.

Yet, they are the heartbeat of our existence.

Normalcy is not empty; it is the gentle rhythm that sustains us. It is the morning light streaming through the window, the routine of familiar streets, the comfort of shared silences. These small fragments of everyday life weave together a tapestry of meaning.

As such, beauty does not always announce itself in grand gestures. Sometimes, it is found in the ordinary, the quiet rituals, the minute details, the calm spaces in between. This is life as it is lived, softly unfolding, inviting us to see that the normal is, in truth, extraordinary.

𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱.

Caption by Jethro Lopez
Photos by Jethro Lopez

19/09/2025

Martial Law was a dark chapter in our nation’s history. Lives were lost, justice was trampled, and freedom was stripped away. Fifty-three years have passed, yet its shadows continue to hover and remind us of the cost of silence and abuse of power.

We believe in a better tomorrow—one that can only be achieved if our leaders uphold transparency, compassion, and integrity in governance. The Filipino people deserve nothing less than truth, justice, and genuine service.

On September 21, Manugbulong sang Iloilo group invites everyone, especially those who hates corruption, to come together not only to remember, but also to stand firm in our call: 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆, 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. Let our voices rise for democracy, for accountability, and for the generations who must inherit a nation free from fear.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁.

Layout by Louisa May Nacionales

19/09/2025

𝟏 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓!

All set to save lives? Here's the flow and general guidelines to help you in your journey to becoming a hero 🦸‍♂️🦸🏻‍♀️

Come join the fight against blood shortage on 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, at the 𝗪𝗩𝗦𝗨 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝘆𝗺, from 𝟴:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠. One blood donation goes a long way! ❤️‍🩹

𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:
📌 bit.ly/BloodforGlory2025

𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲:
We Are Ayala Business Club Iloilo Chapter

𝐈𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡:
Bean there.

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐲:
Pabalhas
Apex PriMed

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲:
CICT Student Council

𝐈𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡:
WVSU COM - Aeternum Batch 2028
Alpha Phi Omega - Zeta Omicron Chapter
Asian Medical Students' Association WVSU
CPU Medicine Student Council
College of Business & Management Student Council - WVSU
Iloilo Doctors’ College of Medicine Inc. - Student Council
WVSU COM - Medici Ultra Sui Batch 2027
MICROBIA
Arts and Sciences Student Council, Inc.
WVSU - College Red Cross Youth
WVSU - University Students' Alliance

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨:
Bisayang Doktor
Green Legacy Philippines
Med Symphony WVSU-COM
Vital Signs Publication
WVSU College of Dentistry - Student Council
WVSU Communication Student Council
WVSU Medicine Student Council
Pagyuhum Publication

19/09/2025

𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞: The pioneer batch of the WESTMed track has revealed their batch name, Batch PRIMEDALIS.

According to the group, the name is derived from Primitiae, Medela, Aris, which means the firstlings, the remedy, and the crème de la crème.

They said the identity represents wisdom, renewal, growth, and promise as they begin their Doctor of Medicine journey.

18/09/2025

The 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 (𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗡𝗼. 𝟲𝟲𝟳𝟱), enacted in 1988, promotes the use of generic names for medicines to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all Filipinos. This law mandates that all government health agencies, medical practitioners, and drug establishments 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴𝘀. It requires drug products to prominently display generic names alongside brand names to encourage informed consumer choices. The Department of Health publishes annual lists of generic and brand names of medicines available in the country to promote transparency. The goal of the Act is to 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 and make them available free to indigent patients.

Under this law, pharmacists and drug outlets must inform consumers about generic equivalents and their prices, ensuring patients have options and can make cost-effective choices. Manufacturers are required to produce generic versions of patented medicines to ensure availability. A Generic Drugs Board, chaired by the Secretary of Health and composed of representatives from the medical, consumer, manufacturing, and distribution sectors, oversees the law’s implementation and compliance. The Board has authority to investigate violations and recommend penalties to uphold the Act. These measures guarantee that generic medicines meet strict requirements for quality, safety, and efficacy, just like branded products.

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 is recognized as 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 in the Philippines, a time dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of generic medicines and the provisions of the Generics Act. This month-long campaign 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀, and 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. This reminds us that healthcare should not be a privilege, but a right that every Filipino can access. By choosing generics, we open the doors to better health outcomes, stronger communities, and a more sustainable healthcare system. By raising awareness, the campaign empowers patients to make informed decisions, reducing out-of-pocket expenses without sacrificing quality. Supporting the use of generics helps build a more equitable healthcare system and ensures essential medicines are accessible to all Filipinos. Awareness efforts during September help strengthen trust in generic drugs and foster a healthier nation.

Article by Frances Therese Carbon
Layout by Jun Sun Magcanam

18/09/2025

Happy Birthday to 𝑹𝒐𝒏, one of our incredibly talented literary writers!

Your powerful poetry and moving prose have touched countless lives, and your writing has always been a source of inspiration for all of us. You have a unique ability to capture the depths of human emotion and turn them into art.

As a clinical clerk, we know you'll approach every patient with the same empathy and dedication you brought to your writing. Your ability to connect with people and understand their stories will undoubtedly make you a compassionate and exceptional doctor.

May this birthday be as filled with joy and beauty as your words, and may this new chapter bring you all the success and fulfillment you deserve.

Thank you for being our mentor, friend, and a true artist. We're so excited to see the amazing things you'll do next!

17/09/2025

This September, we observe 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑳𝒆𝒖𝒌𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒂 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉, shedding light on leukemia as one of the debilitating public health issues with significant mortality and morbidity. This commemorative month also aligns with the Philippines’ initiative to raise awareness of blood disorders—such as leukemia, anemia, and others—through Proclamation No. 1833, which designates September as ‘Blood Diseases Month.’

This year, the National Cancer Institute has reported 66,890 new cases and 23,540 leukemia-related deaths. In the Philippines, leukemia ranks fifth among cancer-related deaths and is the eighth most common cancer in overall incidence.

Leukemia is a disorder affecting the white blood cells, which are responsible for immune function. In leukemia, immature white blood cells divide rapidly. Consequently, this leads to an inability to fight infections and a dysfunctional ability of the bone marrow to produce healthy red blood cells and platelets.

Leukemia can be categorized as acute or chronic, with four subtypes: Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia (CLL), and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). The etiology of leukemia is still unknown. However, several risk factors have been implicated, such as increased radiation exposure, repeated exposure, chemotherapy, certain genetic conditions like Down Syndrome, and familial predisposition to leukemia.

Meanwhile, the common signs and symptoms of leukemia include fever, chills, night sweats or flu-like feelings; persistent weakness and fatigue; swollen or bleeding gums; frequent headaches; enlargement of the liver or spleen; swollen tonsils; bone pain; pale skin; tiny red spots on the skin; and unintended weight loss. Still, these are not definitive, and consulting your physician is paramount to ascertain the diagnosis.

Leukemia has a considerable effect on a person’s quality of life. This battle is not only limited to the physical body, but also markedly puts a strain on the emotional, psychological, social, and most importantly, financial aspects of a person’s well-being.

As this month aims to amplify awareness of leukemia, it is also a time to underscore the importance of visibility, early detection, and strong support systems. Intensifying the call for a better cancer care system is crucial in curbing the trend of leukemia, with the hope of causing the least financial damage possible.

Pubmat by Chloe Reynaldo
Caption by Carlo Ang

References
[1] https://www.hematology.org/education/patients/blood-cancers/leukemia
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560490/
[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11565696/
[4] https://gco.iarc.who.int/today/en/dataviz/bars?mode=cancer&key=total&group_populations=1&types=0&sort_by=value1&populations=900&multiple_populations=0&values_position=out&cancers_h=36
[5] https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/leuks.html

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