I started to awaken that urge to write my experience in this place exactly 2 months after I left it.There is this sense of longing that I still continually feel despite that two months being away in a place that I learned to cherish and consider as my second home and so I decided to put this in writing.  I was assigned here in this peaceful municipality for one and half years as a Doctor to the Barrio, despite the strong winds of monsoon that poses challenge to health service delivery, I never failed to be overwhelmed and be thankful by the generosity and warmth of the natives of this place which made those challenges worthwhile.

Looc, Occidental Mindoro is a 5th class municipality found Northwest of Occidental Mindoro in Lubang Island, sharing the terrain with another municipality, Lubang. Surrounded by islets, Lubang Island was famous of Onoda's trail and beautiful sunsets.

Looc, Mindoro seemed to be unfamiliar to many because back the old days, it was only considered as one of the barangays of Lubang Island. Looc is politically divided into 9 barangays, 3 of which are island barangays lying east (Ambil Island)  and southeast (Golo Island) of the inland parts of Looc. However, technically if you will literally count the island barangays based on their geographical locations, there are actually 4 (two sitios sharing ambil island but are found opposite sides of the island).


 To get there, I had to wake up at 3 o'clock am from our house in Laguna in order to catch the door to door van which reaches Calatagan Batangas Port after 3 hours of ride, passing Tagaytay-Nasugbu route. Upon reaching the port, a motorized pump boat which leaves at around 12 noon from Calatagan Port once daily will travel to reach Agkawayan Looc Port and this takes about 2-3 hour ride depending on the sea conditions. Usual fare for van services is Php 350 but there are Celis Buses leaving Pasay to Calatagan at Php 175. However, I prefer van since it's less hassle with their door-to-door service making it more easier to ferry my luggage. Pump boat fare from Calatagan to Agkawayan is Php 350 with complimentary coffee on board.

I never took vacation leave during my stint. The luxury of going home after being away from weeks to months were squeezed-in between my seminars with DOH. I usually spend a night or two with my parents during those chances since I cannot leave Looc for long. I can't, my promptness to return was dictated by my conscience - I knew that many of my patients have waited long and so I cannot delay my return. I never complained being far from my family or staying up late attending house-calls, it was a stirred passion seeing patients getting cured are more rewarding and the fulfilment was more than just the monetary compensation we get from being a public servant (which in fact is incomparable with services we offer versus what we get in return, we are at times called it "pro bono" but I take it literally because we dole out straight from our pockets to help the less fortunates).

 Ambil Island is a prominent view that identifies that you are already near Agkawayan, where the port of Looc is located. Ambil has two sitios Tambo and Tabao which is located opposite side of the island. Tambo is facing Batangas while Tabao is facing the inland part of Looc. It takes about 1- 1 1/2 boat ride to reach the other sitio from the opposite side.


 From Agkawayan, a dirt road paving the mountainous trails will lead to Poblacion. I often ride the passenger truck since it's more cheaper that hiring a private vehicle, fifty pesos compared to hiring where price range from  Php 500-1,000 one way. There are no regular passenger trips, thus I often resort to riding motorcycle which is the staple means of transportation by Looc locals.

Ambil takes pride of its natural beauty where luscious greens cover its top while its surround seemed to be barren. It was during my first summer there when I saw that cogons literally burn in some parts of the island during summer when the temperature gets very high.

A view from Agkawayan of the majestic Ambil Island

Rice fields, mountainous terrains, salt farms and views along the coastlines were ambiances that make me appreciate the simplicity of living in a barrio. Sometimes, working in places like Looc makes me feel happy. Serving doctorless municipalities like Looc, I learned to appreciate the simple joys of being a barrio doctor.

Agriculture is the main source of income of Looc locals. Farming, fishing and salt farming are their common industry. During summers, samaral fish and pencil squids are very abundant hence the natives commonly dry fish and squids at their backyard and often trade it as means of income.

It took me two months to fully familiarize and accustom myself with the daily routinary duties of being a doctor in a rural set-up.  It was more than just the usual adrenaline rush I get way back my internship days in the hospital when I attend to patients primarily because I was faced to emergencies on my own and limited resources in terms of medical equipment and medicine supplies. My duties as a physician can sometimes be exhausting at the same time frustrating, knowing that at the end of the day because of these constraints, patients still expire. I remembered once, there was a patient rushed at the Rural Health Unit cyanotic, weak-pulsed, pupils dilated and with cold clammy skin. Clinically I knew that the rushed patient was having a heart attack. I immediately placed the oxygen mask, ECG leads and started the IV line. Seeing my patient, I knew I had to intubate her but we didn't have intubation set at the center, the nearest facility is located 38 kilometers away  from town and will take more than an hour to cross the rough road across the mountainous terrains, she couldn't make it either so we started doing CPR and infusing epinephrine alternately checking if there are chances of the patient to be revived in the unit. I knew that we could have saved her if it was a hospital and equipment are available yet, we didn't. The last thing I recall was me crying while breaking the news to her relatives that I wasn't able to save he after almost one and half hour of  rescue revival. It hurts to see helpless cases such as hers but what hurts even more is seeing her relatives thanking me despite her expiration and I was there doing my best despite knowing that it will be next to impossible to revive her without the appropriate medical care.

My daily routine was not just limited to attending to patients in the Rural Health Unit. Weekly, I do barangay visits especially in the island barangays to extend medical services to the far flung areas. The ironic challenges when I do island visits are: one, I don't know how to swim and second, out of the twelve months in a year, 10 months of it the sea currents are strong because of the monsoon winds causing turbulent waters and high waves. Fortunately, I only had only one experience of sea craft accident when one of the boat riggers (batangan) broke while we were in the middle of the sea one time when I went to visit Tambo. I was so frightened that I thought the boat will overturn as the waves continually crash it and it will take another 40 minutes more to reach the sitio. Perhaps it was a tremendous experience, traumatic and fearful yet thinking what more it is for patients to cross these waves just to seek medical care I couldn't afford to be manipulated by my fears. It didn't hinder us to continually serve the people because we knew that they are dependent to us and to the services we bring them.

 I was very thankful though, because even with these handicaps the municipality was very supportive to health and somehow, the mere fact that finally a doctorless area will have a doctor, the least there are expected mortality because preventive services are already addressed. I was in fact grateful that I was given a chance to serve the under-served and be loved wholeheartedly.

Looc was a home to me. The embracing community, the warm smiles and welcome of the people are moments that I will always treasure. People often share their goods as a sign of their gratitude, at times they will ask "Dra, kelan po kayo pauwi sa inyo kasi po may ibibigay po kami pabaon?" and then the night before I will leave, neighbours and patients will come at my house giving pabaons like lapu-lapu fish, danggit, mangoes, crabs and cashew nuts. It was a simple token of thanks for them, but for me, those were meaningful signs of gratitude that no monetary compensation can compete.
It may sound heroic, sometimes haters will say it's hypocrisy, but to be perfectly honest being a doctor to a community far from your comfort zone was not a red carpet lane. It was the people around Looc who made me feel that they are a family and combated the homesickness I felt at times.

 During weekends, I usually busy myself with my administrative functions: paper works, data review and RHU stuffs which I cannot do when I am full-handed with the clinical duties during weekdays. My rural duties are not the typical 8-hour office work, I was a 24/7 clinician. Patients often knock in the middle of the night to seek medical care since the hospital is found in Lubang which is about 1-2 hour rough road ride from Poblacion and there are no other medical doctors around the town except me.

When I wanted to unwind, our favourite leisures are enjoying the inviting waters and view of Looc's beaches and hiking trails across the mountains, picnic beside the river and coastlines.  These are simple joys that are enjoyed for free. I still miss it now that I moved back in the city.

Looc's famous Tubahin beach: rock formations

I fell in love watching sunsets at Tubahin, calming memories to end the day.

The last beach I went before I left Looc was the most captivating: Balabara Beach. It is located in the skirt of Ambil Island, a few minutes boat ride from Sitio Tabao. Balabara was a private resort owned by the Madrigals. Rarely they go here as we hear from the caretakers, but they allow locals to visit it for free- to us it was a hidden paradise.

The fine sand of Balabara is what I like best. The mini-Boracay of Looc yet unexploited paradise.









I was once a doctor to the barrio and it shall always be one of my treasured foundations of me being a physician. My experiences taught me more than just becoming a public servant, it taught me compassion and humility. Compassion to feel what less-fortunates and under-served communities has and humility for all the humbling experiences I had.

  I may not be born and raised in Looc, but them making me feel that I had a family in them, touching their lives and leaving a significant mark to their community is what mattered most.


 I am a proud Doctor to the Barrio and Looc will always have a special place in my heart.