Tooth and ENT Doctor

Last week, taking advantage of the long vacation, we decided to visit our grandmother in our hometown Tabuk, in the province of Kalinga. I also took the opportunity of improving my driving skills and drive for 12 hours, conquering the Dalton pass and the north expressway in the process. It was a scary but a wonderful learning experience. There was not much to do in Tabuk so we just drove around and took some pictures of the old and common spots you see in the place. I thought it would be nice to make a video presentation out of these photos for the benefit of those who want to reminisce or go back the memory lane. It will also be a showcase of what Tabuk is all about for those who have never been there or wanting to go there. Tabuk came from the word "Tobog", a living stream that runs from the upper part of the municipality that flows down to the lower part of the town which waters the wide fields of the residents of the place. Its land area accounts to 741.7...

Indeed, my life has been a mixture of God’s WILL and GRACE. It may not look fun or exciting to some of you but it is for me. Now, opportunities are endless, especially with the two degrees, and it can really get me out of focus. That is why I am tightening my grip to His Hand. My desire is to be of service to Him by being a medical missionary, not to please Him, rather, making my life, in the very least, worthy of His GRACE. It may not even merit calling it a sacrifice or an act of thanksgiving because I know He’ll still be the loving God even if I don’t do it. For now, I know that “everything will work for the good of us who love HIM and are called according to His purpose”. Besides, what more proof do I need that He is in control of my life? Definitely, I have a full and exciting life ahead for “He who started a good work in me will be faithful to complete it!” I believe it is His WILL that I share to you His greatness in my life so that by GRACE, you will renew your fa...

Y ou see, it was God’s WILL that I pursue a career in dentistry even if I never dreamt of becoming a tooth specialist, only for me to come to know and accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior on the difficult penultimate year in college. It was His WILL that I forego taking the Dental Licensure Examinations right after graduation so that I can join the Philippine Healthcare Ministries in their medical/dental mission in Romblon, growing spiritually and being baptized in His name in the process. It was His WILL that I witness the plight of my countrymen, as well as a miracle that happened in one of the medical missions we had in Bicol, so that I will see my limitations as a dentist and be interested in pursuing further a career in medicine. It was His WILL to ‘exile’ me in Baguio so that I’ll learn to stand on my own, dependent only on His provisions, and for Him to test my faith in the company of unbelievers. It was His WILL that I take my post-graduate internship in Manila so that I...

This coming week, as we remember the greatest sacrifice of all, that of Christ dying for our sins, I am posting a life testimony I wrote 8 years ago. It tells much about how John 3:16 has worked and, still is, working in my life. I hope you will continue to hang on to your faith and experience a life that is beyond holy. To try to comprehend the whole complex of christian life is like floating in a vast sea and not knowing where the waves will bring you. To actually seek for answers to questions like, why me? how will I?, when?, where to?, and what's next?, is like looking for the pot of gold at the end of a 10-minute rainbow. Similarly, when you get used to the ways of God, you no longer ask, just allow yourself to be carried by the wings of His Spirit. It was 6 years ago when I heard the call to be a medical missionary. Witnessing a miracle in one of the islands of Bicol, I sensed that God has a purpose for me that is beyond my understanding. Rightfully so, with perspectives c...

Give Janina a break! We are judging her as if we are so fluent in English and don’t make mistakes ever! Let’s just say she has a speech problem and needs to be seen by a speech pathologist. Normal speech may seem effortless, but it's actually a complex process that requires precise timing, nerve, and muscle control. When we speak, we must coordinate many muscles from various body parts and systems, including the larynx, which contains the vocal cords; the teeth, lips, tongue, and mouth; and the respiratory system. Producing speech and understanding the language is then coordinated in the brain. Some people with speech problems, particularly articulation disorders, may have hearing problems. Even mild hearing loss may have an impact on how a person reproduces the sounds they hear. Certain birth defects, such as a cleft palate, can interfere with someone's ability to produce speech. When a person has a cleft palate there is a hole in the roof of the mouth, which affe...

THE NEWS ... MANILA ( Copyright 2008 The Associated Press ) — More than 1,400 people have displayed typhoid symptoms in less than a month in a city near the Philippine capital, prompting authorities to declare a state of calamity, health officials said Wednesday. Extra medical teams have been sent to assist doctors and conduct disease surveillance in Calamba, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said. Of 1,477 people with typhoid symptoms, 436 have been treated in the city's six hospitals and the rest in local community health centers since Feb. 16, said Dr. Dennis Labro, spokesman for the city's health office. Only 37 of those cases have been confirmed with blood tests because the typhoid test is expensive, Labro said. "So far there are no reported deaths, thank God," Labro said. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... Typhoid fever , also known as enteric fever or bilious fever , is an illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi....

I've said it many times that I have a heart for missions and I know that it is a God's gift. It's been some time since I participated in one and so when I was invited to join Cornerstone's Stepping Out last Saturday in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, I just had to be there despite of... It was a church planting activity and I was really blessed to see that the number of workers were as much or probably more than the number of patients seen! Everyone had their own role and it was really amazing to see how organized and how sincere each one of them as they carried out their own roles. Not all of them may have realized but they showcased 'the missionary heart' even for just a day. I heard about the story of a missionary named Karen Watson. She was a Southern Baptist missionary to Iraq and was killed by unknown assailants March 15, 2004. In the book Lives Given, Not Taken: 21st Century Southern Baptist Martyrs, by Erich Bridges and Jerry Rankin, a letter written ...