Doctor, dean, president

Agerico B. M. Sison, M.D. graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in 1921. He became that school's fifth dean in 1951. He is also the founder and first president of The Medical City, which opened its doors to the public in 1967 as the ABM Sison Hospital. The Medical City is now one of the best hospitals in the Philippines. This bust of Dr. Sison is located in the garden oasis of The Medical City.

An oasis at the hospital

One of the biggest hospitals in Metro Manila, The Medical City along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City has two towers. One has the doctors' offices and the other has the patients' rooms and labs. In the middle of the two is this small oasis of greenery—a respite from the clean, modern architecture and interior design of the hospital. Off one side of the meandering path is a very modern fountain; on another is a Starbucks and a Pancake House, both of which have umbrella tables outside so you can have your coffee or meal within view of the garden.

Low smog

This was the view from my room during my first-ever overnight stay in a hospital in mid-April, in The Medical City. We are looking southeast over Pasig City, and in the foreground is Valle Verde, a gated residential community. I love the fact that you can hardly see the houses because of the trees, but I think it's only because I was just on the fifth floor.

Tiny bubbles

The unusual and modern water feature in the square connecting the two wings of The Medical City, a large hospital complex along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City. While I was taking pictures of it, a security guard came up to me to ask me to stop because photos aren't allowed without the permission of the hospital's marketing officer. Hate that.

Natural or man-made, take a refreshing dip in Watery Wednesday.

Sunday lunch

It was my husband's birthday last Sunday and we decided to try the new Filipino restaurant of chef Florabel Co at Eastwood City. Crisostomo, which boasts of "turn of the century Filipino cuisine," is named after the main protagonist of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere." All of its dishes are named after other characters in the book and even the servers and busboys wear name tags of characters in the book, not their own names. One thing you have to remember about Filipino meals, whether it's Filipino cuisine or not: food is meant to be shared. In Crisostomo, the dishes are served 'family style,' which means that they are placed in the middle of the table and each person is expected to serve himself. Actually, even in non-family style restaurants where your entire meal is on one plate, it is not unusual for Filipinos to dip into each others' plates. Anyway, enough about Filipino eating customs—let's eat!

The appetizer: Ostra Maestra, Elias' Choice – oysters with garlic and cheese. There were two other choices available for the oysters, one of which was raw. In fact, I suspect that Elias' Choice was not baked either but that melted cheese was spooned over raw oysters. Very fresh.



The drink: fresh buko juice. With the coconut meat sliced and served in the glass too. Of course, you'll have to use a fork to eat the slices. I think that coconut juice (some call it coconut water) is pretty good for cleansing the palate between dishes with strong flavors. Filipinos will also tell you that buko juice is very good for the digestive system, but I have no idea how true that is since I have never read a medical report about it.



The rice: fried garlic rice. No Filipino meal is complete without rice. Crisostomo has different kinds available and if you order the basic steamed rice, you can have as much of it as you want.



The vegetable dish: Noli Me Talong – tortang talong (eggplant omelet) with kesong puti (white cheese). Kesong puti is a local Filipino cheese traditionally made out of carabao's milk. The carabao (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) is a type of water buffalo important to Filipino farmers as a plow animal and as a means of transportation.



The fish: Bella Bandida – panfried bangus (milkfish) belly with burong mangga (pickled green mango). The green mango was mixed with a little bagoong (shrimp paste) too.



The prawns: Doña Victorina – prawns in aligue (crab fat) and gata (coconut milk). Cholesterol heaven. And yes, the prawns are served whole. I don't think I've seen a restaurant here serve prawns that have been shelled or deveined. It's just not done. The butterfly cut is acceptable though. Of course, it takes some practice to learn how to remove the shell with a knife and fork.



The dessert: Kapitana Maria – frozen Brazo de Mercedes. The traditional Spanish-Filipino Brazo de Mercedes is a log-shaped pastry of meringue (egg whites and sugar) with a cream filling made out of egg yolks, sugar and milk. Admittedly, Brazo de Mercedes is not a very flattering name for a pastry—it means Mercedes' arm. Use your imagination. Kapitana Maria has a cookie crust, is frozen and drizzled with caramel sauce. I think it's better than regular Brazo de Mercedes.

Healthcare

"When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied."

~Herophilus (335–280 BC), Alexandrian physician

When I need tests or specialists not available in my primary care clinic, I go to The Medical City. Mainly because they're covered by our medical insurance and it's not too far from where I live and work. Thankfully, all my experiences with their doctors, and hospital and laboratory staff have all been good. But then, I haven't had anything serious and I've only had to stay overnight once.

Knock on wood.

Dr. Manager

The Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) opened its doors to students only in school year 2007–2008. It is a partnership between the Ateneo de Manila University and The Medical City. The school's dream: produce doctors who can lead and effect the systemic changes that the Philippine health sector badly needs. Hence the Doctor of Medicine and Master in Business Administration double degree, and the unusual curriculum and mentoring system of the school. The President of the university puts it thus, "If we are going to graduate doctors who are only going to leave the country, then I will close the ASMPH."

Wet leaves

This is the pattern of the garden paths in The Medical City. I love it! When we can finally have our patio fixed up, this is what I want for the floor.

Retail therapy

Many of the largest malls in Metro Manila have a section dedicated to health services: clinics, skin care centers, gyms and such. Healthway has clinics in several malls (this one is in The Block at SM City North EDSA) and it offers medical, dental and skin care services. And these are full services—they have general practitioners (family physicians) and specialists, including surgeons and anesthesiologists since they have several small operating rooms for minor procedures. I've used both their doctors and dentists several times and I'm quite happy with their services. If your medical insurance doesn't cover them, they have inexpensive annual packages that are good enough for general health care. I like the fact that they're located inside malls too. Aside from being open seven days a week, if I have to wait for a doctor to arrive or for the results of a laboratory test, I can relax at a café or go window shopping. And after spending a couple of grueling hours in a dentist's chair or being poked and prodded by a gastroenterologist, what better way to reward yourself for being a good girl (or boy) than by doing a little shopping?

On to the next car

At an intersection in front of the golf course inside the Veterans Memorial Medical Center compound in Quezon City, a lady was selling rags made out of fabric scraps and some kids were begging. The car's windows remained determinedly closed, which means she didn't sell any and the kids didn't get a single centavo. This intersection is very near the large squatter community I showed you last month and this scene is quite common all over Metro Manila.