RYANN REYES

The second stop for our field work was at Malabukyok, Cebu. It is located at around 126 kms. southwest of Cebu City. With a population of only 18,117, it’s one of the very laid back places I’ve been to, here in Cebu. It’s a mixture of mountain and sea side rural living. People grow their own food, and catch their dinners fresh. It’s the simple life at its best. But despite the lack of tourist spots, this place made a really huge impact in my life, and I’ve learned so much about the people and the different places here in Malabuyok. Because of this experience, I have a new found respect for farmers and fishermen, and how their work affects each and everyone of us.

Probably the most memorable experience I had in here, and for the entire trip, was our visit to Barangay Labrador. Going through 2 houses would literally take 30 minutes of walking because it’s so far apart. It’s so far apart that we had to literally cross rivers and hills. Not to mention the added rain and mud. But it’s all good, because like our team leader said, quality data requires commitment. I am extremely grateful at all the things I went through in this place. I never would have had this experience if it wasn’t for Ateneo de Manila Graduate School. This is the first time I really immersed myself with research, and I have to say, I’m really liking every bit of it. I will always treasure this wonderful experience. I hope there will be a next time.

The first stop for our field work was at the beautiful Moalboal, Cebu. It is located at around 89 kilometers away from Cebu City, which is about 2.5 hours by bus. It is a world famous diving site which attracts a lot of foreign and local tourist all year round. But in our case, we stayed there for 5 days mixing business with pleasure. After braving cornfields, climbing on top of hills, enduring the mud, the rain, and the heat, I think it’s only fair to give ourselves an afternoon of rest and relaxation. And what better way to do that than by spending it at Moalboal’s finest, the beach.

The photos above are my favorite picks taken from our in between breaks from doing data collection from the various barangays in the area, and during our final day of data collection after we went back from Malabuyok. One thing I love about traveling here in Cebu is that there’s always something beautiful to see anywhere we go, and Moalboal did not disappoint. I was lucky to be able to see all the sides of Moalboal, and not only its beautiful beaches, but I also got to know a lot of people and I made new friends there. I’m definitely going back. And maybe bring a skim board with me perhaps? Anyway, after our stay here, we headed on to our next research destination, Malabuyok, Cebu.

As you all may know, aside from being a shutter-happy person posting all my photographs here, I work as a part-time slave volunteer nurse. And today is definitely one of the moments that I will always remember in my entire nursing career.

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I’ve grown quite accustomed to the joys and pangs of doing tons and tons of paper works. I have this new perspective on nursing now that I’m on the administrative side of things. So many fine print to read and sort, so many paper cuts and just so many damn papers. Oh well, apparently this is what I’ve signed up for. And yes, that’s the bag I bring to work everyday because, it’s made out of an eco-friendly material—canvas, it can fit all the papers I need to bring home and nursing is just awesome. I love my job.

I started out this year with working in a new area at the hospital. I’m really glad to be finally transfered at the ward. I’ve been hinting my supervisor for weeks to be transfered and I’m glad my request didn’t go unnoticed.

It’s very chill compared to the work I do in the ER. In the ward, everything is very routine and everything is on the clock. It’s a matter of how to properly manage the time to carry out all the doctor’s orders, do bedside care, and write all the nurse’s notes.

What I love about my new assignment is that I work the graveyard shift, meaning, almost all the patients are asleep, which ultimately means, less stress. I don’t recommend this but sometimes I just set my alarm to the time the meds should be given, or what have you, so I can sneak in a nap here and there when I’ve done everything that needs to be done at that moment. But then again, it’s not as easy as I make it sound. The margin of error in the ward is zero to none. So it’s still very much hard work. 

And I love every minute of it.

After giving it much thought, I finally decided to move on with my life, career-wise. All the things that happened to me so far this week really helped me decide on what’s best for me and my future in this oh-so dynamic world of Nursing.  

It’s not even about not being paid for the 40 hours of service I render per week, or the extremely toxic working environment, because that’s what I love about being a nurse. It’s just that I am no longer happy with who I go to work with. And the blows I get from them is already very personal. Before I just told myself to just do my job, do it well, and ignore them as much as possible. I’ve been trying my very best to really make it work. But unfortunately, I can only handle so much.

My 6 months in that hospital taught me to be brave and to stand up for myself. It’s important to always remember that Respect begets respect, and that no one deserves to be treated otherwise.

Life’s too short to live in an unhappy situation. What’s done is done and it’s sorted. It’s time to move on. 

I love my job because I get to be a real nurse for 12 hours everyday. On the other hand, I always come home beat, tired and burned out. The rest days I have in between duty days are enough to do all my masteral assignments. On the other hand, since I really have a lot of things to do, I only get to sleep at around 12 AM and wake up at 5:30 AM just so I won’t be late for work. I’m not hating on my job or anything. It’s just the effects of my job to my body and rest that I’m not really a fan of. My job is one really big balancing act.