Ranking 9th in the 2019 Physician Board Exam, it wasn’t surprising that Dr. Temie Paul “Tipoy” Villarino received numerous offers from employers – both locally and abroad. However, Dr. Villarino declined all of these offers in favor of working in his hometown.
Hailing from one of the farthest towns in Zamboanga del Norte, this fresh-faced doctor services the town of Godod and its 18,000 residents. With the area far from many modern services, including proper health care, Doctor Villarino chose to use his skills, knowledge, and talent in the area where he grew up. He is also the only municipal doctor serving the area.
His decision may be far from the normal route doctors take – but it was a decision he wholeheartedly made upon passing the Physician Board Exam. In fact, he pledged himself onto this path, praying that he would top the bar and render his service to his hometown.
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| Photo: I-Witness / YouTube |
His path as a physician was deeply influenced by his own experiences living in his hometown. Numerous residents have died in Godod in the past because of the poor medical situation. In fact, his own brother died from tetanus complications because of failure to administer a complete set of anti-tetanus shots.
“So, doon ko po na-realize na kahit simpleng bakuna lang ay napakahalaga kasi bakuna lang, dalawang turok, tatlong turok, puwede po yung makapagsalba ng buhay.” [That’s when I realized how a simple shot can really save a life.]
4 Hours on Rocky Road
The path to Godod is far from easy and requires you to walk more or less 4 hours from the main city. The path is not fit for any kind of vehicle, requiring the doctor to walk on foot with each visit. Even the midwives in their area chose to leave after problems in the peace and order of the small town.
With 64 percent of the town living beneath the poverty line, Dr. Villarino is deeply aware of the problems plaguing his roots. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Villarino consults with numerous patients in the barrio, seeing an average of 50 to 60 people each day. Currently, he hopes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in his village.
“Gusto kong maging part ng solution, kasi napakadaming problema ng ating bansa. Napakadaling magreklamo po, sa totoo lang. Sa dinami-dami ng problema na pinapasan ng ating bansa, napakadaling magreklamo. But I’m trying my best to be part of the solution by being a physician, a doctor sa malayo at mahirap na bayan.”
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| Photo: I-Witness / YouTube |
He notes, however, that he isn’t unique. There are lots of doctors who chose to serve far-flung villages in the country.
Dr. “Tipoy” Villarino is a graduate of West Visayas State University-La Paz in Iloilo City and got a score of 87.42 percent in the exams.
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| Photo: I-Witness / YouTube |
Dr. Villarino was featured in the I-Witness documentary of Kara David with the title, "Ang Lumingon sa Pinanggalingan..."
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