Sleepless in Cebu

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

National Hospital Week in Bohol 2026

I had always promised my Lola Sising that I would be a good girl!

Bohol Bee Farm may be far from the convenience of city life but they serve a mean salad with fresh greens and microgreens and colorful flowers.

Ms Chona wakes me up early with "wakey wakey Ms Koala..." so instead of a slow morning, we had a hearty breakfast of unique concoctions like cassava fries, squash bread and homemade ham.

Governance toolbox - our annual learning development intervention.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

SCALE WHAT WORKS AND STOP WHAT DOESN’T!

parking this here, when inspirational messages hit a spot!

INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE

2^nd Quarter Maternal-Perinatal Statistics Conference

July 16, 2026 | 9:00AM | VSMMC Auditorium

· THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CENTRAL VISAYAS CENTER FOR HEALTH DEVELOPMENT,

· THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY OF VICENTE SOTTO MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER LED BY DR. MARY BETH NICHELLE DE LOS SANTOS,

· REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR PARTNER HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES,

· COLLEAGUES, GUESTS, FRIENDS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOOD MORNING.

· WE GATHER NOT AS SPECTATORS OF NUMBERS BUT AS STEWARDS OF LIVES.

· EVERY DATA POINT ON OUR DASHBOARDS REPRESENTS A MOTHER WHOSE FUTURE CAN BE DIFFERENT, A NEWBORN WHOSE FIRST BREATH CAN BE SAFER.

· WHEN WE TREAT STATISTICS AS STORIES AND CHARTS AS CALLS TO ACTION, WE TURN MEASUREMENT INTO MOMENTUM.

· LEADERS IN PERINATAL QUALITY HAVE REMINDED US THAT PROGRESS DEPENDS ON THREE THINGS: RIGOROUS DATA, STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS, AND RAPID TRANSLATION OF EVIDENCE INTO PRACTICE.

· THESE ARE NOT ABSTRACT IDEALS — THEY ARE THE PRACTICAL LEVERS THAT MOVE MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY CURVES DOWNWARD.

· RECENT GATHERINGS IN OUR FIELD HAVE EMPHASIZED NAVIGATING FORWARD THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN INNOVATION AND COLLECTIVE ACTION TO SCALE PROVEN INTERVENTIONS.

· SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW?

· MEASURE WITH PURPOSE.

· LET EVERY INDICATOR WE TRACK BE TIED TO AN INTERVENTION WE CAN IMPLEMENT, EVALUATE, AND IMPROVE.

· SHARE WITH HUMILITY.

· OPEN DATA AND SHARED LEARNING ACCELERATE SOLUTIONS; YOUR LESSONS LEARNED ARE SOMEONE ELSE’S BREAKTHROUGH.

· ACT WITH URGENCY.

· EVIDENCE WITHOUT IMPLEMENTATION IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY; SCALE WHAT WORKS AND STOP WHAT DOESN’T.

· WE ALSO FACE HARD REALITIES: CONSTRAINED FINANCING, WORKFORCE STRAIN, AND PERSISTENT INEQUITIES THAT SHAPE OUTCOMES LONG BEFORE A WOMAN REACHES A CLINIC.

· THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION HAS SHIFTED FROM COMMITMENTS TO IMPLEMENTATION, URGING STRONGER DOMESTIC INVESTMENT AND PRACTICAL, CONTEXT‑SENSITIVE SOLUTIONS.

· OUR STATISTICS MUST THEREFORE INFORM POLICY AND FINANCING DECISIONS AS MUCH AS CLINICAL PRACTICE.

· TODAY, LET US CHALLENGE ONE ANOTHER TO MAKE THREE CONCRETE PROMISES:

· ONE DATASET WE WILL CLEAN AND PUBLISH THIS QUARTER SO PARTNERS CAN ACT ON IT.

· ONE COLLABORATION WE WILL START OR DEEPEN—WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, DATA SCIENTISTS, OR POLICYMAKERS—TO TRANSLATE NUMBERS INTO PROGRAMS.

· ONE SMALL, MEASURABLE CHANGE WE WILL TEST IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS AND REPORT BACK AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

· IF WE KEEP THESE PROMISES, OUR NEXT CONFERENCE WILL BE DIFFERENT NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE SLIDES, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE FEWER PREVENTABLE TRAGEDIES.

· LET OUR WORK BE DEFINED BY THE LIVES IMPROVED, NOT THE PAGES OF OUR REPORTS.

· IN CLOSING: LET US BE BRAVE WITH OUR DATA, GENEROUS WITH OUR LEARNING, AND RELENTLESS IN OUR FOLLOW‑THROUGH.

· WE HAVE THE TOOLS, THE EVIDENCE, AND THE SHARED WILL—NOW LET US CONVERT STATISTICS INTO SUSTAINED, EQUITABLE SURVIVAL AND THRIVING FOR MOTHERS AND NEWBORNS.

· WE ARE ALWAYS STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN OUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTH.

· WE UNDERTAKE THESE ENDEAVORS SUCH AS TODAY KAY DINHI SA SOTTO, KALIDAD NGA SERBISYO, AMONG GARBO.

· THANK YOU AND PLEASE ENJOY THE REST OF THE DAY.

Friday, July 17, 2026

PATH TO ZERO: Harmonizing Triple Elimination Strategies for HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis

Thursday, July 16, 2026

Training on Technical Review

Today marks a vital step forward in strengthening our institutional research ecosystem. Technical review is not just an administrative milestone—it is the bedrock of scientific integrity, clinical safety, and impactful health policy.

To fully equip our board, this comprehensive workshop will cover a rigorous and diverse lineup of methodologies and essentials. Over the course of this training, we will dive into:

Core Study Designs: Epidemiological studies, experimental research, case reports, and the intricacies of qualitative and mixed methods.

Evidence Synthesis: The systematic approaches of meta-analyses and systematic reviews.

Operational Foundations: Advanced sampling designs, robust data collection, and rigorous data analysis.

Governance & Integrity: Ethics in health research and the foundational principles of effective research technical review itself.

The ultimate goal of this extensive curriculum is to cultivate an enabling environment for research to thrive. By sharpening our collective lens, we ensure that every protocol emerging from our institution is scientifically sound, ethically grounded, and ready to transform healthcare delivery.

Let us embark on this learning experience with a shared vision of excellence. Because here at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, we hold ourselves to the highest standards—kay dinhi sa Sotto, kalidad nga serbisyo among garbo!

Once again, a warm welcome to you all, and let us have a productive and insightful training workshop!

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Turning DATA into Deliverables

Quarterly Maternal Perinatal Statistics (QMPS)

VSMMC Auditorium

Colleagues, partners in health, and fellow champions for mothers and babies, good afternoon.

As we bring today's Quarterly Maternal Perinatal Statistics conference to a close, I want to ground us in why we gathered here in the VSMMC Auditorium. We are not here simply to look at slides, analyze charts, or file away numbers.

Behind every single data point we discussed today is a mother’s life, a family’s future, and a baby’s first breath.

To truly move the needle and achieve our ultimate goal—reducing maternal, neonatal, and perinatal mortalities here in Cebu and the wider Central Visayas region—we must transition from passive observation to decisive action. Starting today, our approach shifts to a rigorous three-step framework:

Our Three-Step Commitment

1. Bravely Publish One Consolidated Data Set

Immediate

We will no longer keep our findings in silos. We commit to bravely publishing one unified, transparent data set. True progress begins with radical clinical honesty. By laying bare our actual numbers, we invite accountability and build a clear baseline for intervention.

2. Strategically Execute One Unified Action Plan

Next 30 Days

We will design and implement a highly focused action plan specifically targeted to address the systemic and clinical gaps we identified today. This plan will outline clear responsibilities, practical clinical pathways, and direct interventions.

3. Deliver One Platform Accomplishment Report

At Day 90

Ninety days from now, we will document and present a formal accomplishment report. This will not be a report of intentions, but a hard-data record of tangible results, tracking exactly what changed because of our actions.

Completing the Circle of Care

Data is only as powerful as the area it represents. To save every mother and child, we must see the whole picture.

We extend an urgent and open invitation to our partners across the healthcare ecosystem to complete this circle of maternal and neonatal data in Central Visayas:

Our Provincial and City Health Officers: To bridge hospital outcomes with community-level primary care.

The POGS Representatives of Private Hospitals: To ensure that private sector clinical realities are integrated with public sector efforts.

The Midwives Association: Whose members stand on the absolute front lines of maternal health, witnessing the first signs of complication.

The Department of Health (DOH): We look forward to having our DOH representatives at the table to share their data and provide the high-level guidance necessary to align our regional interventions.

Looking Forward: Concrete Next Steps

We are not waiting to take action. We have two crucial milestones marked on our calendar:

1. Preeclampsia Postgraduate Course & Workshop (October 22, 2026)

Hypertensive complications of pregnancy remain one of our most formidable adversaries. This October, we will host a specialized postgraduate course and workshop dedicated entirely to managing preeclampsia. This clinical training will equip our doctors and midwives with the latest evidence-based protocols to intervene early and prevent avoidable tragedies.

2. The Next QMPS (October 16, 2026)

We will reconvene right here in the VSMMC Auditorium on October 16 for our next Quarterly Maternal Perinatal Statistics review. On that day, we will look at the direct impact of our 90-day progress report, evaluate our interventions, and welcome our expanded circle of partners.

Thank you for your tireless dedication, your clinical excellence, and your refusal to accept preventable losses. Let’s bring this data to life, execute our plans, and work hand-in-hand.

Let’s do this and save our mothers and babies!

Friday, June 5, 2026

Remembrance

These past few nights I've been dreaming of dead people: my paternal grandmother driving me around, my father driving me to New York harbor...

I am suddenly reminiscent of the 30-minute long phone calls with my seniors Dr Helen Amorin and Dr Kristina Dosdos, as I accidentally came across greeting cards that I received from them a few years back. I took pictures so that I preserve the memory of their touching inspirational messages.

Behold the beautiful handwriting of Dr Helen Amorin.