Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas

The University of the Philippines Manila School of Health Sciences (UPM-SHS) continues to lead the way in midwifery education while championing the needs of underserved communities, achieving an impressive national passing rate of 94.02% in the November 2024 Midwifery Licensure Examination. The Palo Campus stood out with a perfect 100% passing rate, followed by the Tarlac Campus at 92.54%, the Koronadal Campus at 90%, and the Baler Campus at 85.71%. These results reflect UPM-SHS’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and its mission to nurture healthcare professionals dedicated to service.

“Opportunity to Help My Community”

Bernard Isaac Badar Alido, who topped the exam with an impressive 92.60%, expressed his gratitude for the trust his community placed in him and his responsibility to meet their expectations. “It was a dream come true for me when I was endorsed by my community to study in SHS as their scholar. On top of that, learning the mission of the school, which is to serve the underserved, I realized that I could use the opportunity to help my community. They sent me to study, and in return, I had to take it seriously in hopes of serving them back once I become a healthcare professional.”

Alido described the challenges he faced growing up in Sulu-an, an island barangay in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. “The island’s geographic location negatively impacts the health care access of the people and the availability of health services. We have to take a boat for three hours to reach the nearest hospital, which is located at the Guiuan town proper. Given the rough waves of the Pacific Ocean, transportation is never easy,” he reflected.

“You were rooting for me since the very first day”

For 8th placer Syoan Baylon Sabong, who scored 91.10%, her journey was also deeply rooted in her connection to her hometown in the province of Samar. “My community was and has always been my inspiration,” she shared. “Growing up, I could first-hand experience having little access to quality health care. So, I told myself, I want to provide the service I once longed for.”

“To my beloved community, Talalora, Samar, I know you were rooting for me since the very first day I stepped into this journey. I am grateful to you more than you could imagine.”

Providing a Unique, Revolutionary Experience

UPM-SHS’s pioneering step ladder curriculum, the first of its kind in Asia, integrates midwifery, nursing, and medical education into a seamless pathway. This competency-based program allows students to progress from community health workers to nurses to Doctors of Medicine, fostering both technical expertise and a deep sense of social responsibility.

“The school taught me more than just theories. It prepared me with the application of theories in practical settings, by which these two variables have significant differences. It did not just mold my skills in the field but also shaped my character,” Sabong said. She recounted the transformative experiences she had during her community practicum and service leave. “This training was actually the highlight of my journey in SHS, where it transformed me into who I am today. I got to build friendships, meet extra-challenging kinds of people, crash my mental health, and bloom my character.”

Alido echoed similar sentiments, sharing his experiences during his community practicum in Brgy. Canbalisara, Tanauan, Leyte, and during his individual service leave in his endorsing community. “During my community practicums, I was exposed to certain basic midwifery skills. I was able to correlate my knowledge from the book and its application into the real healthcare setting. This greatly helped me not only in fully understanding midwifery concepts but also in learning how to properly do certain procedures,” he explained.

Future Plans

Both Alido and Sabong are now committed to returning to their communities as healthcare advocates. Alido plans to serve as a Rural Health Midwife under the Department of Health’s Rural Health Midwife Placement Program (RHMPP) for four years before pursuing further studies in nursing and eventually medicine. “Right now, the only thing I can promise to at least help improve the healthcare access in my community is my full service to them,” he stated.

Similarly, Sabong, a scholar under the Department of Health’s Pre-Service Scholarship Program (PSSP), is set to serve her community for four years and plans to continue her studies in nursing. “The school trained me to become a health worker that holistically serves the oppressed and underserved communities. I promised myself that when I come home, I will bridge them to the gap that they have missed for so long. To the best of my ability, I will provide the health services they deserve,” she vowed.

The remarkable performance of UPM-SHS graduates underscores the institution’s unwavering dedication to addressing the healthcare needs of the nation by producing skilled professionals deeply rooted in community service.#