Post Graduate Internship at Pablo O. Torre Memorial Medical Hospital Bacolod

Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, more commonly known as Riverside, is a 300-bed private tertiary hospital located at the heart of Bacolod City. The hospital has continually produced exemplary doctors who have undergone 1 year intensive training under their postgraduate internship program. Currently, the institution is training their 44th batch of postgraduate interns.

The usual departments where PGI rotates are:

1. Pediatrics (2 months)

2. Surgery (2 months)

3. Community and Emergency Medicine (2 months)

4. Internal Medicine (2 months)

5. Obstetrics and Gynecology (2 months)

6. Pathology (2 weeks)

7. Radiology (2 weeks)

8. Anesthesia (2 weeks)

9. Otorhinolaryngology (2 weeks)

10. Orthopedics (2 weeks)

As prescribed by the APMC, we do not have 24 hour duties. For most departments, we only have 12 hour duties either 8AM-8PM or 8PM-8AM. NO NIGHT DUTIES for the minor rotations. But for IM, we have a straight 16 hour cinderella duty (8AM-12MN). From Duty and On Call statuses are only half day during weekends and holidays. On duty interns go on skeletal duty during these times. Usual duty pattern is: Duty AM, OC, Duty PM, FD, OC. This pattern is flexible and sometimes your group will have an extra on call or from duty if you have 6 members in a group. Duties are every 3 days for IM. From duty interns are untouchable (except for IM and OB because they need to see OPD patients) but still need to attend conferences and endorsements. Because of this schedule and due to the limited number of PGIs, we go on single duties in almost all rotation.

The patient bulk is a little heavy. We do not have too many patients compared with public hospitals but not too few compared with the other private hospitals. Caseload is very varied. You can see patients admitted for simple allergic rhinitis to toxic patients admitted because of hypovolemic shock secondary to ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Since there are plenty of rich people in Negros, sometimes you will be shocked to know that your patients is actually the owner of one of the biggest enterprises in Negros. Nevertheless, charity cases, albeit limited, are also existent allowing interns to have a better chance to learn ideal management from these cases.

Rotating in every department is really rewarding. The On Duty PGIs are the first call to see patients whether in the OPD, Acute care unit or in ER. On call PGI usually see direct to room patients first. Generally for all the patients that we see, we are required to have our own assessments and plans which our residents will gladly approve or correct if needed. For bedside procedures, PGIs are allowed to perform IV insertion, foley catheter and NGT insertions, etc. Ward calls include IV to follow, wound dressing, bedside procedures, accompanying toxic patient to imaging services, hospital transfers, referrals, medical abstracts, etc. We do not do q4, q2 and qhrly monitoring as these are nurses’ jobs.

For ward calls, we assess the patient first and then try to troubleshoot the problem if we are able to do so. We refer directly to our residents if needed. Minor rotations such as ENT and Ortho have no residents, thus PGIs act like one and refer directly to consultant. In minor rotations, we admit patients ourselves, see and manage patients at the OPD ourselves, follow-up ward patients ourselves and directly refer to the consultants if needed.

In terms of surgical cases, we scrub in almost all surgeries. Since there are only few surgical residents, we get to be the first assist often. Cases are very varied. Common cases include appendectomies, chole, mastectomy, herniorrhaphy, cysto-TURP, etc. Thoracovascular surgery, reconstructive surgery and organ transplant are also performed in our hospital. This is another plus for you if you wish to go on surgical training later on.

In the OB department, you will definitely master the art of fetal monitoring since it will be your job to perform NST, CST and CTG monitoring. Nurses do the labor watching so another plus points to those who do not want to be placed in such a socially awkward situation with a prepartum patient. There are limited charity cases in OB but you are free to ask your resident to perform NSVD do episiotomy or episiorrhaphy to uncomplicated charity cases.

For the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) rotation, you get to see patients yourself independently. You are free to perform necessary work-up, laboratory or imaging and manage them accordingly by yourself. You are even free to refer them to other services if needed or to advise admission if deemed necessary. Since there are no DEM residents, you get to refer directly to consultant if your are not able to manage the case yourself. In the ER, PGIs are the first line compressors during CPR but nurses also help. Sometimes, you are also given the chance to intubate patients yourselves. Community Medicine is integrated with the DEM rotation. We see and manage patients ourselves in the community without the need to refer to our residents if the case is not so complicated.

We also have daily conferences, each day for a different department. Topics discussed in conferences are must knows for the board exams. Endorsements are also vital in major departments such as Pedia, Surgery, OB and IM. Questions during endorsements are mostly pearls for the board exam. A formal review for the boards is offered towards the later part of the year for all interns. In Riverside, you will definitely have a lot of free time, it’s just up to you whether you will choose to spend your free time in studying or in other matters.

Finally, the best part of having your PGIship in Riverside: FOOD and MONEY. Daily conferences means daily feeding program. Your weight will surely suffer once you have signified to join this institution. Furthermore, there will be a lot of RTDs, interhospital conference and events that will sure add another problem to your ever dilemma of loosing those extra pounds you have.

Bacolod in general is a PGI friendly place. All hospitals offer huge stipend (or meal allowance as we call it) to their interns. While Riverside may not be offering the biggest stipend of them all, I believe you will surely be happy to line up at the cashier during the first day of each month to receive the your Php6000 allowance. Furthermore, it has also been agreed that interns will be paid Php50 for each medical abstract (Php100 for extra copies). However funds will be pooled and be used as your common fund with the other interns. During Christmas, caroling to consultant’s houses is common allowing the batch to earn hundreds of thousands which will also be pooled in the intern’s funds. At the end of the year, it is your batch’s discretion on how to use or to divide this fund.

At the end of the year, deserving interns will be awarded as outstanding interns. Most department offer a sure residency spot to those who has gained the award. For the overall most outstanding intern, he or she will gain a sure spot to any residency program he chooses which being offered at Riverside. Apart from this, being part of the alumni association of this institution, all interns will get to have the perk of being able to network with the biggest names in the medical industry in the province.

The biggest downside however of having your internship at DPOTMH are the massive amount paperworks. We make clinical histories to all our admitted patients. In other institutions this is the job of the clerks. In our hospital, PGIs as well as the resident residents make their own histories since the institution believe that there is no better way to learn medicine than to go back to the basics of history and PE. We also accomplish medical abstracts of our patients (but with a fee). We also make referral notes, progress notes (in some departments), and sometimes going home instructions. The most daunting paperwork probably is accomplishing hundreds of discharge summaries per rotation. Personally I don’t see this as a con since I am able to review what has been done to my admitted patients which I believe not most of the interns are able to do so.

Currently, Riverside is on the process of upgrading their facility and adding more hospital beds. In the next few years, the title of being the premier hospital in Negros will not be limited to the island anymore. Lucky for the incoming new interns since new advancement are being made in the hospital. Local and international accreditations are also in the pipeline. In the next few years (or months), Riverside will be one of the the biggest and most technologically advance healthcare training institution in the country. To sum it up, If you want a hospital that would guide you step-by-step in attaining your goal to becoming a good physician, expose you to what is ideal and to train you with the best facilities while at the same time give you a great degree of independence in terms of patient care and developing you clinical acumen, then Riverside is definitely the best place for you to have your PGIship.

#check out my post on the requirements and what to expect in Post Graduate Internship

This article was written by Aljeirou Alcachupas, MD upon the request of his friend. 😊

Post Graduate Internship

So it's already that time of the year when clinical clerks get busy for post graduate internship application. So what are the things you need to know before clicking the submit button in your online form? How do you choose the hospital best for you? Keep reading as I share to you the important things to note.

Post graduate internship is one of the most exciting milestones in one's medical training. You start with a thrilled heart as that newly acquired MD starts to sink in and you end it with heebie-jeebies as the board exam schedule hits you. Some say that PGIship is a break after that gruelling year of clerkship and a time to recharge yourself in preparation for more years of training in residency but some believe it is the best time to gain new skills and improve your clinical eye, and to prepare for the most important exam in medicine - the physician licensure exam. Nevertheless, choosing the right hospital is vital to get you to whatever goal you have.

Here's the schedule for 2018 Application:

•November 1, 2017-January 31, 2018: Application for the 1st round of matching

•February 16-April 15, 2018: Application for the 2nd round of matching

•May 1-June 30, 2018: Walk-in application period

How to apply?

Last year, the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges (APMC) launched the online application for internship. This is way better from years ago when medical clerks had to fill up hardcopy of forms and submit them to their respective schools for final submission to APMC. This way, you are able to track the progress of your application in real time while schools get to have a more convenient way of organizing and submitting requirements to APMC.

1st step is to register an account in the National Internship Program System (e-NIPS) here. and fill out the necessary details. Just make sure that you choose "Medical Student/Intern" option  in the --Select User Role-- so your application will be valid.

Also, don't forget to prepare a softcopy of your passport size photo to be uploaded in your profile. Then, you have to wait until your school validates and approves your account before you can start applying for a hospital.

Once approved, you can already access the long list of different hospitals you can choose from. e-NIPS only displays the hospitals with available slots, so don't wonder if the hospital listed during the 1st round is gone in the 2nd round. Below are photos taken from APMC-SN page containing the list of hospitals (1, 2, 3, 4)  and their corresponding slots.

You can choose up to 3 and rank them according to your preference. Aside from deciding which hospital to choose, the rank is also very crucial in the application since it will determine which hospital will be matched to you if you happened to be accepted in all 3 hospitals. Processing of applications is simultaneously done by hospitals, in contrary to what others believe that processing depends on the order of your hospital preference (some think that the 1st hospital of choice will be processed first and once denied, the application moves on to the next hospital of choice). So it is really possible that you will be accepted in all 3 hospitals simultaneously but the one matched to you is the hospital with the highest preference. So be sure with your preference before submitting because once matched, the unmatching process is so much of a hassle that you don't want to go through it. Also for this year, e-NIPS might not show your results in your other choices and will only display the one matched to you, unlike what they did last year that the applicants can see if they are accepted or not in each choice and they have the option to accept or refuse the assigned hospital. Apparently, e-NIPS has removed that option. So this year, if you want to change your hospital, you have to be unmatched first with the assigned hospital (write a formal letter to them), then repeat the application process but you will be allowed during the walk-in period only.

So for those still confused with the terms, let me make it simple. Being "accepted" to a hospital doesn't necessarily mean that you are already matched to it. You can be accepted in a hospital but not matched yet. The final status will be given when all the hospitals of your choice have submitted their final evaluation and e-NIPS will automatically "match" you to the hospital of higher preference. So being matched is the goal and again, once matched you can't reapply in the next round until you have unmatched yourself.

It is also important to remember that there are hospitals that post results early but there are buzzer beaters too so don't fret if your classmates are already matched during the first month of application while you are still waiting anxiously for your results. How will you know if your result is already final? Once accepted in the hospital with the highest preference, your status will automatically become "matched to _________ hospital" but if you were accepted in your lower-ranked hospital and your higher-ranked hospital is yet to release results, you will be given "pending" status. However, if your status indicates that you are "matched" to your lower-ranked hospital, it means that your higher-ranked hospital has already released results and did not accept you.

What if you only have one hospital in mind, are you really required to choose 3? You have the prerogative to choose only one and be charged with cheaper fees because you process only one set of requirements (TOR, Certificate of Eligibility from the Dean's Office and class ranking) or maximize choosing 3 institutions and get higher chance of getting matched because "probability" but pay higher fees for additional set of requirements. By the way, I'll leave the fees part to your school because charges may vary.

What can you do if you were not matched during the first round? You can still reapply in the 2nd round without paying additional fees. To those not matched in both rounds, you have to directly apply in your preferred hospital as walk-in applicant during the indicated schedule and once accepted, you have to inform the APMC for recording in e-NIPS. What if you were not able to make an online account and failed to apply in the 1st round? You can still register an account but you will be allowed for walk-in application only.

How to choose a hospital?

There are different kinds of training hospitals, the ones that will give you unlimited errands, hone your skills and train you to accomplish 5 different tasks in a minute; those which will let you sit with training doctors, study with them and get the Einstein out of you; or those which will demand you to work tirelessly while simultaneously being bombarded with series of reportings, endorsements and a consultant ready to prey on the remaining soul in you. But hey, you already got that MD and there's no room for backing out because you are already a step away from that license. What's even better is that APMC has ordered training hospitals to give not more than 12 hours of duty hours for post graduate interns. However, there are still remaining hospitals that give 24hr duties to interns. That, you have to know in your prospect hospital because it would still matter depending on your priorities.

In choosing a hospital, you have to first identify your strengths and the things that you already know, those skills you can confidently perform in any situation and of course your weaknesses, what were not taught to you that you want to learn and the things you want to improve on. From there, you can lay down your goals. Knowing what you want to specialize later on is also a good starting point.

Location: There are many hospitals to choose from north to south, you have the freedom to apply in any of those. This will matter if you already have a preferred place to settle down in the near future. Being able to train in your future hometown will give you the advantage to introduce yourself as a doctor and eventually start building your network of patients. Language is also an important factor here because medical terms have to be relayed to patients in their vernacular version, so you will be trained to talk to the patients more comfortably. There are also those who aim to be able to communicate to a wide variety of patients so they choose to train in places with different language. For instance, a doctor who is fluent in bisaya and hiligaynon chooses to train in Manila for flexibility and become language-ready.

Stipend: Hospitals give stipends as high as 10 thousand pesos with additional compensation with every paperwork you do and as low as free meals only. This depends if the priority is to earn as early as PGIship (but application screening might be more competitive) or if other goals outweigh this factor. If you are contented with free meals only, then you have one less problem in choosing your hospital.

Specialization: Each hospital has its own flagship program and you might consider one depending on the specialization you want. With this, you get to be immersed in the culture of the department and get acquainted with your possible future colleagues (residents and consultants). It will also help you reassess your passion for that field and give you the advantage of being familiarized with the know abouts in the department. The number of cases a hospital receives is also important here. There are hospitals that have a good number and variety of IM cases whereas some hospitals are known to have good training in trauma care because of the influx of trauma patients.

Type of hospital:  Being able to manage or handle patients directly may depend if the hospital is government or private. Interns may be limited in doing procedures in private institutions compared to public ones. However, there are hospitals which cater to both pay and service/charity patients so interns can do procedures with the latter. There are also other hospitals that, despite their public status, offer limited procedures to interns because of having fellowship programs wherein fellows have to perform the procedure themselves (e.g thoracentesis). On the other hand, being exposed in private hospitals will give you the advantage to observe the ideal management because they are able to request the necessary labs and procedures to patients freely. You also get to be exposed in modern equipment and technology, which will be a plus for your residency training.

Schedule: I think this is one of the most important things to consider especially if you are coming from afar. Some start as early as 5am and as mentioned earlier, some still have 24hr duties. There are also hospitals that conduct weekly board exam review for interns and some have weekly off the floors status/ interns' hour for educational purposes. This also includes the length of every rotation because some hospitals allow interns to rotate every month per department while some rotate every 2 months. Some offer elective sched as long as 2 months while some are only given 2 weeks of free electives.

West Visayas State University College of Medicine: Guide for Applicants

West Visayas State University College of Medicine (WVSU-COM) is one of the most sought after medical schools in the Philippines because aside from being consistently part of the top 10 medical schools every year in terms of board exam ratings, it also has a very affordable tuition fee (20,000-30,000PhP all-in/sem), which is probably one of the cheapest in the country.

Photo source -  http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/73124016.jpg

 

How to Apply?

Application usually starts on January every year and ends on May. However, since the academic calendar for school year 2015-2016 is changed and classes start on July 6, 2015, application period for the succeeding school years may also change. There are two (2) batches for application: those who were not able to submit the requirements before the first deadline, may still apply for the 2nd batch. Does it matter WHEN I choose to apply? If you are confident with your college grades, NMAT score and communication skills for the interview, then you don't have to worry at all. Though some say it is more advantageous to apply early because most slots might be taken by the 1st batch of applicants, thnere are also a good number who say that applying for the 2nd batch is much better since most competitive applicants have already applied in the 1st batch, thus more chances of getting in. Nevertheless, WVSU-COM is very impartial in handpicking its future students and it gives fair chances to both batches. It only depends on how fast you are able to complete your requirements and on how soon you want to know your results (1st batch is usually released on early March; 2nd batch on early May).

REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION

The application form may be downloaded at wvsu.edu.ph or you may get a hard copy from the registrar's office of the college of medicine. Some students also upload a copy on their facebook pages so just keep updated since WVSU-COM releases a new application form every year. Just prepare the following ahead of time:

1.  Application Fee – PhP400.00 (non-refundable)

2.  2 pcs. 2 x 2 ID picture

3.  2 pcs. Self-addressed envelope (long) with postage stamps

4.  Transcript of records, if machine copied must be authenticated by the Registrar (at least 80% GWA)
-if you are a graduating student, submit a TOR of your grades in your first 7 semesters in college

5.  Machine copy of NMAT result (at least 60%)

6.  2 copies Certificate of Good Moral Character from the dean and guidance counselor/professor

7.  Income tax return (latest), if machine copied must be certified by the BIR

8.  NSO Live birth certificate

9.  COMELEC ID

10.  Lost application forms will not be replaced

All documents must be placed in a long file folder. You may send the amount through Postal Money Order payable to the West Visayas State University. Make sure that there are no erasures in the postal money order. You may also send the amount through LBC payable to the Registrar, College of Medicine or pay personally to the registrar's office inside the college of medicine building.

 

What are your chances of getting in?

Since WVSU-COM is a state university subsidized by the local government, it prioritizes applicants from the western visayas. 75% of the slots is reserved for the residents of Region 6 while 25% is offered to those outside the region. So if you're not from region 6, secure more competitive remarks in college and in your NMAT. For all applicants, make sure your NMAT score is not just at least 60% because a score of 95 or above is much safer. 60% would definitely get you to the interview but your chance of getting in is very low. For your grades, make sure they are good enough to compete with your co-applicants who graduated with flying colors. I know someone whose NMAT score is 91 and his GWA is 1.85 (1.0 as highest) but he didn't get in. I also know someone whose NMAT is 83 but graduated magna cum laude, she was waitlisted. Another one has an NMAT score of 99+ but had a failing grade in college, yet she got in. You weigh for yourself which matters most but one thing still matters: your performance in your interview.

 

What to expect in the interview?

On the day of your interview, be presentable with your smart casual attire. Before the interview, you will be asked to write an essay on a certain topic, so be sure to be there 30 minutes before or earlier and be prepared with your pen. After 1 hour, you will be arranged alphabetically and will be grouped into 5's or 6's. Inside the interview room, there will be a panel composed of 5-6 doctors who will be digging your thoughts and certain infos about you. Since you will be interviewed with your groupmates, the panel will ask a common question for all of you to answer, so be sure to give answers which will make you stand out from the rest but at the same time you should be humble because doctors don't want to hear arrogance from a student who has not yet even entered medschool. Common questions are "Tell us something about yourself; Why medicine?; Why WVSU?; What are your strengths and weaknesses that may affect your studies; Where will you practice medicine after medschool?;  What are your talents and skills?" Other questions are situational. Whatever the questions are, just be yourself and be honest, because if you lie, you'll never know which made you pass or fail the screening, yourself or your lies.

 

How to get to WVSU-COM?

The college of medicine is at Roxas Hall, West Visayas State University, Luna St., La Paz, Iloilo City. There are many ways to get there.

From the airport, the easiest way would be riding a cab but it will cost you more or less 300PhP. Be sure not to confuse West (for WVSU) with Western since there is a Western Visayas Hospital in Iloilo which is 30-45mins away from WVSU and the driver might bring you there. For a lesser cost, you may ride a shuttle van at the airport that will bring you directly to SM Iloilo for only 50PhP. You may then ride a cab from SM to West (WVSU) which will cost you 60-80PhP depending on the traffic. Another option from SM City would be riding a Leganes Jeep across SM (at the Injap Bldg, 7eleven side) for 7PhP, get off at E. Lopez St. across Jollibee Jalandoni (at Cristine's Salon, PS Bank side) and WVSU is just a 10-min walk from there. You may also ride another jeep to West for also 7PhP (any jeep going to this direction will pass by West).

Other jeepney routes passing by WVSU are Jaro-CPU, JaroLiko-Tagbak and JaroLiko-NFA.

 

Where to stay near WVSU-COM for a night or two?

Since you are required to be there by 7am for the interview, you might want to consider staying near the area the night before.

The most accessible is the WVSU Hometel which is just inside the campus and a few steps away from Roxas Hall. They offer a dorm type room with 6 beds and a common CR for <200PhP/person which is very ideal for a group of friends. They also have a more comfortable airconditioned room for two (2) with television and a personal CR for 400PhP/person/night. You just have to get a room there at office hours and you may advice the campus guard if you are going outside and going back late. If you don't want to stay inside the campus, DBhometel is just a 10-minute walk from the campus. It's located at DB Ledesma St. but it's main entrance is part of Jalandoni St. near Jollibee. Their single bed costs 950PhP/night, room for 2 costs 1000PhP/room/night, and room for 6 costs 3000PhP/room/night; all have a personal CR, TV and aircon. They also serve breakfast if you want one, just inform them ahead. Another 10-minute walk hotel is the Urban Inn located at La Paz, Iloilo City in front of St. Clement's Parish. Their single bed costs 950PhP/night, room for 2 costs 1150PhP/room/night, and room for 6 costs 1950PhP/room/night; all are airconditioned, with personal CR, TV and wifi. You can always ride a jeepney from Urban Inn or DB hometel if you want to but a leisure walk would be an experience. 

WVSU Hometel: (63)(033) 320-0870 local 142
DB Hometel: 0927-5740535 | reservation@dbshometel.com
Urban Inn: +0908 874 9976

If you want to experience Iloilo downtown culture, there are many available inns at the downtown, which is just one ride from West but I couldn't assure you of your safety and security there. Other one jeepney ride away from West are Grand Dame Hotel at La Paz Market near Gaisano Iloilo, Go Hotels Iloilo at Robinsons Iloilo, Circle Inn and Iloilo Grand Hotel at the downtown. If you want to enjoy the metro life of Iloilo, there are many hotels near SM and Smallville (where parties and social gatherings happen) ranging from 1000-3000PhP, like Injap Dormitel (across SM), Diversion 21 Hotel (across smallville), and Smallville 21 Hotel (inside smallville). Cabs will cost you 80-100PhP to West. 

 

Where to eat near WVSU-COM?

There are canteens inside the campus but they might not be available during the interview period because it's already summer break for students. Just a short distance from the gate, there is an organic cafe owned by the WVSU-COOP, the Organica. They serve meals, drinks and desserts. Across it are different eateries, like Francisco's Refreshments, which offer affordable meals. Ministop is just right beside it. Just a few steps farther, you can see Orange Panda, JD, Hungry Ninja, and 7eleven and across these are McDo, Green Mango, PechoPak, and Munsterrific.

Guide to Mt. Napulak

Mt. Napulak is the highest peak of Igbaras, Iloilo. It is a common getaway place of those who want to spend their weekend at the top with a 360 degrees view of Panay region. The trek is very suitable for first timers and staying up there overnight is recommended.

What to bring 

Just like in any other treks, mountaineers should be well prepared for the climb at Napulak. Napulak has a variety of vegetations that's why gears should be able to protect yourselves from whatever these areas may bring you. First and foremost, your shoes must be comfortable yet sturdy enough to get you through the trail. Your clothes must also be comfortable and light. Since there is an area where cogon grass are as tall as 5.5 feet, leggings or long socks or trek pants, sleeves and gloves should be worn. I suggest you wear trek pants because sharp cogon grass might injure you with thin leggings. I made it an investment so I bought mine for 950PhP at the Ati Shop at Jalandoni St., Iloilo City owned by Mr. Joemar Regondon. I got my sleeves at Marymart Shopping Center for 60PhP, which is already a good deal for an excellent quality protective sleeve, and I bought my gloves (the ones used in gardening, latex lined) at Daiso Japan Store at Robinsons Mall for only 88PhP. There is an open area where heat could be very intense, so cap/hat and sunscreen are a must. In case of rain, you could bring light poncho and waterproof cover for your bag. Most trek bags come with a protective cover but if you don't have one, you could use a garbage bag and make holes for your head and arms to cover both your body and bag. I bought my poncho at Handyman for 150PhP. At the summit, the wind can be very strong and the temperature is cold so warmers, jackets and bonnets would be very helpful to keep you warm. Alcoholic beverages are also allowed at the summit.

Each climber should bring at least 1L of water bottle. Since you will encounter 2 water sources as you ascend (1-2 hours and 3-4 hours from the base), you can refill your water bottle there for the next part of the ascent. For your cooking and hygiene needs at the summit, you need to bring additional 1-2 empty water bottles per person (depending on your needs) and just refill all bottles at the last water source. At the last water source, you may cook your lunch there if you don't have packed meals. In our case, we just brought prepared meals for lunch and bought groceries to be cooked at the summit for our dinner and breakfast the next day. What we had was chicken and pork adobo, corned beef and noodles. You also need to bring your own cookset, stove, butane cylinder and utensils.

For your sleeping needs, you should bring tents and sleeping bags. Since the wind is very strong at the summit, I suggest you bring a tent which is light but with high wind stability. You may also bring flashlights or headlamps for night strolling. And of course, don't forget to bring your toiletries, personal medicine and camera.
 

Pre-climb preparation 

Before going to Igbaras, you must book a guide first. Your guide will help you with everything from the trails to cooking your food to taking your pictures. Our guide was Tatay Murot Escalarga (you may contact him through 09263074853) who charges 500PhP per day. He has been a guide at Mt. Napulak for over 20 years now and is already known to the residents in the mountain, making climbers feel more secured and safe. At the summit, ask him which spots are best for picture taking. You may also hire a porter or two (depending on your baggage) for 250PhP per porter per day. Just contact Tay Murot and he will arrange everything for you. You should be able to contact him at least 2 weeks before the schedule of your climb.

Don't forget to prepare cash for your trip. Aside from the guide and porters, you will also need to pay for your transportation from Igbaras town proper to the base of the mountain. 200PhP is charged per motorcycle, which can accommodate 2 people.

Itinerary

Igbaras is 1 hour away from Iloilo City. It is best if you take off early to arrive at the shaded part at an earlier time. So if you are coming from afar, estimate well your tavel time to arrive at 5:30-6:00AM at Igbaras. In our case, we were coming from Iloilo City and we followed this itinerary:

Day 1
0430: 

• Travel to Igbaras

0530:

• ETA at Igbaras Town Proper, meet with Tay Murot (guide)
• Register at Igbaras PNP Station.
• Register at the Igbaras Municipal Hall Tourism Office (Look for Engr. Delgado, the tourism officer or Sir Dan)
• Take a habal-habal/motorcycle going to Brgy. Bagay, the Jump-off point. Ask the contact number of habal-habal drivers so they can fetch you upon your descent.

0700:

•  ETA at Brgy. Bagay
• Register at the Brgy. Log Book (if asked only)
• Start trekking. We took rests in between.

 1130:

• Lunch @ the Last Water Source
• Rest. You may start your ascent again when the heat is bearable again since     the next part of the ascent is an open and unshaded area. Some recommend resuming by 3pm but we resumed by 1:30pm.

1330:

• Resume trek

1530:

• Summit Area
• Pitch tent, Change clothes (for cold weather)
• Climb the nipple peak (highest peak at Napulak with 360 degrees view of Panay Island and other mountains). It's better to climb up at this time since visibility may be very poor the next day.
• Cook & Eat dinner
• Socials

Nipple Peak

I was climbing my way to the top

My view from the top

My view at the top

Going through these rocks as we go down the Nipple Peak

Day 2
 
0500:

• Wake up Call
• Cook breakfast
• Eat then prepare for the traverse descent to Brgy. Tigbanaba

0800:

• Start Descent

1100:

• ETA Water Source
• Lunch

1430:

• Brgy. Tigbanaba
• Ride habal-habal to Igbaras Town Proper

We were supposed to follow this itinerary for lunch but we were going down too slow that we opted to have our lunch at the water source, instead of eating the famous linagpang na manok at Elgario Family House. We also chose not to go to the waterfalls since we were already too tired.

1130 ETA:

• Elgario Family House
• Linagpang na Manok c/o Elgario Family House (200PhP each). They will provide your rice but you have to give them uncooked rice in exchange. You may also give them tip.

1400 ETA:

• Brgy. Tigbanaba
• Visit Nadsadhan Falls which is about 20 minutes away from the Brgy. Proper or go to the river then freshen up before returning to the city.
• Register at Brgy. Passi Log-Book (if asked) then take a habal-habal/motorcycle going back to Igbaras Town Proper

1630 ETA

• Igbaras Town Proper

Transportation and Services at Laguindingan International Airport

Laguindingan International Airport (CDO Airport) is located at Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, an hour away from Cagayan de Oro City and approximately 30-45 minutes away from Iligan City. Laguindingan is the gateway to many tourist spots in Mindanao. Going north, you can experience adventures like white water rafting at Cagayan de Oro City, longest dual zipline and dropzone at Bukidnon and enjoy tourist spots in Camiguin like sunken cemetery and springs. Going south, you can experience the nature at Ma. Cristina Falls in Iligan City and be immersed in Mindanao Culture with people of Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga.

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From the airport:

The airport opened in 2013, making people more concerned on the transportation but it's a good thing that the management has set up a good system for the outgoing and incoming passengers. Transportation is not a problem upon going outside the airport because different transportation options are readily available at the exit. If you do not have a private vehicle, shuttles and taxi cabs are a good deal. Shuttles offer a standard rate of 199PhP to Cagayan de Oro City but student and senior citizen discounts also apply. Just present a valid ID to the teller to avail of the 20% discount.

Shuttle companies at the airport exit

Among the shuttle companies available, I personally like Magnum Express. Magnum Express' vehicle is a mini bus with 4 seats per row (2 on the right, 2 on the left), unlike other shuttles, which use vans. Magnum Express like other shuttles may drop you off at any point along the highway but it's specific drop-off points are Centrio Ayala Mall, Limketkai Mall, and Agora Bus Terminal (terminal to Butuan, Bukidnon, Davao, Lanao del Sur, GenSan, Cotabato).

There are also shuttles which travel as far as Bukidnon, like Super 5, Alavoai, Lord's Transport, and Jhalyn and some even offer door-to-door services, like Jhalyn which also accepts credit card payments. There are also companies that have rent-a-car services and tour packages.

Shuttle companies at the airport exit

For passengers going south, you may ride a shuttle to Cagayan de Oro City and ask the driver to drop you off at Bulua terminal where you can ride a bus directly to Iligan City, Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga but if you don't want to travel an additional hour by going to CDO first, you may ride a shuttle at the airport directly to Iligan City and from there, you ride a bus to any destination going south.

You may be suprised by a number of barkers inviting you to ride on their shuttle and promoting their services, who could be annoying for first timers, so it's better if you already have a shuttle of choice before going out the airport exit.

Recently, Laguindingan Aiport has opened its night flights, extending shuttle operations up to 8pm. Aside from shuttles, there are also airport accredited taxis (Alphat Taxi) with a meter flagdown of 70PhP. Some unaccredited taxis offer fixed payment of 250-300PhP to Cagayan de Oro City and if you are lucky enough, you can get one for 199PhP only.

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To the Airport:
Going to the airport, different shuttles and taxis are readily available in the city. In Agora Terminal, there are some shuttles that can directly bring you to the airport. However, some shuttles wait for enough number of passengers before departing.

One shuttle company, Magnum Express, has a terminal/ticketing center at Limketkai Mall beside Island Souvenir shop. The waiting area is very comfortable as it has good airconditioning with available snacks inside. They operate every hour from 3AM and they make sure that there is an available shuttle for every departure and arrival time in the airport. Magnum Express also implements a strict system because they set boarding and departure time regardless of the number of passengers.

Taxis are also available going to the airport but some ask for additional charge or a fixed price since they have a hard time picking up passengers at the airport because there are airport-accredited taxis.

For private vehicles, the airport charge a parking fee of 20PhP. For overnight parking, a 150PhP fee is charged per night.

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Extra Services at the Airport:

Airline offices near the departure area

Near the entrance of the departure area are ticketing centers of airlines (Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Asia) where you can print, buy and rebook your ticket and ask your flight-related concerns.

Inside the airport, there are food shops available to fill your tummies while waiting for your flight. Kenny Rogers and Seattle's Best are located at 2nd floor at the waiting area. There is also a souvenir shop at the right side where you can buy different products from Mindanao. If airport food price doesn't fit your budget, there are food stalls outside the airport with a variety of food from meals to snacks, for as low as 20PhP.

For travellers who need emergency photocopying services, unfortunately it is not available in the airport. However, a few meters from the airport, at the highway-airport road junction there is a photocopying center. It's landmark is the big billboard before turning right to the airport road. It is actually a far walking distance from the airport but one can also reach it by riding a passenger motorcycle. You can just ask the security guards where you can ride one.