PROJECT BUTANDING TRIP 2025: MAKING WAVES IN LEYTE
- Medsoc PnP
- Sep 23
- 4 min read
From 3rd July to 12th July 2025, Project Butanding embarked on our first full-length trip, conducting health screenings and health education sessions over the course of 10 days. The team comprised M1 and M2 students from LKCMedicine, supported by three Singaporean doctors — Associate Professor Endean Tan, Dr Foo Fong Yee, and Dr Ethan Lim — who contributed greatly to the planning and execution of the programme. This was done through collaborations with our local partner, Volunteer for the Visayans (VFV), local healthcare staff at the rural health clinics (RHU) and student volunteers from the local universities University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Inc (UERM) and Doña Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Educational Foundation Inc. (DRTREFI).
In preparation for our trip in July, our partner VFV conducted online language lessons for Waray-Waray, a local dialect spoken in Tacloban City, Leyte and its surrounding barangays (villages). This gave us a better grasp of its pronunciation and language rule and helped us to learn a few simple phrases that were useful when interacting with the locals on the trip. We also participated in a sexual health workshop organised by Action for AIDS (AfA), which covered topics like contraception and STIs, and organised a session with Dr Hakim, a Singaporean doctor who spent 18 years championing public health programmes in Afghanistan. We were able to discuss public health issues and learn about the biopsychosocial framework for approaching mental health. This helped to fill our gaps in knowledge in the area, ensuring that we were able to deliver accurate information during our health education sessions.
From 5th July to 8th July, Project Butanding conducted health screening sessions at 6 different barangays (Bliss, Cangumbang, San Isidro, Catoogan, Lanauan and Maricum) and screened 907 residents of all ages in the community. We strived to provide a comprehensive screening for local residents, with various stations including triage, vital signs, eyesight test, height and weight, blood glucose monitoring (BGM), urine dipstick test, and ECG before the doctor’s consultation. This large-scale screening was conducted with support from 60 volunteers - composed of VFV staff and volunteers and local pre-med and medical students from DRTREFI in Tacloban and UERM in Manila. As a result of our efforts, we were able to uncover a number of chronic conditions, including 79 cases of undiagnosed hypertension with blood pressure (BP) > 140/90, with 27 cases of hypertensive urgency with BP >180/110, and 60 cases of undiagnosed diabetes. Our Singaporean doctors also worked with local doctors to write prescriptions and make referrals to regional hospitals and RHUs. In total, 50 referrals for ophthalmologic conditions were made, alongside several cases of suspected heart conditions where immediate transport was arranged by our team. All health data collected during the screening was also logged digitally into a central database for further analysis and will be used for longitudinal follow-up over the next few years as we revisit the residents.
From 9th July to 12th July, Project Butanding conducted health education sessions at 3 different elementary schools and the Regional Rehabilitation Centre for Youth (RRCY), bringing essential health information and knowledge to a total of about 500 children aged 5-12, 30 youths aged 13-25 and 100 adults. These health education sessions covered a wide range of topics ranging from nutrition to smoking to sexual health and family planning. The curriculums were curated to deliver age-appropriate content for our audiences, aiming to equip residents with relevant health knowledge and empower them to take control of their own health. We also had the opportunity to engage with school principals and staff to better understand the existing health curriculum and how our sessions could fill in gaps and reinforce key messages. This partnership allowed us to gain insight into how we can complement local health education initiatives in the years to come. We also conducted first aid lessons for our partners at VFV, equipping them with knowledge crucial to supporting them in their daily ground operations, while also enabling them to share and teach these skills to more individuals and amplify the impact of our work.
Through the homestay programme organised by VFV, our members stayed with local families during the trip to gain a truly immersive cultural experience. Experiencing their ways of life first hand, trying local delicacies such as balut and mango float and having conversations with the homestay families helped us to develop a greater appreciation for local culture and values. This also helped to foster a deeper understanding of residents' thoughts on domestic healthcare issues, giving us invaluable perspectives that will help to shape our future plans moving forward and bring members of our OCIP closer to the communities we serve.
In conclusion, this trip was both impactful and instructive. Beyond serving a significant number of residents, it provided valuable insights that will enable us to refine our approach and ensure that future missions are increasingly targeted and effective. The success of this endeavour would not have been possible without the guidance of Associate Professor Endean Tan, the dedication of our Singaporean doctors, the steadfast support of our partner organisation, VFV, and the local volunteers. Their contribution was indispensable, and we remain deeply appreciative for this collaboration. Looking forward, we aim to expand health screenings and education in Leyte, building on feedback from the 2025 trip to stay responsive to community needs. Our priorities include improving dental hygiene in schools, updating our curriculum to cover youth mental health, teenage pregnancy, and disaster preparedness, and broadening screenings to better support patients with acute conditions. To achieve this, we will strengthen ties with partners like VFV, DRTREFI, and UERM, while seeking new collaborations to extend our reach. Our long-term goal is to equip residents with vital health knowledge and foster a culture of safety and well-being within the community. We look forward to further refining our screening and education processes in the year ahead to ensure sustainable health outcomes for the community.
