Internships in Manila, Philippines

I had the opportunity to intern for the Child Family Health International (CFHI) Global Health in the Philippines Program under the Friends of the Philippines Scholarship. This experience was an extremely eye-opening immersion into the Philippine Health System. Our program started off in Manila, the Philippine capital. We observed and learned about the various tiers of health systems in the city, including the highly-regarded public Philippine General Hospital, private St. Luke’s Medical Center, and local Quiapo Medical Center. We even took a day trip to Cavite, a more rural community close to Manila where we were introduced to the healthcare system within rural communities in the Philippines. I found this introduction to the Philippines valuable prior to our journey on the San Jose island as it provided cultural context and awareness, along with a baseline comparison of how health systems functioned within the mainland. Then began our program on the island of San Jose in the Romblon province. Here, we stayed in a lodge within Poblacion, the main barangay (or small village) in the island. For the next few days/weeks, we interned at the San Jose Rural Health Unit (RHU) underneath the Municipal Health Officer (MHO), who was also the only primary care doctor on the island with a population of over 12,000. We experienced clinic days within the RHU, where the doctor would communicate, assess, diagnose, and prescribe treatments to various patient complaints. The doctor involved us in the clinic by supervising our own health history interviews and discussing various symptoms with their corresponding diagnoses and treatments. The RHU was also heavily involved in family planning, prenatal care, animal bite treatment, and dental care, so we were able to observe ultrasounds, birth control injectables, baby vaccinations, anti-rabies injections, etc. I was happily surprised by the organization of the health system on this island. They offered various free services to the people, including health assessments, basic screenings and lab tests (i.e. cervical cancer screenings, urine and blood sugar tests, H&H labs, etc.), and commonly-needed medications (i.e. antihypertensives, diabetes, tuberculosis, etc.). In a lot of ways, I found their system more organized and accessible than from where I come from! The doctor and local government were passionate about providing accessible and equitable care to the entire community. This routine would continue throughout the week in various Barangay Health Units, or smaller and more accessible sectors of the RHU. On weekdays, we were able to enjoy life on and around the island. We visited Boracay beach (one of the world’s most beautiful beaches) , ran a 5K marathon together, biked around the entire San Jose Island, went caving and cliff jumping, sang karaoke, and explored Kalibo, a city within the mainland. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed by the people and the community and were encouraged to immerse ourselves within the culture. We ate Filipino food, participated in the weekly flag raising ceremony, and watched the procession of Flores de Mayo, a May Festival devotion to the Virgin Mary. Overall, I found this program to be an amazing immersion to learn, observe, and experience the Philippine Health System through various settings and sectors, while also involving ourselves with the Philippine people and culture. Each part of this program felt very genuine and purposeful in providing a holistic and well-rounded learning/immersion experience. The local preceptors and coordinators were more than accommodating and talented in not only planning this program, but also teaching and encouraging us and being responsive to all our questions and ideas. I would do it all over again if I could!

Participating in the CFHI Global Health in the Philippines program was one of the most grounding and intellectually honest learning experiences I have had in my public health training. Rather than positioning global health as something to “do” to communities, this program teaches you how to observe, listen, and understand systems in context—and that distinction matters. The program began in Manila, where our learning was intentionally framed around history, politics, and structure before any clinical exposure. This was critical. Through site visits, discussions, and guided reflections, I gained a deeper understanding of how the Philippine health system functions within a decentralized governance model, how colonial legacies continue to shape health delivery, and why disparities between public and private care persist. These conversations were not superficial; they asked us to confront uncomfortable realities about financing, access, and trust in health institutions. For someone pursuing public health at the graduate level, this systems-level grounding was invaluable. What stood out immediately was CFHI’s ethical clarity. The program is explicit about scope, responsibility, and humility. Observation is not framed as passivity, but as a discipline—one that requires restraint, respect, and accountability. CFHI’s principle of “If you wouldn’t be allowed to do it at home, don’t do it here” may sound simple, but it profoundly shaped how I approached every interaction. It created space to learn without centering myself, and to value the expertise of local health workers rather than treating communities as training grounds. The remote island placement further deepened this learning. Being based in a Rural Health Unit made it clear that healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings is not just about scarcity—it is about coordination, relationships, and community trust. I observed how Barangay Health Workers, nurses, midwives, and physicians function as an integrated system, often carrying multiple roles out of necessity. Care here is not siloed. It is relational, adaptive, and deeply human. What I found most powerful was witnessing how much of the health system’s strength rests on people who are often invisible in traditional medical narratives. Barangay Health Workers are not auxiliary; they are foundational. They bridge households and clinics, policy and practice, prevention and care. Watching them work reshaped how I think about primary health care and community-based systems—not as “alternatives,” but as essential. CFHI also creates space for reflection, not just observation. Structured debriefs encouraged us to interrogate what we were seeing: Why are services organized this way? What constraints are structural versus political? What solutions are realistic, and who should lead them? These conversations reinforced that global health is not about quick fixes or heroic interventions. It is about patience, systems thinking, and long-term commitment. Beyond the formal learning, the warmth and generosity of the communities we lived among left a lasting impression. Hospitality was not performative; it was genuine. Daily life—shared meals, conversations, quiet moments after clinic hours—became part of the learning. These experiences reminded me that health does not exist in isolation from culture, family, and place. This program did not give me answers—it sharpened my questions. It reaffirmed that meaningful global health work begins with humility, ethical boundaries, and respect for local expertise. CFHI does an exceptional job of modeling what responsible global health education should look like. I would highly recommend this program to students and professionals who are serious about understanding health systems, equity, and ethical engagement. If you are looking for an experience that will challenge your assumptions, deepen your perspective, and stay with you long after you return home, this program will do exactly that.