First Tigwahanon-Manobo earns degree in medicine, plans to be a doctor to the barrio

A 31-year-old native of Bukidnon went viral for being the first Tigwahanon-Manobo lumad to become a registered nurse and earn a degree in medicine from De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

According to Joeffrey Mambucon, he initially wanted to take up education in college since it was his childhood dream.

“After finishing my high school, the Overseas Missionary Fellowship Scholarship Committee sent me to Davao for college. One of the missionaries told me to take up nursing because they have a medical ministry and they only have one nurse,” he said.

Joeffrey then decided to take up nursing at the University of Mindanao. He finished and passed the board exam in 2010.

The missionaries then encouraged him to pursue medicine but he admitted that he doubted himself if he could do it.

“Sabi ko po sa sarili ko enough na maging nurse, malaking tulong na ito sa community ko at sa pamilya ko,” he said.

“But after working po sa Bukidnon Provincial Hospital-San Fernando, na-encourage po ng mga kasama kong doctor. Nag-decide na po ako na mag-med kasi nakikita ko po talaga na kailangan ako ng mga katribo ko,” he added.

It took almost two years for him to be admitted to a medical school with full scholarship.

“Sa lahat po ng inaplayan ko, La Salle lang po ang nag-respond for interview. Binigyan po nila ako ng scholarship, wala po talaga akong gastos, free po lahat,” he said.

Joeffrey said he couldn’t believe that he is now about to become a doctor.

“Never in my wildest dream na mag-doctor since in our tribe, at age 12 usually nag-a-asawa na kami via arranged marriage,” he said.

His family is staying with their tribe in Sitio Opis Namnam, San Fernando, Bukidon. His father, who was a Datu, died in 2010 and his mother works as a farmer and lives with his other siblings.

Joeffrey said he will finish his post-graduate internship and prepare for the Physician Licensure Exam.

“Then after passing the board po, I am planning to join the ‘Doctors to the Barrios’ program by DOH and hopefully will be assigned to my own hometown,” he said. (MCG/PIA-IDPD/NCIP)

A version of this article was first published on the Philippine Information Agency.