Our internships
Central Luzon State University, Province of Nueva Ecija, Luzon
Thanks to: Dr. Elfren Celestino and the rest of the staff for their hospitality
May 14-18, 2007
This was our first placement upon arriving in the country. During our visit, we were shown around the campus including its small ruminant center, the Philippine Carabao Center which specializes in genetics and reproduction, as well as the fisheries center specializing in farmed tilapia. The veterinary medicine program in the Philippines is a 6-year program, the first two years of which are preparatory courses similar to CEGEP. Our visit coincided with the students’ summer holidays, but we were able to meet some of the upper-year students who had duties at the school’s clinic. The clinic has limited resources and materials, but the school prides itself on its quality instruction. An emphasis is placed on parasitology due to its importance in tropical climates.
This first week in the Philippines was our first taste of many aspects of the culture. Dr. Celestino made every effort to let us try different regional delicacies, and we also had the chance to perform our first of several karaoke tunes during a party organized for the Dean of Veterinary Medicine. Although we were somewhat hesitant at first, we soon became fans of this favourite Filipino past-time!
Animal House, Makati, Luzon
Thanks to: Dr. Ed Unson and Dr. Michael Kaw for their great generosity, as well as to the rest of the staff for their kindness
May 19-23, 2007
The second week of our journey was spent in Makati, the business district of Manila. Animal House is a chain of veterinary clinics located in the Luzon area, the Makati branch being one of the most well-known clinics in the country! The services offered by the clinic are geared towards a relatively wealthy clientele and thus doesn’t necessarily represent the reality of most small animal clinics in the Philippines. However, it gave us the excellent opportunity to learn from some highly competent vets who see an impressive number of cases each day, particularly problems concerning dermatology and parasites. A slight culture shock: castrated males are very rare!
Thanks to Dr. Unson, we were able to visit Intramuros, the old fortified area of Manila that dates back to the Spanish occupation. The veterinarians also taught us a great deal about Filipino history and culture, sharing many juicy anecdotes !
Manila Polo Club, Manila, Luzon
Thanks to: Dr. Ingrid Hernandez for welcoming us on such short notice
May 24-25, 2007
Our visit to the Manila Polo Club was unfortunately outside of the polo season. However, we had the chance to practice different veterinary techniques (and learn a few new ones!) One has to be fairly well-off to be a part of this club!
Palawan Wildlife Conservation and Rescue Center
Irawan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Thanks to: Dr. Joanne Justo and the fantastic crew at PWCRC
June 4-15, 2007
Our next placement took us to the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, where animals that are confiscated from the illegal pet trade are kept for rehabilitation and educational purposes. It is unfortunately rare that the center is able to release the captured animals and birds, as it is next to impossible to know to what extent they have been previously exposed to humans. The center’s primary activity, however, is the breeding of the two species of crocodile native to the Philippines: Crocodylus porosus, a salt-water species that is found throughout South-East Asia, and Crocodylus mindorensis, a fresh-water species that is endemic to the Philippines. Only about 200 individuals of this species remain in the wild, making it the most endangered crocodilian species in the world.
During our placement, we learned a great deal about the reproduction of crocodiles in captivity and even participated during egg collection! Accompanied by the “Farm Boys” and armed with a large stick to protect us from the two hundred crocodiles in the large enclosure, this activity was a bit of an adrenaline rush! Dr. Justo also showed us how to perform necropsies on a couple of young crocodiles and birds that had died at the center. During our two-week stay, we also produced an information pamphlet describing some of the bird species that can be observed around the park for the benefit of its many annual visitors.
Philippine Eagle Foundation, Malagos district, Davao city, Mindanao
Thanks to: Dr. Rheyda Hinlo, Dr. Maria Luz Lopez, Ms. Rein Navarro and the wonderful staff at PEF
June 18-23, 2007
The Philippine Eagle Foundation is a non-governmental organization that fights for the survival of one of the most impressive species of bird on Earth. The Philippine Eagle, recently featured in the February 2008 issue of National Geographic Magazine, is a majestic, expressive and formidable predator. The center receives or rescues injured birds from the wild for rehabilitation, and also breeds captive individuals for eventual release in the wild.
Our two weeks with the center were filled with learning, both inside the classroom and out! The center’s specialists provided us with diverse tutorials ranging from the biology of the Philippine Eagle, to radio telemetry, to enrichment of animals kept in captivity. We also had the extraordinary chance to help during the annual general medical examinations of all of the other raptors raised at the center, under the direction their veterinarians. We thus found ourselves practicing taking blood samples, administering dewormer and updating the records of over fifty birds!
Animal Kingdom Foundation, Capas, Tarlac, Luzon
July 2-8, 2007
Thanks to: Dr. Ellen Arcansalin and Dr. Roland Arciga, as well as Ms. Suzanne Llanera and Mr. Charles Wartenberg for their welcome and their hospitality
Animal Kingdom is a center for dogs that have been rescued from the illegal dog meat trade that still exists in northern Luzon. This trafficking is unfortunately associated with inhumane conditions, in which the dogs are often kept bound with rope around their paws and a tin can over their mussel to keep them from barking or biting. The Animal Kingdom Foundation hopes to put an end to this practice, not only for animal welfare concerns, but also in the hopes of preventing a potential source of rabies transmission to humans. According to the website of the government of the Philippines, the country has the world’s third highest prevalence of rabies. At the time of our visit, the center was home to nearly 300 rescued dogs. Since its opening just a year previously, AKF had already successfully put 50 dogs up for adoption.
During our week with the ascals (in Tagalog, ‘aso’ means dog and ‘calle’ means street), we had the chance to help out with routine vaccinations and deworming, enclosure maintenance and even participate in our first spay surgeries! It was touching to see that despite their previous mistreatment most of the dogs were ready to trust, and were often very excited to have our company.
University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Luzon
Thanks to: Dean Valdez, the staff and the students who gave us a glimpse of student life in the Philippines
July 9-17,2007
Our last placement was at UPLB, on a campus bustling with student life located two hours south of Manila on the slopes of the majestic Mount Makiling.
We were welcomed by the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Valdez, as well as by a number of teachers and students who allowed us to participate in their classes and activities over the course of our stay. We attended classes and laboratories with students from first through fourth year, including surgery and anatomy labs. We also had the chance to visit a branch of the Philippine Carabao Center, where we practiced our transrectal examinations. Another memorable experience was a trip to the local market in the company of the veterinarian responsible for the small zoo affiliated with the school. Grocery shopping for such a variety of animals made for a very colourful excursion! We thus had the chance to live the student life at one of the most respected schools in the country.
After leaving the university campus, we once again took a long, hot jeepney ride over several kilometers to visit the Pagsanjan river, where part of the film Apocalypse Now was filmed. Here, a guided canoe ride allowed us to explore this magnificent river that winds its way through the jungle.
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