University of Cumbria 2014
My time in the Philippines has been amazing and is definitely filled with memories to be held for a lifetime. Before travelling, I was really nervous as I had never travelled alone before, especially not to the other side of the world. However, the Work the World (WTW) team made me feel much more confident and well prepared before departure.
They provided me with a lot of information, including a timeline on the ‘MyTrip’ webpage, which helped me figure out what I had to do during pre-departure. On my way to the Philippines I did not know what to expect, but when I arrived at the airport there was a WTW member of staff waiting, who was friendly and very happy to see me. This had the immediate effect of putting me at ease.
The WTW house was lovely and so were the staff and other students in the house. Although I arrived late, when I turned up to the house, myself and other new arrivals were provided with a hearty meal before I went straight to bed. The first day was very nerve-racking. This was the day we would be introduced to the hospital and taken on a tour around the city in order to get further settled into life in Iloilo. I found this first day very beneficial.
The staff at the hospital are thankful for any help that we give them and it is beneficial to be pro-active whilst on placement. The days that I spent in the hospital I enjoyed thoroughly and gained much insight, which I have been able to bring back to the UK and tell all my peers and lecturers about. I also realised how lucky we are to have such a good healthcare system in the UK.
The different excursions that I went on while in the Philippines were also great. I went to a place called Boracay, which is a really fun place to go with lots of activities to do, and great nightlife. My newfound friends and I all loved it there. If you want to go on trips, the staff are very helpful in offering good suggestions. I also went to another place called Antique, which was gorgeous as there were no tourists and it was like paradise with white sandy beaches and blue waters. There are also many activities to do there as well.
Another trip that I went on with the rest of my housemates was to an orphanage, which was great as we bought lots of gifts and provided a meal for the children, which they all loved.
At the end of my trip I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay, go and see more places as I felt I had not experienced all that the Philippines had to offer in the amount of time that I was there for. In the future, I would love to go back and visit another hospital and its staff and visit all the other islands in the Philippines. Through going on this big adventure I feel it has given me more confidence to go travelling in the future, to other countries and gain more knowledge of different cultures or even work as a nurse abroad.
