In 2014, my husband had a bad fall during one of his basketball games and resulted to him having…read moreACL in his left knee. For him to be able to perform rigorous physical activities again, he needed to undergo minor surgery and a minimum of six months of therapy for his knees. His orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Odulio holds clinic at the Philippine Orthopedic Institute in Makati. The use of Philippine in the name made me think that they were connected to the government, but they are actually a group of orthopedic specialists holding private practice in the country. And though they just occupy two floors in a small building in the city, the place has merits. The lobby is elegant and spacious; they have complete facilities like an x-ray room, examination room and clinics for the doctors, and a whole floor dedicated to rehabilitation and therapy. The staff were very accommodating. Ms. Lauren, Dr. Odulio's secretary is very approachable and promptly responds to calls or text messages. The physical therapists were patient and skillful enough to train my husband and motivate him every time he goes to therapy. Hubby's knees have recovered and he's playing basketball again. And despite his busy schedule, he squeezes in a visit to POI once in a while to see his doctor and thanks his therapists there.

Weird experience. St. Lukes is hit-or-miss, flip a coin. It seems only the doctors have enough…read moreEnglish skill to communicate effectively. The problem is that they trust their secretaries/nurses (same person) to communicate in texts and in person. The miscommunications are comedic but frustrating. Today, I was happy to get a walk-in consult that my other doctor required before surgery. This cardio clearance" lasted about 5 minutes and was a quick "Do you....? do you.....? do you....?" check 5 boxes and then rush me out the of the oddly small office. I lol actually thought that Dr. Greggy A. Panga was comping me for the consult (as some doctors do at St. Lukes for such short "consults"), so I was preparing to give the nurse/secretary a sizable tip, but then she said, "5,000 pesos." Suddenly her English is sharp lol I had asked her TWICE before I went in about the cost but she somehow couldn't understand and then suddenly waved me into the doctor's tiny office with hundreds of "Stich" (of cartoon "Lilo and Stich") toys covering the one basic bookshelf that took up the whole wall. After getting my free coffee and snack downstairs, I decided to ask the desk staff about the cost. They were kind but couldn't understand me, nor I them (!), as it took about 25 minutes to finally grasp her meaning after I asked her to write the costs on paper. Anyway, the nurse had told the desk staff that they had discounted it for me from 100$ to 75$. Well, they certainly made no mention of that to me in the office nor on my billing sheet. So it was apparently even more ridiculous of a price. Again, there were no prices listed anywhere (or none shown to me despite my asking several times). St. Luke's allows its doctors to charge ANY AMOUNT THEY CHOOSE! So then you're shocked after you've had one reasonable procedure/cost with one doctor only to get charged 4 times more with another doctor. Buyer beware. Check the cost first. Also, this doctor today was rather strange as he avoided looking me in the eye and then rushed through the info and rushed me out despite having no other patients waiting and it was 3:30pm (so I don't think he was late for some golf tee-time). Maybe he was planning on price-gouging me and felt guilty. Hmmm....anyway, sigh, not a good feeling, feeling ripped-off, especially at the premier medical establishment in the Philippines.

I have recently had surgery with a plastic surgeon at St. Lukes. He was highly recommended by a…read moredoctor in the United States. Dr. Eric Arcilla is known for breast aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. I liked that, Dr. Arcilla did fellowships at UCLA in California and Interplast Australia. I was impressed that Dr. Arcilla emailed and texted me regarding my breast specialist and cardiologist appointments. He even sent me reminders regarding them. To make a long story short, the process from beginning to the end of my surgery was commendable. All the registered nurses were very pleasant and attentive. My one night stay at the hospital exceeded my expectations. I was surprised to receive complimentary juice. The complimentary juice was refreshingly delicious. The food was better than most hospital's food. On the day in which I was going to be discharged, there were 3 doctors who came to see how I was doing. Dr. Arcilla came early in the morning. He was then followed by another doctor about an hour later, and he changed the dressing. About an hour after that, there was another doctor who checked the dressing that was changed. I was surprised that Dr. Arcilla sent me a reminder for my follow-up appointment on Easter Sunday regarding my appointment on the following day. I can't believe that he found the time to text me on a holiday. I am very thankful that I was referred to Dr. Eric Arcilla. This is also where I went when I slipped and fell flat onto my face numerous years ago. My relatives highly recommended St. Lukes. This is where they go whenever they have a medical emergency. I understood why they suggested this hospital. I had a cut on my forehead that needed stitches. I had a choice of having a surgeon or plastic surgeon. I chose a plastic surgeon since the cut was on my face. I was told that it might take about an hour for Doctor Gene Gerald Tiongco to arrive, but he was definitely worth waiting for. While I was waiting for Doctor Tiongco to arrive, I noticed that the staff was very concerned regarding how I got the cut. I guess they noticed that my face was bruised, and my left eye looked as though I was hit by someone. Different nurses and doctors kept asking me how I got hurt. I kept telling them that I tripped and fell. I had a good laugh with my husband. I told him that the staff is just waiting to see if I'll tell them that he physically abused me. It was nice to see that the staff was concerned. I would like to let you know that Dr. Tiongco stitched up the cut, and I couldn't even tell where my cut was. I would highly recommend Dr. Eric Arcilla, Dr. Gene Gerald Tiongco and St. Lukes Medical Center.

I needed a full check up for a competition I was joining and they needed the results for this to…read morecheck my health and if I was fit to compete. It just so happened that My Health is the place I immediately thought about because I knew they offered a lot of medical services. Based on experience with other clinics like this, I had to wait very long in line and it was such a hassle to hop from one station to the next. I always dreaded medical check ups because it always took so long and there were just too much things happening at the same time since there were so much people. My Health was just the opposite. They attended to me as soon as I went in. I didn't have to wait too long. I gave all the necessary information they needed and I was well on my way. I went to every station one after the next and it wasn't a hassle. I just had a little bit of waiting and I was done in an hour. This is definitely a clinic that is organized and systematic.

Daaang, this medical clinic puts even the "brand name hospital clinics" to shame. I always just…read morepassed it whenever I went to Shang but when I had to do my medical check-up here for work, I was so surprised to see how nice and BIG it was inside! It was a super professional and systematically-operated clinic, and it offered a lot of services from those minor skin services like the ones offered at independent beauty clinics to diagnostic imaging and lab services! They can also do minor surgeries on-premises, rehab for physical therapy, and other wellness & screening packages. They also of course have many doctors who come regularly throughout the week for clinic schedules. So you can easily drop by here for any sort of check-up. They have very good facilities and interiors. It's even somewhat stylish, and modern, with interactive touch-screen guides you can use for information. The staff are also organized and professional in the way they deal with patients.

I've been dealing with chronic lower back tightness and nagging shoulder pain from years of desk…read morework and bad habits, and honestly, I was pretty doubtful another chiropractor would do much beyond temporary relief. But after seeing a friend's post about Dr. Khauv, I booked the $29 intro special and I'm so glad I did. From the moment I walked in, the vibe was welcoming and genuine--no high-pressure sales, just real care. The consultation was thorough, he explained everything clearly without jargon, and then the adjustment itself? Game changer. I felt an immediate release in my lower back that I haven't had in ages, and my shoulders actually dropped like someone lifted a weight off them. Toni's hour-long massage beforehand was the perfect warm-up--deep, focused, and exactly where I needed it. I left standing taller, moving easier, and smiling like an idiot. What really sealed it for me though is that this is a non-profit setup--Dr. Khauv and his team are truly in it to help people, not just fill pockets, and you can feel that energy. Affordable, effective, compassionate care. Five stars aren't enough--highly recommend to anyone who's tired of pain holding them back. Thank you, Dr. Khauv!

Dr. Khauv is GREAT!! He's not only a good guy with a big heart, he's also a good chiropractor. His…read morerates are very reasonable and he's very proficient. Found him through a Groupon deal and I'm so glad. He was super accommodating with the scheduling, very responsive, and does some really good back cracks. His massage therapist is also great. and I highly recommend getting a massage first then getting an adjustment from Dr. Khauv.

If I had the money, I'd go to Intercare as often as possible…read more Bad posture can really get your spine misaligned and cause nagging backaches. It happened to me one time so I went to Intercare to see a chiropractor. It's seems scary when he cracks your bones, but have faith and you'll feel so much better in a few minutes. After the chiropractor session, you get a massage by a licensed physical therapist. It was the best massage I've ever had in my life. They really get into the grooves of your spine. It feels ridiculously good. I can't even begin to explain how. You have to feel for yourself.

The PhilSports Complex, or "Ultra" caters mainly to the needs of national athletes, but is open to…read morethe public, for a small fee: P35 for the track oval; approximately P60 for the pool. Its sporting facilities have improved; they only recently reopened the track oval for use after being closed for over a year. The track and field area is still well-lit, cushioned for comfortable running, and the grass rehabilitated. I've come here to run during both the mornings and the evenings -- while it is cooler in the evening, there tends to be more people and less parking. And parking can be a problem. There are a few slots, which are not actually open for parking and I am not sure why. Going in the morning means less competition for parking, and less people. Besides the track oval, both whole teams and individuals come to Ultra to make use of the Olympic-size pool, and the field for frisbee, rugby, futbol, and martial arts. However, the toilets are disgusting. If you can, hold it in. You do not want to go into those (dis)comfort rooms. Opens at 5 AM; closes at 9 PM. They will be closed or at least be unavailable on some days without obvious notice. The guards at the main gate will not even know. They need to be more transparent about their special activities, or when they will not be open to the public.