Great! We had challenge using our CC payments. Elise one of the PSN staff patiently waited for our…read moretransaction. Overall experience is ok.

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.

Last year, I headed to The Medical City (my go-to hospital for emergency hospital visits and…read moreroutine check-ups) as I was suffering through a horrible cough. I asked at reception about which doctor was available at the moment as I didn't want to queue for hours on end. Thankfully, Dr. Agno was available to accommodate me. I was comfortable from the moment I entered her office. Dr. Agno is very respectful, polite, kind and knowledgeable. Based on my account, she immediately knew that iIwas suffering from an allergy from the pollutants/elements that were in the air due to New Year's celebrations and my extensive exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke (I'm allergic). She handed me a prescription and I was as good as new in a little under a week. Thank you, Dr. Agno! I hope never to see you again but I would happily refer you to anybody who needs your service.

Growing up with a congenital heart condition can be quite challenging. For instance, I've passed…read morethe corporate exams and interviews in many A-list companies only to fail in their physical tests. All the three big companies that I eventually worked for asked for a medical certificate from my old cardiologist and they all imposed certain disclaimers on my employee insurance benefits. Now that I'm older and running my own business, I have no need for medical certificates, besides my old cardiologist had since passed away. However, as I approach my middle age years, I need constant medical monitoring, especially in the matters of my cardiovascular health. In my search for a new cardiologist, I was led to Dr. Andrea Orel Valle. She's an Interventional Pediatric Cardiologist. Essentially, she's a heart doctor for babies and kids. So why is she attending to an old patient like me? Well, that's because I have a congenital heart defect, meaning I have it since birth. A product of the University of the Philippines Intarmed Program, Doc Wawi, as she is fondly called by patients and friends, is a smart young cardiologist. That's why her patients -- including me -- find her cool and very relaxed. She has none of that typically boring clinical semantics when talking to people. But don't let her young looks fool you, she has the real-world experience and international qualifications to boot. Doc Wawi's main clinic is at Room 205 of the Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB) in UP-PGH. She's there from Tuesdays to Thursdays at 10:00am until 12:00 noon. Then, also on Saturdays from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

We found Dr. Maningat when I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes on my second pregnancy. I was…read moreadvised by my OB-Gyne to consult an endocrinologist to control my blood sugar, and our health insurance company referred me to Dr. Patricia Maningat. When I went to my first consultation, I didn't like her for the reason that she instructed me to change my diet (no sugar, boo!) and monitor my blood sugar levels. Now I realized that that was one of the best advices I got regarding my health. My mom (who is a diabetic) also started seeing Dr. Maningat after she accompanied me to one of my checkups and saw how thorough she was with every patient, and how effective her advices were. My mom was having Hypoglycemia at that time because of her diet and medications, but Dr. Maningat helped her overcome that. The drive from our house to St. Luke's takes a minimum of 30 minutes, but we don't mind because we know we get the best medical advice from Dr. Maningat. We have to leave early though to be first in the long list of patients she sees in her clinic.

From the moment our baby girl Garnet was born, Dr. Clemente has been by our side, guiding us…read morethrough the journey of parenthood with his expertise. As first-time parents, we had countless questions but Dr. Clemente's calm and reassuring demeanor always put us at ease. What truly sets him apart is his dedication. He introduced himself and immediately shared his contact details, letting us know that he was just a message away. Its a comfort for new parents like us. I'll never forget the time he visited my hospital room for his daily rounds but found my husband and me fast asleep. Rather than waking us, he quietly left and returned later, showing such thoughtfulness and care. We couldn't have asked for a better pediatrician for our little princess. His staff is equally amazing. always reminding us of our baby's vaccine schedule a few days in advance. Thanks to their care and support, our baby is now 13 months old, growing healthy and happy.

Dr. Clemente was my baby's first pediatrician, the one who saw him in the hospital after the…read moredelivery. My ob-gyne had recommended him because he speaks fluent Spanish - which is close to Portuguese sometimes - and also because he's very "text friendly". That means you can text him with some concern and he immediately replies giving you some advice or even prescribing something (of course, only if it's something very basic, like simethicone for infant colic). Considering our modern way of life, I believe having a doctor who replies your phone calls and text messages is something really important. I ended up seeing another pedia only because I've found out that all my Brazilian friends here take their kids to the same doctor (Dr. Vienne Saulog). However, I highly recommend Dr. Clemente. He was very reliable and clarified all my doubts and concerns about my newborn.

Part of the struggle of being a diabetic is finding a doctor that you can trust. Here in Manila,…read moreone of the challenges of finding good Endocrinologists and Diabetologists is finding one who doesn't exclusively hold clinic in some far-flung, commute-inaccessible places, or doesn't exclusively hold clinic during workdays. Imagine my surprise when I found a doctor who is not only capable and competent, but also accessible. Dr. Eveleyn Paraan, at first, became my doctor simply because she has hours in STI Megaclinic, and said hours also fall on a Saturday. I happily went, not really expecting anything other than a sober and clinical handling of my condition, at most maybe a boot camp-styled doctor, making me do calisthenics and sing in cadence while jogging. What I got was a doctor who was all that, except she's more of the "warm bedside manner" doctor than the boot camp-y one. Oh, make no mistake, Dr. Paraan is all no-nonsense Endocrinologist, an obvious master in her field, but she also excitedly asks if you've been maintaining your diet and exercise, and actually visibly deflates when you say you fell off the wagon. Dr. Paraan is less cold doctor, more a confidant and a companion in your journey in diabeetus.

Dr. Henson is the OB-Gyne of 9 out of 10 expats women here in the Metro. I've first heard about her…read morewhen I was still in my country (Brazil) doing some research about doctors in the Philippines. After all, I would deliver my baby far from my family in a foreign land and I needed to find someone reliable to assist me. I've Googled some obvious key words like "good ob-gyne manila" and I've found a blog by a Brazilian woman who had lived in Manila some years ago. Thanks to the internet, people can share their experiences (hey, Yelp!). This woman was saying lots of great things about Dr. Henson, so I wrote down her name in my Moleskine. The plan was setting an appointment as soon as I arrived in Manila. That's what I did. I was 5 months pregnant, if I'm not mistaken. The first impression of her was very positive. She's very cool. And fashionable. She wears unique clothes. Actually, the first thing I've noticed when I entered the room were her signature glasses - thick, round and black, just like Harry Potter! By her clinic, you can also tell she's a design fan. She has miniatures of designed chairs as part of the decor. Ok, you may be wondering: "what doest it matter if a doctor is fashionable or not? I want to know if she's skilled!". I tell you: yes, she is VERY skilled. But she's also VERY talkative, so you have to make sure you talk too. I mean, make sure to find ways to make all your questions. I had a great experience with her, but I know some people just get stressed because they feel she's not listening to them. It's up to you. I've never had this feeling, though. She did a great job during my labor and delivery and my baby was born healthy and strong :) Another thing I like about Dr. Henson is that she always text you back when you send her some message. Being text friendly is something I really appreciate in a doctor. She replies really fast, what is great for anxious people like me. I usually go to St. Luke's, but she also has a clinic at Makati Med. Time Day at St. Luke's Hospital: M-Th 2-5 PM; F 9-12 NN Office number/Location 789-7700 L7125

Dr. Saulog is my baby's pediatrician. She isn't the first pedia who saw him in the hospital when I…read moredelivered, though. Actually, we had another pedia before discovering her. There wasn't anything wrong with him, but I wanted a doctor strongly recommended by someone we know. So I started asking all my friends who was the pediatrician of their kids. I've found out that Dr. Saulog is the pedia of 9 out of 10 expat friends. There must be a reason, so I needed to check! What I like the most about her is that she is very patient and doesn't make you feel like she's in a hurry. That's something really important to me. I don't want a doctor to check my baby with an eye on him and the other one on the clock. To the contrary, she really cares about your concerns and listens carefully all your questions. Another thing I appreciate is that Dr. Saulog REALLY checks my baby front and back. She does all the measurements, check the ears, eyes and also auscultates the chest. It may sound obvious, but there are lots of pediatricians who barely look at the children. Money is what matters. And time is money. That's definitely not Dr. Saulog's vibe. My son gets really calm and comfortable with her. I also love the fact she's not that kind of pediatricians who love prescribing medicines. She only does it if necessary. HIGHLIGHT: Besides being very warm and extremely skilled, Dr. Saulog is text friendly! That means she always reply to SMS. If you are worried because your baby has a cold or something and need an advice, just text her and she'll answer you. TIP: Set an appointment in advance, because her clinic is always full - both filipinos and expats! She has a clinic also in Makati Med, but I usually go to St. Luke's.