Candidate #12
Patricia Gail Dueñas, 24
CEBU, Philippines — Fourth year medical intern Patricia Gail Dueñas advocates for health promotion and disease prevention. “I have experience seeing patients who present symptoms of serious illnesses in the hospital when it could have been preventable,” the Cebu Institute of Medicine student says.
“I believe it’s important to promote health in our community. We can do this through effective communications such as mass media campaigns and making newsletters so that people will be aware of practicing proper health practices such as hand hygiene and health-seeking behaviors like going to hospitals for a check-up when their illnesses are still mild.”
Dueñas also points out social media’s crucial role in promoting Cebu City to international tourists. “If we want to showcase the assets of Cebu, we should use social media,” she says. “When used wisely, it’s a powerful tool that can bridge Cebu to the world.”