MY WOODEN armchair in first-year high school at the Holy Spirit School in Tagbilaran City was one arm’s length away from Maria Flores Vaño, aka Mitchum. Yes, we were almost seatmates in Section Pearl. I had always been drawn to her kind and gentle nature. And I remember being invited to her birthdays in May, even when I already transferred to another school.
Fast forward a decade later, and while I worked in the power industry in Cebu City, I recall how our paths would occasionally cross. But one chance meeting stayed with me vividly. We met by the sidewalk of Fuente Osmeña and struck up a conversation about my work and her challenges as a medical student. We must have been twenty-two/twenty-three at that time.
Following my mother’s passing in 2001, we serendipitously chanced upon each other again at the ground floor of a medical building. We spoke about the realities of losing a parent. Then twenty years . . . happened. What are the chances, huh! Imagine the highlights of those decades, the evolution, when our orbits did not intersect at all, given that we lived in two separate regions. But everything in life, tangible or not, has a way of coming full circle. It’s the natural order of things.
And so, we begin her story.
From 1994, when she was twenty-seven years old and still single, up to the present, Dr. Maria Flores Vaño, now Dr. Maria Flores Vaño-Adiong, has served the evolving Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center (https://www.panaynews.net/bohol-provincial-hospital-a-healthcare-journey-for-95-years/) in the province of Bohol, as a government physician.
In a conversation, she explained that after completing her four years of residency training, and obtaining her diplomate certificate, following a rigorous oral and written examination encompassing the OB-GYN specialty, she became a medical specialist (consultant) of the hospital, where she was and still is, authorized to render private practice for as long as she complies with the policy on private practice in government hospitals. This policy requires her to complete at least forty hours of work per week and attend to all her hospital duties before going to her private clinic. Given these guidelines, “My clinic hours are by appointment,” she said. I would reckon she has a direct view and active participation in two worlds: private practice and public service.
Her entry into the Philippine Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (PBOG) was unexpected. She considers it “God’s calling” because she didn’t plan for it or apply for it. “I was invited to apply, because I have satisfied the following requirements: a) a ten-year fellow in our society; b) a previous assignment as a training officer, or chair of a department; c) recommended by the regional director of the Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecology Society (POGS); d) nominated and voted upon by senior and current members of the PBOG; and e) a representative of the government sector which has an allocated one slot.” Most of her colleagues are from the academe, like UP, UST, MCU, FEU, UE, and one slot each from Visayas, Mindanao, and Luzon medical colleges.
Dr. Mitchum began her term as a member of PBOG in 2025. “The PBOG conceptualizes, develops, implements, and evaluates certifying examinations and accreditation processes. We formulate and modify policies and procedures required for certification and accreditation.”
At her present life phase, she is content with what she has been blessed with. Together with her husband, Capt. Marcelo S. Adiong Jr., a seafarer, has been able to provide for their family and give the best for their children, namely, Dr. Felina Justine V. Adiong, IM resident physician of St. Luke’s, Bonifacio Global City, Atty. Ma. Tanya Cielo V. Adiong, assistant corporate lawyer, Dr. Ma. Flores Adiong Jr., OB-GYN resident physician at UP-PGH, and Marcel Mar V. Adiong, a physical therapy intern.
She has also been given real opportunities to help those in need. She admits, though, that some instances or situations test her beyond her capabilities, leaving her sad and down, but she manages to bounce back after a while because, as she puts it, “Life and work must go on.”
When asked about her plans, she stressed, “Maybe I will work for some more years in both government service and my private practice, then, slow down and allow the young ones to shine in their chosen field.”
She is inspired and guided by Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Dr. Mitchum Vaño-Adiong completed her primary and secondary education at Holy Spirit School in Tagbilaran City. She pursued her pharmacy degree at the University of Santo Tomas and later earned her medical degree from Gullas College of Medicine.
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Tune in to Woman Talk with Belinda Sales every Saturday, 10:00-10:40 a.m. at 91.1 Balita FM, Tagbilaran City. Send your email to belindabelsales@gmail.com. Follow us on X at @ShilohRuthie./PN
