Metro Pacific Health (MPH), the largest group of private hospitals and healthcare facilities in the Philippines, recently held the Battle of the Nightingales (BOTN) Year 2 Finals at the Grand Ballroom of the Marco Polo Ortigas Hotel on October 18. This nationwide quiz bowl showcased the brightest nursing students from across the country, celebrating their knowledge, dedication, and passion for the nursing profession.
Nationwide Run on its 2nd Year
The BOTN began as a local quiz bowl at West Metro Medical Center in Zamboanga in 2017, quickly gaining popularity among nursing schools. MPH expanded the competition in 2022 to include all four of its hospitals in Mindanao, culminating in a national event in 2023 that involved 21 MPH hospitals across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The competition culminated in the BOTN National Championships, which coincided with National Nurses Week in October, showcasing the best and brightest nursing students nationwide.
This year, the Battle of the Nightingales continues its national run for the second year, further expanding its reach and impact. The competition celebrates nursing excellence and fosters collaboration among MPH hospitals and nursing schools across the Philippines. The event successfully engaged 267 nursing students from 89 schools from across the country , culminating in a challenging championship for the nursing community’s remarkable talent.
The questions in the tournament included topics on community health and communicable diseases, maternal and child health, physiologic and psychosocial alterations (covering medical and surgical nursing), pharmacology and therapeutics, nutrition and diet therapy, mental health nursing, prioritization and delegation, research, as well as nursing leadership and management.
The competition featured a variety of questions, from multiple-choice questions to more complex scenarios. Some questions required calculations, like using the Rule of Nines to determine the percentage of body burns. In one case, a patient with burns in various areas had 37% of their body affected.
Twelve teams qualified for the preliminary round of the championship, including:
- Baliuag University
- Calamba Doctors’ College
- Cebu Technological University – Cebu City Medical Center
- General Santos Doctors Medical School Foundation, Inc.
- Our Lady of Fatima University – Lagro
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
- University of Mindanao
- Riverside College
- St. Dominic College of Asia
- Tarlac State University
- Western Mindanao State University
- Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan
Clymene Joise Espiritu from St. Dominic College of Asia expressed, “We are very thankful that we are given an opportunity to join the Battle of the Nightingales, care of Metro Pacific Health. Maraming marami po kaming learnings, and along the way, we have built friendships and true and valued relationships with our peers and colleagues.”
Sofia Cris T. Vitor, a member of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, stated, “This event is a testament to the collective efforts, dedication, (and) passion that we all have for the profession of nursing.”
The five teams that advanced to the finals displayed extraordinary tenacity and skill, engaging in a fiercely contested battle that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. They were:
- Cebu Technological University – Cebu City Medical Center
- Tarlac State University
- Riverside College
- Our Lady of Fatima University – Lagro
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
Final Winners and Prizes
The Battle of the Nightingales Year 2 culminated in a thrilling competition with the following teams emerging as champions:
- Champion: Riverside College (hosted by Riverside Medical Center Inc.) – Team consisted of Chrissie Louise C. Demata, Bimi Marie M. Sortegosa, and Carl Lorenz Fajardo, coached by Delilah F. Navarro, MN, RN
- First Runner Up : Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (hosted by Cardinal Santos Medical Center) – Team was represented by Stephen P. Ferrer, David Joshua P. Lomentigar, and Karhylle Khaye N. Abuel, with coaching from Kahlil Arbo, RN, MAN
- Second Runner Up: Tarlac State University (hosted by Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital) – Team included Bryan E. Gopez, Einjelle Mikaela V. Magno, and Lean Gelomy L. Raiz, coached by Regie S. Jimenez, MSN, RN
Each winning team received substantial prizes, including cash rewards and scholarships. The Champion team received PHP 100,000 in cash for the students, PHP 20,000 for the coach, and scholarships of up to PHP 100,000 for each student. The First Runner-Up team was awarded PHP 50,000 in cash for the students, PHP 10,000 for the coach, and scholarships of up to PHP 75,000 for each student. The Second Runner-Up team received PHP 25,000 in cash for the students, PHP 5,000 for the coach, and scholarships of up to PHP 50,000 for each student.
