"The ludicrous, the grotesque, and the abject, are striking elements in the pen of Dr. Will Liangco, whose 49 'tales' in this debut collection treat the gore of the medical profession with the comic relief of caricature. The gift of dark humor is a difficult thing to handle, and only a few Filipino writers wield it with panache. But in his hands, this penchant for exaggerating the taboo and giving one final ironic twist to the knife, do not fail to provoke uneasy laughter, leading to a more serious attention on the structural poverty that afflicts many Filipinos seeking public health service. Exposed through Dr. Will's critical eye, we see in his creative nonfiction narratives his duress as a medical student, a resident, a fellow, and a consultant, as he cares for patients who also have to go through the interminable hurdles and hoops of applying for government subsidy for medical treatment and care.
"In situations that elicit fear, rage, anxiety, or grief, Will sees humor. He is literally laughing in the face of death." -Jessica Zafra, author of Age of Umbrage
"That he chose oncology for his specialization places him in daily proximity with serious illness and death. He says in Alleviations, that he chose to train in oncology to access facilities, experts, and clinical trials that would alleviate his father's struggle with primary liver cancer. But we discover in the story the real reason: Dr. Will's kindness to his patients comes from his father's advise as a cancer patient and a dying parent: 'Never be late for your clinic...don't be one of those doctors who make patients wait for hours, only to shoo them out of the room after a rushed consult. Always be nice to them, especially the elderly. Never turn down people asking for help, even if the only motivation is to avoid potential guilt when they die.'
"Dr. Will's heart and mind are in their right places, and we cheer him on, the way his mother does in Private Practice Marketing Primer, proudly giving strangers her doctor-son's calling cards and saying: 'Anak ko yan.' " - Marjorie Evasco, PhD Litt., author of Dreamweavers
