Subjective refraction
The test that finds your prescription. You compare lenses one step at a time and tell us which is clearer, until your vision is as sharp as it can be.
Services
What we can do for your eyes
Everything below is done here, by a licensed optometrist. If your eyes need something we do not offer, we will tell you plainly and refer you to an ophthalmologist, with your records sent ahead.
Cycloplegic refraction
Eye drops relax the eye’s focusing muscles before we measure, so the prescription is the eye’s true one. Mostly used for children.
Contact lens fitting
Measuring the curve of your eye, trial lenses, and a proper handling lesson before you take any home.
Ishihara test
A colour vision check using the Ishihara plates, the circles of coloured dots.
In detail
What each visit actually involves
Open any of these for who it is for, how long it takes, and what to bring.
Subjective refraction
This is the test that finds your prescription. The autorefractor gives a starting point, then you look through a series of lenses in the trial frame and tell the optometrist which is clearer, one step at a time, until your vision is as sharp as it can be. The final answer comes from what you see, which is why it is called subjective.
| Who it is for | Anyone whose vision has changed, and anyone who needs new glasses or contact lenses. |
|---|---|
| How long it takes | Part of an unhurried visit. We do not rush it. |
| What to bring | Your current glasses or contact lenses, even old ones. They tell us where you are starting from. |
Cycloplegic refraction
Some eyes, young ones especially, focus so strongly that they hide part of their prescription during a normal test. For a cycloplegic refraction we put in eye drops that relax the focusing muscles, wait for them to work, then measure. The result is the eye’s true prescription. It is mostly used for children.
| Who it is for | Mostly children, and anyone whose prescription needs confirming without their own focusing getting in the way. |
|---|---|
| How long it takes | Allow extra time. The drops need a while to work before we can measure. |
| What to bring | Sunglasses, and someone to take you home. The drops blur near vision and make the eyes sensitive to light for several hours. |
Contact lens fitting
A contact lens prescription is not the same number as a glasses prescription. The lens sits directly on your eye, so it has to match the curve of your eye as well as your focus. We measure that, trial a lens, check how your eye responds, and show you how to put the lenses in, take them out and look after them before anything is dispensed.
| Who it is for | First-time wearers, and anyone whose current lenses have started to feel dry or uncomfortable. |
|---|---|
| What to bring | Your current lens boxes if you already wear them, and your glasses as a backup for the trip home. |
Ishihara test
A colour vision test using the Ishihara plates: circles of coloured dots with a number hidden inside. With normal colour vision you see the number. With a red-green colour deficiency you see a different number, or none at all.
| Who it is for | Anyone asked for a colour vision result by a school or an employer, and anyone who wonders whether they see colours the way others do. |
|---|---|
| How long it takes | A few minutes |
| What to bring | Any form your school or employer needs filled in. |
Your visit
What to expect
Nothing about your visit should be a surprise. Here is the whole sequence, in order.
Registration
Your details, your medical history, and your insurance card if you have one. First visits take a few minutes longer.
Preliminary tests
Visual acuity and an autorefractor reading. Quick, painless, and done by our technician.
The examination
The optometrist refines your prescription lens by lens and looks at the front of the eye under the slit lamp.
Discussion
What we found, what it means, and what you can do about it. Ask everything; this is the part that matters.
Eyewear, if you need it
Frame selection, lens options explained without upselling, and measurements taken on your face rather than estimated.
Collection and adjustment
We fit your glasses when you collect them, and adjust them free of charge whenever they need it afterwards.
Before you come
What to bring
None of this is required, but each one makes the visit shorter or the result better.
See the checklist
- Your current glasses or contact lenses, even old ones. They tell us where you are starting from.
- A valid ID, so we can register you quickly on your first visit.
- A list of medications you take. Several common ones affect the eyes, dryness especially.
- Sunglasses, if you are having a cycloplegic refraction. The drops make the eyes sensitive to light for several hours.
- Someone to take you home, after a cycloplegic refraction. Near vision stays blurred for several hours.
Getting here
Getting here
By jeepney or multicab
Take any route running along J.C. Aquino Avenue and ask to be dropped at the M.U. Building in Barangay Tandang Sora. We are in Purok 4.
By private vehicle
We are on J.C. Aquino Avenue, in the M.U. Building at Purok 4, Barangay Tandang Sora. Open the map alongside for turn-by-turn directions.
When to come
Any day from Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. No appointment, and no need to call first. Mornings are usually the quietest, and we stop at thirty patients so that nobody is rushed.
Questions
Asked often, answered plainly
Do I need an appointment?
No. We are walk-in only and do not take appointments at all. We do cap the day at thirty patients so that nobody is rushed, so on a busy day we may honestly ask you to come back tomorrow. Mornings are usually quietest.
How often should I have my eyes checked?
Every one to two years, or sooner if your vision changes. The optometrist will tell you when to come back.
Will my eyes be dilated? Can I still drive home?
Only for a cycloplegic refraction, and we will tell you beforehand. The drops blur near vision and make the eyes sensitive to light for several hours, so bring sunglasses and plan a ride home.
Can I get my glasses the same day?
Most single-vision prescriptions in stock lenses are finished the same day. Progressives, high prescriptions, and specialty coatings usually take a few days. We will give you a firm date before you leave.
How long will my eyeglasses take?
If your lens is in stock we cut it here during your visit and you leave wearing them. If the lens has to be ordered in, we tell you a specific 3 to 10 working day range at the counter and send you an SMS the moment they are ready. You are never expected to chase us.
Our commitment
Screenings for schools, barangays and workplaces
We run vision screenings by invitation. If you coordinate a school, a barangay or a workplace in Butuan or Caraga and would like one arranged, get in touch and we will talk through what is possible.
Uncorrected refractive error is one of the easiest things in medicine to fix, and still one of the most common reasons a child falls behind in class.
- 4,795Patient visits recorded
Jan 2025 to Aug 2026 - ~4,500Individual patients
served - 30 minTypical wait for lenses
cut in our own lab
