APRIL NEWSLETTER ON 2013
MEDICAL MISSION:
US-Based Humanitarian Group Returns from 2013 Medical Mission in the Philippines
- provided medical care in Palawan and Busuanga/Coron Islands
The Rhode Island-based humanitarian group “Lingkod Timog” that translates to
“Serving the poor in the Southern Philippines” recently returned from its 9th
annual medical mission in the Philippines from February 25 to March 3. The
group first provided medical, surgical and dental care to indigenous patients in
Taytay and El Nido in the northernmost part of Palawan Island. The group then
travelled to Coron in Busuanga Island to treat mostly Tagbanuas who came by
boats from the outlying remote islands between Busuanga and Palawan. Rhode
Islanders Cecilia and Armando Heredia led the medical mission.
The group president Cecilia Heredia describes the medical mission: “Our partner,
the Philippines’ Western Command did a fantastic job of providing security,
prepositioning our medicine and supplies and moving the whole group northwards.
We crossed from Palawan to Busuanga by helicopter, airplane and fast water
craft. This time, we had to turn down volunteer doctors, dentists and nurses
because we were limited by transport resources. We had only five doctors, one
of them doubling as surgeon, and three dentists. Based on their ailments, we
attended to more than 3,000 patients - giving medical, surgical or dental care.
Those who agreed to were given haircuts. All were fed before being given truck
or boat rides back to where they started.” Cecilia is the music teacher at St
Philomena School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and a Companion in Mission of the
Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ). St Philomena School also raises funds
through Broadway musicals for the Development Center projects of the Sisters FCJ
in Manila.
Nurse and Executive Director Irene Covarrubias Sabban coordinated the volunteer
doctors, dentists and nurses as well as security and support personnel. The
mission team included US and Philippine-based volunteers, local private and
public doctors and Philippine military doctors, nurses and dentists.
Dr Andrew Wilner of Newport, Rhode Island, the group’s medical director, manned
the medical lines with Dr. Tiago Villanueva Marques, and Philippine Marines Col.
Diamante and Capt. Saril. A six-time volunteer, neurologist, and medical
author, Dr. Wilner combines the medical mission with his writing, diving and
passion for underwater photography.
Dr. Tiago Villanueva Marques is a repeat volunteer to the medical mission. A
family physician from Lisbon, Portugal, whose mother is from the Philippines, he
finds the mission a unique way to rediscover his roots. Also a medical writer,
he plans to join next year’s mission with his wife, Ana Costa, a
Canadian-Portuguese doctor.
Nurse Ces Sabban-Marfil coordinated the pharmacy manned by yearly volunteers
Ning Warren, Villa Halo, Bing Diones, Mon Covarrubias, Fil Gutierrez. US-based
volunteers included two New York City-based nurses with their husbands – Emma
Arceo and King Phojanakong, and Modesta (Mimi) and Richard Martin.
Medicine and supplies came
from Lingkod Timog funds and private donors, such as Dr. Maria Petrillo-Bolanos
of Portsmouth who responded to a last-minute list and donated surgical supplies,
Dr. Mylene Santos of Fatima University Medical Center in Metro-Manila who
donated surgical drapes and other supplies, and Johnson Tan of the Tan Lin & Ng
Oh Tee Foundation of Manila who supplemented and transported the much needed
medicine, and also volunteered for the mission. Palawan’s restaurateur, Butch
Chase, donated food for the feeding program.
This joint Lingkod Timog and the
Philippine military medical mission started when Lieutenant General Juancho
Sabban, the Commander of the Philippines Western Command was studying in
Newport’s US Naval War College in 2003 and Armando (Doy) and Cecilia (Cely)
Heredia were his local sponsor. Cecilia Heredia formed the group and Irene
Covarrubias Sabban coordinates the activities. All missions involve private and
government agencies, military and police, and municipal and tribal health care
providers. The indigenous people, such as the Tagbanuas in Palawan see not just
the US and Manila-based volunteers, but their own community leaders and
neighbors helping them. Lingkod Timog’s previous missions helped the Tao’t Bato
cave dwellers in Palawan; Badjaos in Zamboanga, Basilan and Sulu; the Aetas in
Zambales and Lumads in Davao.
Lingkod Timog congratulates Irene and
Juancho Sabban on their 29th wedding anniversary last March 28, and wishes
General Sabban the best of his retirement after completing 39 years of
distinguished service to the Armed Forces of the Philippines on April 1.
