MARCH 2014
NEWSLETTER
US-Based Humanitarian
Group Returns from 2014 Medical Mission in the Philippines
The Rhode Island-based
humanitarian group “Lingkod Timog” that translates to “Serving the poor in
the Southern Philippines” recently returned from its 10th annual medical
mission in the Philippines from February 21 to 25. The group provided
medical, surgical and dental care to Mandaya tribal patients in Andap, New
Bataan in Compostela Valley Province. They then travelled to Madaum, in
Tagum City, Davao del Norte to treat mostly tribal Kalagans. Rhode
Islanders Cecilia (Cely) and Armando (Doy) Heredia led the medical mission.
The first mission site, Andap is
meaningful to Armando Heredia. He was President of the Filipino-American
Association of Newport County two years ago when it donated funds to help
the victims of Typhoon Pablo whose residents were buried in a mudslide. He
saw the scene of the tragedy and the will of the people to rebuild.
The group president Cecilia
Heredia praises its partners in the mission. The Tuazon Development
Foundation brought medical personnel and conducted a blood drive. Johnson
Ng Tan of the Tan Lin & Ng Oh Tee Foundation of Manila donated a major part
of the medicine. Hijo Plantation ensured transportation and administrative
support. The Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao transported
medicine and supplies and its Naval Station Hospital and Dental Dispensary
in Panacan augmented the volunteers with medical and dental teams. The
Philippine National Police in Compostela Valley, and the Philippine Army’s
10th Infantry Division ensured security.
As had happened in the 2013
mission, the organizers had to turn down volunteer doctors, dentists and
nurses because of limited transportation. On average, they only had five
doctors, one of them doubling as surgeon, and three dentists. Based on the
ailments, some 1,500 patients were giving medical, surgical or dental care.
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 for indigent women,
and for the victims of calamities such as that brought about by the recent
super typhoon Haiyan.
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, Europe and Philippine-based volunteers, local private and public doctors
and Philippine military doctors, nurses and dentists.
To Dr Andrew Wilner of Newport,
Rhode Island, the group’s medical director, the mission is “always a
wonderful opportunity to help Filipinos in need of medical care, and to
enjoy meeting them and learning a little bit about their lives”. A
seven-time volunteer, neurologist, and medical author, Dr. Wilner combines
the medical mission with his writing, diving and passion for underwater
photography. He is also in demand as a lecturer in Manila’s many medical
schools.
Dr. Tiago Villanueva Marques,
whose mother is from the Philippines, is a repeat volunteer to the medical
mission. He is a family physician from Lisbon, Portugal, and a writer
working in the British Medical Journal. Referring to the challenges when
serving some female patients in a mostly Muslim community, he “had to
request consent from the husband before examining them, while others were
fully covered so you could not just examine them.”
Dee St. Denis of Fall River,
President of the Filipino-American Community of South Coast, Massachusetts,
and her sister, Rachel Hansen from Stockholm, Sweden, were completely
immersed in the back-breaking pharmacy work. Rachel, who publishes “Roots &
Wings”, the Filipino magazine in Europe, documented the mission for future
publication. Both see the mission as a “rewarding yet humbling
experience”.
Nurse Ces Sabban-Marfil
coordinated the pharmacy manned by yearly volunteers Villa Halo, Bing Diones,
Elena Lim, and Mon Covarrubias. Additional medicine and supplies came from
Lingkod Timog funds and private donors, who responded to last-minute
appeals, such as surgical supplies from Dr. Maria Petrillo-Bolanos of
Portsmouth and funds from Fr. John O’Brien of St. Lucy’s Church in
Middletown, Bent and Myrna Blondal of Newport, and Zaldy and Myra Taghap
Deus of Portsmouth and Ireland.
This joint
Lingkod Timog and the Philippine military medical mission started when
retired General Juancho Sabban was with his family and studying in Newport’s
US Naval War College in 2003. The Heredia’s were their 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
tribal people see not just the foreign 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 and the Tagbanuas in
Palawan; Badjaos in Zamboanga, Basilan and Sulu; Lumads in Davao; and Aetas
in Luzon.
For more
information, to join or to donate, visit www.medmission.info or
www.lingkodtimog.com.
