19th Mission Report

By: Mr. Benz L. Cueto (United States Navy) (Retired)
PAGES Director of Administrative Operations

February, each year, is a love month.  We all get so caught up thinking of innovative or creative ways to express love to that special someone.  In all cases, and in the normal process, we forget to give love to the most important person in our life – ourselves. Giving love to oneself is not selfish.  In fact, if we don’t love ourselves, who will? And how can we give unconditional love to others if we ourselves do not realize the true meaning of love?

For the past 19 years, the Philippine American Group of Educators and Surgeons (PAGES) has been spending their Valentine’s Day away from their loved ones while conducting free medical and surgical missions in the Philippines.  Although the month of February is one of the most-awaited months for lovers every year, it is essentially different in the hearts and minds of PAGES.  To them, every 14th of February each year might as well be remembered as “Give Love on Valentine’s Day” much like the infamous Christmas old adage that says “Give Love on Christmas Day.”  Instead of exchanging chocolates, flowers, gifts and pleasantries with their loved ones across the nation, PAGES performs surgeries to hundreds of children with facial defects, often working 10-12 hours a day, in less than ideal conditions and in a foreign land without expecting anything in return. That is what unconditional love is all about.

For the 65-person team of PAGES under its program Operation HOPE (Help Other People Excel), they embarked on their 19th year of Medical and Surgical Mission 2009. This kind of humble and unconditional love possesses an entirely different aura when one love exudes for another.

The first ever tri-site PAGES 2009 medical and surgical mission was conducted in the city of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija at the Eduardo L. Joson Memorial Hospital (ELJMH), sponsored by the Honorable Governor Aurelio Matias “Oyie” Umali.  Through the assistance of iGAN Foundation’s Treasurer and Trustee, Edgardo Vazquez, Gov. Umali and PAGES met and agreed to conduct the mission in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.  The PAGES advance team arrived at the Sierra Madre Suites (SMS), Palayan City, Nueva Ecija in the morning of February 4 and immediately, after checking in, they proceeded to the ELJMH to set up in the hospital for the week-long surgical mission.  The following morning, while continuing to conduct the hospital set up, the team also started screening patients.  It signaled the start of the mission in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.  The evening of February 5 earmarked the arrival of PAGES main team. After a 2 ½ hour ride from the airport and a good night’s rest, they arrived at SMS and joined the advance team at the ELJMH. They continued screening patients and started surgeries to 11 few children simple cases that very same day.   From February 5 to February 10, the PAGES’ Team was able to conduct 111 harelip surgeries to Novo Ecijanos and neighboring provinces including approximately 27 patients from the Olongapo, Zambales areas. They were pre-arranged by Ms. Vilma Anos of iGAN Foundation and Ms. Val Smith, a philanthropist and a nurse originally from Australia. Ms. Smith is now permanently residing in the Philippines doing volunteer work.

The planned half- day tour of the city after attending mass at the Sta. Cecilia Parish, Palayan City and scheduled on a Sunday, February 8, was cancelled to make room for the many scheduled surgeries.  The team collectively decided that the scheduled children patient surgeries that day far outweighed the necessity of conducting a planned city tour for the PAGES Team.  The week-long mission was orchestrated through the efforts of the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Benjamin Lopez, whose daily presence at the ELJMH during, and even after working hours had made the volunteer missionaries’ stay much more pleasant and at ease.  On the evening of February 10, a Farewell Ceremony was held at the Palayan City Convention Center wherein a sumptuous dinner buffet was shared by everyone.  In attendance was the hospital staff, the provincial employees, sponsors and the PAGES Team.  Accompanied by music from the disc jockey and the services of dance instructors, the team danced the night away and watched PAGES’ video presentation taken during the week-long medical and surgical operations.

From Cabanatuan City, the team loaded the 3 coasters and headed to its 2nd mission site of Morong, Rizal where the Rizal Provincial Hospital is located.  The Morong, Rizal mission was sponsored by the Honorable Governor Casimiro A. “Jun-Jun” Ynares III, M. D. of the province of Rizal. Anxiously waiting were 98 registered patients who were pre-screened by the hospital staff some months earlier  under the leadership of Mr. Mon Henares, Executive Assistant to the governor and EEO Head along with Dr. Iluminado Victoria, the Rizal Provincial Health Officer, and Dr. Virgilio Zafra, the Chief of Hospital.   After the team checked in to the Thunderbird Resorts Rizal on the 11th day of February, a cadre of advance team personnel and few selected PAGES team members readied the hospital while others enjoyed a half a day off sunbathing, swimming by the pool, Jacuzzi-soaking, playing the casinos and basically nurturing the breathless and panoramic view of the resort hotel overlooking Laguna de Bay.    Needless to say, the luxury boutique 43-room suite hotel resort offered a themed restaurant, a gaming experience and a meeting area and it’s adjacent to a private 18-hole golf course with an awesome sight.  Immediately, PAGES Team members were able to enjoy the lush and refreshing atmosphere and quickly took a welcome respite as soon as they set foot in the expanse of the resort.

From February 11-16, 2009 the international team of PAGES, comprising of surgeons and anesthesiologists from the Philippines, United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Vietnam and China were able to administer harelip surgeries to 98 indigent patients from the province of Rizal, including its neighboring provinces as well.  On February 13, PAGES Operation Grace gift-giving was conducted at the school gymnasium of the Morong National High School, Morong, Rizal where 500 of the poorest among the poor areas of Baras, Morong, Cardona and Teresa, were given the “care package” consisting of rice, sugar, ready-to-eat noodles, corned beef, sardines courtesy of PAGES and iGAN Foundation while Thunderbird Resort Rizal gave away bedroom slippers for the recipient’s own home use.  Truly worth mentioning is the outstanding performance of the Provincial  Social Welfare Development Head, Ms Evelyn Zapanta who ensured an orderly and peaceful care package distribution to all the beneficiaries. The 14th of February found some of the PAGES Team touring the province, visiting historical sites, while others partook in activities at the resort that day.  The tour culminated with a special Valentine Dinner held by the poolside lavishly prepared by the Thunderbird Resort Rizal team of sales and marketing czars, headed by Ms Lel Lopez and Ms Yzl Cruz and the ever energetic Chef Cayetano of Fiesta Buffet.  The event marked the true team cohesiveness and camaraderie amongst mission participants and coordinators, as well as the PAGES Team during the Valentine’s dinner and festivities.  The following morning at 6:00 am,  a mass was held at the Narra Room, where Fr Mejar of St. John the Baptist Parish held a mass dedicated to the overall success of the 19th medical and surgical mission in Morong, Rizal. The evening of February 16 earmarked the Farewell Ceremony attended by the Honorable Gov. Jun-Jun Ynares, Vice Gov. Frisco San Juan Jr., Ambassador Preciosa Soliven, Chairperson, PAGES Philippines, Inc, Mr. Raul Sueiro, the Thunderbird Resorts CEO along with several Thunderbird Resorts Executives and the PAGES Team.  The night’s presentation included a special rendition of native love songs by high school students in the area using empty bottles as instruments, to everyone’s delight.  Another group of students performed several cultural dance presentations for the crowd that night.  PAGES team members participated in the crowd favorite’s Tinikling dance which used bamboo poles that clicked on one another while avoiding the pinning down of the participant’s ankle in each beat.  Needless to say, laughter came roaring as each PAGES Team participant tried the rhythm with every musical beat. It was, indeed, considered “An Affair to Remember.”

The third and final site of the PAGES 2009 medical and surgical mission was at the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center (ONMMC) in Manila, sponsored by the Honorable Mayor Alfredo S. Lim of the city of Manila through Mayor Lim’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Ric De Guzman.  The 147 patients who registered came mostly from the city of Manila.  Although 21 of them came as far as Marinduque with the help of Former President Steve Sosa and the current, Rey Muhi, of the Marinduquenos of the  Eastern Seaboard of America (MESA).  It also materialized with the support of Ms Lina Leynes, Rotary Club International, Marinduque North in Boac, Marinduque and with the help of Ms. Nilda Jamilla, a good-hearted Samaritan and civic-minded worker from Marinduque.  The overwhelming number of patients in Manila was the result of a well-advertised and choreographed plan of ONMMC’s Medical Director, Dr. Fidel Chua and the efforts   of Dr. Lord Jim Ricardo, ONMMC Mission Coordinator and his colleagues.

The PAGES team checked in at Orchid Garden Suites the 17th day of February and immediately proceeded to the ONMMC, performing surgeries to 8 simple cases while simultaneously conducting more patients screening during the day.  The team was overwhelmed to see many patients throughout the week and once again, decided to work continuously without breaks, for the benefit of the many children with birth defects.  Since the ONMMC was the venue a year earlier for the PAGES 2008 mission, the coordination between the ONMMC staff and PAGES were relatively easy due to the corporate knowledge of the doctors and nurses who still hold their present assignment within the hospital registry.    The generous and meticulous meal planning of Ms Maur Fulgencio and her catering staff during the Ospital ng Maynila mission resulted in the waistline increased of every PAGES team member for at least an inch or two.    Not to be outdone and worth mentioning is the total dedication and unselfish  determination of the Fundraising Committee Team of PAGES Philippines headed by Benny Antiporda, AlFrancis Chua, and Mandy Mercado who ensured that contingency funds were made available for PAGES…….not an easy feat……..but seemingly effortless from the awesome trio. Despite the hectic schedule at the ONMMC, a highlight of the PAGES 2009 Mission was the courtesy visit to the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque, III, M. D., arranged by Dr. Pol Lasala, PAGES Philippines Director of Health and Human Services. 

 The historic visit was headed by Vid Figueras, R. N., PAGES Chairman and Founder, Dr. Benjamin Rigor, PAGES Co-Founder and Clinical Director, Dr. Honorato Nicodemus, PAGES Director of Anesthesia Department, Ambassador Preciosa Soliven, Chairperson, PAGES Philippines, Inc., and Ricardo IV D. Fulgencio, PAGES Philippines Mission Coordinator.  The meeting showed the Health Secretary’s appreciation on PAGES’ continued services to the indigent children of the Philippines for the past 19 years.    On the same line, Secretary Duque mentioned future partnerships between the DOH and PAGES in connection with medically-related services for a continued quest of free service to the Filipino children and their families.  Another historic achievement is on DOH, possibly awarding a warehouse inside the DOH compound for use by PAGES, to store the medical equipment and supply for ongoing projects; including but not limited only to harelip operations,  as well as yearly missions held throughout the Philippines.

The week-long mission ended with a Farewell Ceremony at the Barbara’s Casa de Manila, in Intramuros, Manila complete with an opera singer and cultural dance presentations arranged by Ms. Gemma Cruz-Araneta, Officer-in-Charge for Manila Tourism and Cultural Affairs and her staff.  The attendance of the British Ambassador Peter Beckingham, and his wife Jill, upon the invitation of PAGES surgeons and anesthesiologist from the United Kingdom was an added highlight of the evening.

After each mission on all three sites, PAGES donated several medical equipment and tons of supplies to the host hospital, which are worth millions of pesos.  These are for their own use in providing continued no cost services to the less-fortunate families nationwide.

With everything told, 111 patients from Cabanatuan City, 98 patients from Morong, Rizal and 147 patients from Manila totaling 356 patients benefitted from the PAGES 2009 medical and surgical mission.  These children lives are now changed forever.  They can now do what a normal child can do without fear of being ostracized, teased and ridiculed.  Also changed are the lives of their parents who are no longer afraid that their children will come home from school crying, losing self esteem or developing an inferiority complex.  They can now feel and see that their child’s future is before the horizon as they grow up to become more independent, develop self-respect and ultimately become productive citizens of the country.

With these in mind, every PAGES member makes sacrifices to volunteer the 3T’s of his or her life; time, treasure, and talent.  It’s all because of the “love for the mission,” comparable to the love month of February.  PAGES open up their hearts to a far away land of the Philippines and help the needy, the indigent, and the often neglected children.

THEN GIVE TO THE WORLD THE BEST YOU HAVE
AND THE BEST WILL COME BACK TO YOU