A Gift of Sight - AEMM Reunion 2009

AEMM 2009 as I saw it by Roger Mondala

Conducted on Feb. 6, 2009, this medical mission was special to me for one reason: it was the first ever mission where I stayed from start to finish. I saw it with my own eyes how the ever present group of Carlito Sindaydiego, Ely Solis-Sangalang, Remy Quibal, Emong Mondala, Tony Frias, Johnny Dacanay & Lolit Gonzales-Garlitos (Did I miss anybody?) give their selfless devotion to the mission.This mission was requested by 59er Rudy Orduna who hails from this place. An added bonus given to patients in this mission were clothes (59er Carlito Sindaydiego is fitting one patient in a photo below) brought in by Fil & Josie Olegario from the U.S.

How it started

At around the time of the 1986 reunion in Mangatarem, Fil Olegario had a meeting one evening with six hometown 59ers at Arsing Gutierrez' house. The six were Turing Bautista, Tony Frias, Narsing Budol, the late Oscar Martinez, Mart Saura and Remy Quibal. After emptying two bottles of whisky, they decided it was not enough and Turing suggested that they move over to Inday Jazmin Guiang's house. Although it was already late into the night, Inday's husband Ramon was only willing to welcome them in and even joined them in their drinking binge.The "whiskey compact" (Sandugo, 59ers' version) that took place that night may have provided the rain and sunshine that urged the AEMM plant to germinate, but its seed has been sown years much earlier.(The original recorded Sandugo took place on March 16, 1565 between Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna of Bohol. Done to seal lasting friendship between two groups of people as was the custom at the time, the ritual consisted of drawing a few drops of blood from a small incision in the arm of the leaders of the two groups, place them in separate cups containing wine and then each one drinking the "potion containing the blood of the other" in the presence of their followers. The Katipunan version of Sandugo required recruits to sign their names on the roster with their own blood.)As an EENT resident at University of Santo Tomas (UST), Manila (1968-1972), Fil got involved in summer mission work to places in the Philippines as remote as Surigao, Agusan, Leyte, Isabela, etc, using the vintage planes of the Philippine Air Force at the time.Shortly after his UST residency, Fil moved over to the U.S. and like most professional beginners in that country, he started his career the hard way. He had to combine work (as Physician Assistant at first and Staff Physician later) and study (for the required licensure exams. With luck and in due time, he got an Internship Program in New Jersey followed by a Residency training in Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Having finished his internship and residency in 1982, he settled down and began his private practice in Mitchell, South Dakota.

How it started - Part 2

In addition to having held the first reunion, 1986 is remembered by 59rs as the birth year of the AEMM "baby" after being delivered by the "whiskey compactors". It also marks Fil's joining force with Dr.Gil de Venencia who was doing his yearly medical mission in Casilagan District Hospital, Mangatarem.Managing the conduct of AEMM during its early years has not been easy. Fil found the need to "solicit used glasses, save all the eye drops that I can get from drug reps and also save some money for the next mission."In due time, stateside 59ers began turning in their yearly donations to AEMM while the leg work was provided by hometown 59ers through the coordination of the late Oscar Martinez. With Oscar's death, the coordination work passed on to Turing Bautista whose dedication always ensures a flawless operation.Other civic organizations got wind of AEMM and decided to pitch in their help in cash and in kind. Dr. Torio of AMOR International donated glasses to AEMM three years ago while Toronto (Canada) AMOR contributed glasses and $100 through Ming Villanueva two years ago. Also 59ers Betty Ferrer-Diaz and Bing Aviles started coordinating with the Mangatarem group in Chicago, Illinois for whatever assistance it could extend to AEMM.Today, AEMM is a big event in the lives not only of hometown and Manila 59ers but stateside 59ers as well. Each year a Manila 59er purposely drives to Mangatarem only to take part in AEMM and there is always a stateside 59er who arranges his/her vacation to the country just to participate in AEMM work.AEMM speaks of the passion of one 59er whose missionary zeal born out of experience at UST was "always at the back of my mind." Catalyzed by the effect of a "bottled spirit", Fil and seven other 59ers made on that fateful night a symbolic Sandugo to help the "needy in our town and in the country". What do they get in return? A "nice and gratifying experience" which they don't seem to get enough of it.To the Musketeers and the rest of Class '59 of MNHS, AEMM embodies a choice of living a life that will matter.

" The Nucleus"

To the poor residents of Mangatarem, the conduct of Class '59 Eye Medical Mission in their barangay is like the coming of rain, a manna from heaven.It may seem striking that Class '59 Eye Medical Mission and raindrops are formed in exactly the same way.Carried in the air that we breathe are water particles the amount of which is dependent on the temperature of the day. When the air gets saturated, the particles don't just cling to each other to form raindrops; instead, they coalesce around a nucleus that is dissimilar to them.Analogously, Fil Olegario is the 'nucleus' in the Class '59 Eye Medical Mission group.Fil is not only a good eyesight saver; he's also a good banterer & complimenter.During the 1986 reunion's mango seedling planting activity, somebody shouted that water was needed to freshen the seedlings before burying them in the soil. Fil bantered in Ilocano dialect "Sinno iti makais-isbo kanyayo? (English translation: "Who feels like urinating among you?")When Class members were having their group picture during the Jan. 24, 2009 Golden Reunion at Dan Dan's Resort in Mangatarem, Fil shouted to the cameraman before he was about to click the camera: "Your pant's zipper is open!"After lunch during the Bocacliw, Aguilar medical mission on Feb. 6, 2009, Fil complimented the cooks in Ilocano "Naimas iti luto yo." (English translation: "Your recipe is very good.") He knows all too well that such complement is necessary not only inside the house for domestic peace but outside it as well to create goodwill. Fil's favorite pose in life, as shown in the accompanying photos, is seated behind his slit lamp & peering at the impaired eye of a patient. ( He retired from his South Dakota private practice and had his slit lamp shipped to Mangatarem for use with local residents.)

The purpose of website

This site was put up and is being maintained to promote cohesiveness and camaraderie among, and to contribute something that is geared towards the greater glory of, "The 59ers of MNHS". Click on this link to access our website:

http://www.mangataremnhsclass59.org/index.html

Who we are
We are the 13th batch of graduates from the Mangatarem High School (MHS) [now Mangatarem National High School (MNHS)] in Pangasinan, a province of the Philippines north of Manila. Having graduated in 1959, we chose to be called "The 59ers of MNHS."+++++
Where we wish to go
As one group, we commit ourselves to be true to the aims of secondary education instilled in our minds by our MNHS teachers, namely: 1) moral character - 1st year
2) personal discipline - 2nd year
3) civic conscience - 3rd year
4) vocational efficiency - 4th year .
Moreover, we believe that life is a journey and that where it is heading to, how one acted during the journey matters.+++++
What we wish to do
As one group, we undertake to:
1) Keep the font of nostalgia constantly flowing
2) Meet as often as possible to drink from that font
3) Do Annual Eye Medical Mission (AEMM) for the "needy in our town" of Mangatarem as our means of giving back what we took during our youth

Class '59 Annual Eye Medical Mission (AEMM)
One author said that "we are all, like swimmers in the sea." Aside from providing us (59ers) some kind of spiritual mooring in that sea called "life", we view our Class' medical mission activity as an expression of our "civic conscience."
In late 2001, 59er Felix Vince Cruz took the initiative of tracking down the addresses of class members who are residing in mainland USA and Canada and rallied them to hold a reunion which he billed as "Reunion In North America" or RINA. To date, there has been four RINA "babies". To see who helped Felix deliver the "babies" (hosts), please visit Reunion page. Link: http://www.mangataremnhsclass59.org/index.html

Golden Reunion's quest: Aren't we there yet?
If our "vision-land" is represented by the four high school convocation themes mentioned earlier, one may ask "Aren't we there yet?" During the Golden Reunion in Mangatarem on Jan. 23-24, 2009, we invited one of our teachers, Mrs. Magdalena Alamillo-Santamaria, to speak on the topic "How close has Class '59 come to realizing their high school ideals?"From what we heard from her, we have arrived our destination

Number of patients seen

Barangay Date No. of Patients Seen
1. Dorongan Punta 1-23-09 196
2. Cabaluyan 1st 1-30-09 113
3. Cabayugan 2-2-09 179
4. Catarataraan 2-4-09 85
5. Bocacliw (Aguilar) 2-6-09 258
======
TOTAL 831

Patients Seen in Mangatarem After Above Schedule
Barangay Date No. of Patients Seen
1. Casilagan (MDH) 2-2-09 28
2. Casilagan (MDH) 2-14-09 14
3. Casilagan (MDH) 2-21-09 38
4. Casilagan (MDH) 3-7-09 62
5. Pogonlomboy Clinic Jan/Feb/Mar '09 120
*MDH - Mangatarem District Hosp. ========
TOTAL 262
+ 831
========

GRAND TOTAL 1,093

Surgery (Mangatarem + Dagupan) - Dr. Olegario &
Dr. Posadas
Case No. of Patients
1. Squint 2
2. Laser Surgery 2
3. Plastic 1
4. Ptyregnum 4
5. Cataract 63
========
TOTAL 72

Donations for EMM - If I left someone out please let me know and we will correct.

From Class '59 donors:

1. Felix Vince Cruz---$50.00

2. Jun Asperin-------$50.00

3 . Mike Seril---------$25.00

4. Tito de Vera-------$25.00

5. Joe Cagampan-----$40.00

6. Estrella Seril-Ignacio---$40.00

7. Freny Balisalisa-----$105.00---(Php5,000.00)

8. Roger Mondala-----$10.00

9. Febe Armstrong----$20.00

10. Juliet Agacite------$20.00

11. Jaime Mondala-----$50.00

12. Ligliwa Dalimot-----$50.00

11. Fernando Mendoza--$50.00

TOTAL=====$535.00

From other donors:

1. Mangatarem Assn of Illinois (MAI)----$500.00

2. AMOR Toronto---$400.00

3. Leonor Skikiwwietz--37.00

4. Estrella Rosario------$50.00

5. Eps Reilley----------$200.00

6. Minda Lopez--------$100.00

7. Cleofe Freeman-----$200.00

8. Pilar Kalemeyn-----$25.00

9. Mangatarem Assn--$289.00

10. Elsie Reyes--------$300.00

TOTAL=====$2101.00

Expenses:

1. Mailing door-to-door (10 boxes at $55/ea.) to Mang.--------$550.00

2. Stamps (letters sent to ask for donations)----------$42.00

3. Reading glasses bought in Dec. 2008 for 2009 MM-$190.00

4. Mailing door-to-door (4 boxes at $55/ea.) to Mangatarem-$220.00 (Dec. 1, 2008)

5. Mailing door-to-door (2 boxes at $55/ea.) to Mangatarem-$110.00 (Dec. 22, 2008)

6. Candies for kids distributed during the Mission-------------------$ 80.00 (Jan. 10, 2009)

7. Reading glasses, 475 pieces-------------$400.00

8. Additional reading glasses bought, 475 pieces---$400.00

TOTAL: =$1,992.00

AMOUNT LEFT ON HAND========== $101.00

The leftover money will be used for next year ((2010) MM. Also there are about 150 or more pair of reading glasses left. Fil still saw more than 100 patients in Casilagan every Saturday (besides the scheduled MM) & dispensed glasses.There was also a lot of reading glasses given to neighbors, relatives & people around just wanting to get free reading glasses that were not listed in our log book.

Donations for Eye Medical Mission 2010 (con't)

1. Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE International) - surgical supplies

2. Mangatarem Association of Illinois (MAI) - $500.00

3. AMOR Toronto, Canada (Association of Mangatarem Overseas Residents) - $400.00

4. OCuSOFT.- Ohthalmic supplies and eye meds

5. Isabelo Torio, MD - $100.00

6. Amado Dumagas - $200.00

7. Sylvia Aviles - $50.00

8. Erlinda Rara - $100.00

9. Clemente and Teresa Aspirin $50.00

10 Perfecto and Frieda Jose - used clothes

11 Willie and Chit dela Rosa - used clothes

12. Fred and Evelyn Eleazar - used clothes

13. Tony and Rose Polvorosa - used clothes

14. Norie and Romy Navarra - used clothes

15. Ellen and Ben Tiglao - glasses

16. Ed and Shirley Saplala - used clothes

17. Minda and Frank Banaria - operating room supplies

18. Ninda and Henry Telan - used clothes

19. Pete and Lilly Villanueva - used clothes

20. Sonny and Mary Easwaran - used clothes

21. Peggy Wall - $50.00

22. Robert and Yo Licerio - Used Clothes and glasses

23. Janell Licerio and Ed Rivera - Used Clothes and glasses

24. Jacklyn and Bernard Bermudez - Used Clothes and glasses

25. Lily Cueto-Riego - Eye medical supplies

UPDATE AS OF JULY 9, 2010

1) Josefina Joven $20.00
20 Jun andTheresa Asperin $10.00
3) Roger Mondala $10.00
4) Febe Valdez $5.00
5) Amor Southern CA(MSSA) $500.00
Total $545.0

Money left over from 2009 donations $101.00
Money donated fro 2010 medical mission $1450.00
$545.00
Total $2096.00
Total money for 2010 medical mission.

Expenses:

1) Donation given to Mangatarem ASS.of Illinois $100.00
2) 4 boxes sent mto Mangatarem - med. supplies $200.00 03-12-09
3) 2 boxes " "
" $100.00 05-10-10
4) 2 boxes " old clothes
$100.00 06-10-10
5) 3 boxes "
" $150.00 06-20-10
6) 1 box " medications and med.
supplies 07-07-10

Tatal expense $650.00

Total money $2096.00
_ 650.00 for balikbayan boxes paid
$1446.00 total balance(money left over for future use).

THANK YOU VERY MUCH