A Gift of Sight - AEMM Reunion 2009

Class '59 Eye Medical Mission Statistics 2008-2011

Class59's Eye Medical Mission: What it means doing it-p1of2

Class59's Eye Medical Mission: What it means doing it-p2of2

The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD newspaper clipping 03/01/2004 p2of2

The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD newspaper clipping 03/01/2004 p1of2

The Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD newspaper clipping 03/11/1993

HOW IT STARTED - EYE MEDICAL MISSION

"MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO MEDICAL MISSION DATES BACK WHEN I WAS A RESIDENT IN EENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS HOSPITAL FROM 1968 TO 1972. EVERY SUMMER SEVERAL MULTISPECIALTY MEDICAL MISSIONS ARE ORGANIZED BY THE MEDICAL MISSION INCORPORATED OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS HOSPITAL, AND EACH GROUP GOES TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PHILIPPINES. A MEDICAL MISSION TEAM IS CONSIST OF MEDICAL CLERKS AND INTERNS, RESIDENTS FROM DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES AND CONSULTANTS. I HAD THE CHANCE TO JOIN IN SEVERAL OF THESE MISSION FROM THE NORTHERN PROVINCE LIKE ISABELA, VISAYAN ISLANDS LIKE LEYTE, AND MINDANAO IN SURIGAO DEL SUR AND AGUSAN. IT WAS DURING THIS EXPOSURE THAT I REALIZED THE EXISTENCE OF SO MANY POOR AND NEEDY PEOPLE WHO NEED MEDICAL HELP.

AFTER MY RESIDENCY, MY FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES. AFTER MANY YEARS OF HARD WORK I WAS LUCKY TO GET INTO AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT THE PERTH AMBOY GENERAL HOSPITAL IN NEW JERSEY IN 1978 AND LATER AN OPHTHALMOLOGY RESIDENCY AT THE SCHEIE EYE INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA FROM 1979 TO 1982 WITH THE HELP OF DR. MANNY SISON. AFTER MY RESIDENCY WE MOVED TO MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA WHERE I DID 25 YEARS OF PRIVATE PRACTICE IN GENERAL OPHTHALMOLOGY. I HAD A SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE AND IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT DECIDED TO GO BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES TO CONTINUE MY EYE MEDICAL MISSION THAT STARTED WHEN I WAS A RESIDENT PHYSICIAN IN THE PHILIPPINES, HOPEFULLY TO GIVE MY SHARE OF HELP TO OUR COUNTRY.

I MET DR. GIL DE VENECIA IN ONE OF THE ACADEMY MEETINGS IN THE EARLY 80'S WHO ENCOURAGE ME TO JOIN HIM IN MANGATAREM WHERE HE DOES HIS YEARLY MISSION. BECAUSE IT WAS MY HOMETOWN I DECIDED TO JOIN HIM AND WITH THAT EXPERIENCE IT WAS A YEARLY EYE MEDICAL MISSION FROM THEN ON.

IN THE MID 90'S I MET DR. MANNY MARIANO, AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST FROM NORTH DAKOTA AND ALSO ENCOURAGE ME TO JOIN HIM AFTER DR. DE VENECIA LEFT MANGATAREM. WE WENT TO DIFFERENT PLACE IN SOUTHERN LUZON LIKE THE BICOL REGION, RIZAL AND BATANGAS WITH UST RESIDENTS. DR. MARIANO IS VERY DEDICATED TO MISSION WORK AND LEARNED SO MANY THINGS FROM HIM MOSTLY SERVICE TO THE POOR AND THE NEEDY AND COURTESY TO EVERYONE. I JOINED HIM UNTIL HE PASSED AWAY ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO.

AFTER DR. MARIANO'S DEATH I CONTINUED MY OWN EYE MEDICAL MISSION AND CONCENTRATED MOSTLY IN THE PROVINCE OF PANGASINAN. THIS TIME MY PARTNERS IN THE EYE MISSION WORK ARE MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES - MNHS CLASS 59 AND SO FAR EVERYTHING IS GOING ALONG VERY WELL. I ALSO MET A HARD WORKING OPHTHALMOLOGIST AND VERY DEDICATED TO MEDICAL MISSION WORK, DR. MONINA POSADAS. WE NOW WORK TOGETHER AND DEDICATE OUR SERVICES TO THE POOR AND THE NEEDY.

EENT Residents, UST Hospital: Fil Olegario, Gina Paras, Dr. Mendoza, chairman, Dr. Llamas, secretary, Josie Dizon and Jack Bautista

"Pictures during my UST Residency in EENT (1968 - 1972) and Medical Mission participated"

Members, Dept. of EENT, University of Santo Tomas - Dr. Conrado Banzon, Chairman (with visiting professor Dr. Castroviejo)

Group picture of the Santo Tomas University Hospital Residents - 1970 with Medical Director, Dr. S. Arellano, Hospital Regent and Consultants

Medical Mission Team boarding the UST bus to a medical mission to Isabela. Dr. Johnny Torres and Father Pastrana in the picture.

Santo Tomas University Hospital (STUH) Residents: (L to R) : Ed Estrada, Tony Romero, Chito Moreno, Co Bon Tee, Luis Kodumal, Ed "ECP" Pascual, Fil Olegario

One of the minor surgeries, ptyregium excistion, during one of the missions in Mindanao

I am doing nasal polypectomy, Surigao Gen Hospital in Mindanao

Medical Mission Team to Surigao del Sur with nurses, interns residents and consultants

Medical Mission Team on its second tour to Surigao City, Surigao del Sur

With post-op cataract cases done at the Surigao Gen. Hospital

With post cataract cases done in Gingoog, Agusan

A pose with pilots of the Philippine Air Force. We had a stop over at the Mactan airport

Quick glance at an eye for surgery.

With fellow EENT Residents during a conference sponsored by the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology. L to R: Ping Duran, Fil Olegario, Josie Dizon, Extern, Bert de Leon

Medical Mission Team to the second mission to Surigao del Sur

STUH Resident Basketball Team - Front row: Rey Guillermo, Kiko Chan, Jun Ouano, Bobby Cunanan, Ric Alzadon, Rod Santos
Back row: Alberto Galvez, Ben Valencia, Lina Lobrio-Estrada (Muse), Ed Estrada, Boy Doble, Federico Ampil, Estela Lachenal-Santos (Muse), Fil Olegario, Jack Bautista

MHS Class of 1959 Section-1

MHS Class of 1959 section -2

Eye Medical Mission in the late 80's

I started my eye medical mission by joining the group of Dr. Gil de Venecia at the Mangatarem District Hospital. In the picture are OR nurses, UST Ophthalmology Residents, Dr. de Venecia and myself. After surgery I do outpatient clinic at my sisters house in Pogonlomboy till midnight

I did a cataract surgery on this elderly lady who had light perception vision before the surgery. She was very happy to see much better again after the surgery and able to walk alone. She is taken cared by her grandaughter who is beside her.

I am doing cataract surgery at the Mangatarem District Hospital.

Eye Medical Mission in the late 90's

Members of the Medical Mission team to Marinduque with Dr. and Mrs Mariano, UST Ophthalmology Residents and myself

A pose with the Medical Director of the Marinduque Provincial Hospital

With the Governor of Marinduque, UST Residents, Dr. Mariano and myself. Taken after the traditional "Putong reception to visitors.

I am doing cataract surgery at the Marinduque General Hospital.

Antipolo Mayor Gatlabayan visited us at the hospital. A pose with him, Dr. Mariano, Dr. Olegario and two unidentified officials.

Dr. Manny Mariano and Dr. Fil Olegario with our one day post cataract patients at the Antipolo District Hospital

A view of the crowded operating room. Three operating tables for three surgeons with individual microscopes squeezed in one operating room.

These are patients outside the Rizal Provincial Hospital registering for eye examination.

Picture taken with Gov. Villafuerte of Camarines Sur during his visit with our medical team at the Ocampo District Hospital. Dr Mariano is on the left of the picture.

Our surgical team with UST Ophthalmology Residents, Mrs. Lilly Mariano and Betty Bender from North Dakota and myself.

Dr. Mariano and Gov. Villafuerte being interviewed by local TV station.

Eye Medical Mission during 1999-2000

A pose with Dr.Manny Mariano during our Eye Medical Mission in San Juan, Batangas

A group picture with the San Juan Rotary Club members who sponsored our Medical Mission

A glimpse of post cataract cases squeezed in one room. Some patients have to bring their own bed.

I joined the Philippine American Medical Association of Georgia during the medical mission in Dagupan City, Pangasinan. The bus was used to transport us to the city Astrodome where we had our outpatient clinics.