In another celebration of life, Gov. Edgar M. Chatto commended the hugely successful US group-led Bohol surgical mission benefitting 128 major operation patients at Borja Family Hospital (BFH) here on February 18-25. The governor, his surgical-medical mission consultant and Philippine Gift of Life (PGL) President/Chief Executive Officer Fancy Baluyot and US-based PGL chair Dr. Ramie Cadag thanked all those involved in the humanitarian work. The life-saving project was courtesy of the Association of Filipino Physicians of Southern Illinois but also participated by American physicians from Arizona, Philadelphia, New Jersey and West Virginia as headed by Dr. Renato Rivera. The team was composed of 18 consultant-doctors, fellow diplomates and 11 nurses, who were supported by 10 consultant-doctors and fellow diplomates from the Philippines and 45 nurses from the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) and host hospital.

The noble activity was sponsored by the Provincial Government of Bohol led by Gov. Chatto and Vice Gov. Concepcion O. Lim with further support from Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), especially SP Health Committee chairman Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez, and PGL thru Cadag and Baluyot. It was likewise supported by the Department of Health (DOH) thru Secretary Enrique T. Ona and Assistant Secretary Elmer G. Punzalan, BFH thru medical director Dr. Melinda Borja, Chocolate Hills Lady Jaycees thru President Ma.Leticia Zafra and Project Director and Bohol First Lady Pureza Veloso- Chatto. Punzalan, who approved the license and permit for the participating doctors to conduct said surgical mission in Bohol, was the guest speaker during the recognition and awarding rites at Bohol Tropics here on February 23. Chatto gave his message thru Damalerio who, together with Lopez, assisted Cadag and Baluyot in conferring the recognitions and awards.

Response messages were heard from Rivera, Dr. Mukul Parikh and Dr. Roger Levin of the US surgical team. Punzalan lauded Baluyot whom he called a legendary lady in Philippine missions. Baluyot has already coordinated more than 350 missions in the Philippines, mostly in Bohol, in her lifetime works that have already benefited almost .6 million people. The beneficiaries excluded those she had assisted during or owing to natural and man-made disasters, the blood program recipients and those she had sent for crucial heart operations in the USA and Canada with the full support of different local government units (LGUs), notably the Provincial Government of Bohol, as well as national offices, international/national foundations, associations, the PGL, Home Reach Foundation, DOH donors, volunteers, philanthropists, private sector and mass media, among others.

The latest surgical mission here treated such major cases as goiter with 48 patient-beneficiaries whose surgeries, if paid, would have a quantified cost of US$ 7,000 for every operation; myoma, 14 patients, $10,000; gallbladder, three patients, $7,000; hernia, 16 patients, $5,000; harelip/cleft lip, 26 patients, $1,000; and special cases (big mass, breast mass, neck mass), 21 patients, $1,000. If paid, the operations on the 128 patient-beneficiaries of the mission would have a total quantified cost of US$ 514,000 or P21.588 million. Chatto and Baluyot asked the Association of Filipino Physicians of Southern Illinois thru Dr. Rivera to perform here next year another major surgical mission for those who could no longer be accommodated in the recent mission. “We shall return,” the group instantly, most willingly responded. Chatto and Baluyot wholeheartedly thanked all the doctors, nurses, volunteers, donors and supporters for their time, efforts, assistance in whatever forms resulting in the success of the mission.

The mission was one meaningful activity on the birthday of Chatto himself on February 21. Cadag thanked the Philippine Gift of Life, especially his fellow officers, the directors, advisers and consultants, namely: Baluyot as president and chief executive officer; Rev. Fr. Victor Bompat, vice-president; Peter Dejaresco, corporate secretary; Engr. Albert Uy, treasurer; Judith Ang, auditor; Dr. Ludgerio Torres, chief consultant; the directors, Dr. Mary Ann Ruiz, Richard Uy, Benjamin L. Ong, Dr. Teofilo P. Recitas, Dr. Edgar Lerias, Joseph Alagon and Toto Jabonillo; and advisers Gov. Chatto, Rep. Erico Aumentado and Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, D.D. The PGL consultants are Dr. Avelino Aventura, Dr. Francisco Dizon, Dr. Santos Jose Abad, Dr. Florante Lomibao, Dr. Federico Malubay, Dr. Lourdes Casas, Dr. Edgardo Ortiz, DOH Asec. Punzalan who is also a doctor, Dr. Kazan Baluyot and Dr. Julia Maape.