Operation Taghoy: Changing Lives of the Filipino Children

In the Philippines, one out of ten Filipinos are cannot easily avail of any medical treatment. “Mending one child…at a time”, is the mission statement of Uplift Internationale, a Colorado, USA based non-profit organization. A haven for volunteer healthcare expertise willing to share talent and time in patient care at a developing country; foster interchange with peers; caretaker of indigent’s welfare for 21 long years now and provide care to the impoverished at a public-funded institution. The founder, Dr. Jaime Yrastorza was born in Ormoc, so thus, the team Taghoy was conceived. Taghoy is a Cebuano-Filipino term meaning ‘whistle’.

Team Taghoy was here for an Emissary Visit scheduled on June 20-26, 2011 around Western Visayas. Last June 20, 2011, they have visited the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital, of which they were welcomed by the friendly Chief of Hospital – Dr. Cellini Bauson. Dr. Yrastorza, together with Dr. Gerry Capoot who is the head of Surgery for the Uplift Internationale, and PP Megs Lunn, Exec. Coordinator Taghoy Phils., was also greeted by the members of the Rotary Club of Roxas, led by current club president, Jerry Lames and past president Ruben Yap. The visit to Roxas was overwhelming and the objectives of offering them the project Taghoy Clinic was positively welcomed by the group. Gov. Victor Tanco, last February 2011 during the medical mission of the Operation Taghoy in the same hospital, also supported the idea when the group paid him a courtesy call in between the medical operation. The partnership with Uplift Internationale, Rotary Club of Roxas and the Province of Capiz has been a great opportunity for the Taghoy team to serve the underprivileged Filipino children with facial deformities in the province.

While in Iloilo City and Guimaras on the their next stop last June 21, 2011 in the evening, they met up with Dr. Christien Nufable, Past District Governor Emma Nava and Past District Governor Ramon Cua Locsin of District 3850, Rotary Internationale, Iloilo City. In the afternoon, the team went to Guimaras to pay a courtesy visit to Gov. Felipe Hilan A. Nava, Guimaras Medical Society club president Dr. Ed Jaloso, and with the team of Rotary Club of Guimaras, headed by current club president Neptune Pittman, who happened to be the Provincial Tourism ambassador of the Province of Guimaras. With Ms. Pittman were incoming president Lorenzo J. Dolar III and past president Ruben Corpuz.

Likewise, Dr. Yrastorza wishes to conduct the same service opportunity to the Province of Guimaras, a hospital-based year-round patient care program. With the proposed sharing-ownership program, there will be participation of Filipino medical experts providing care to Filipinos, thereby anticipating more children beneficiary and more comprehensive care. Gov. Nava on the other hand proudly said to the group how lucky they could be. He also shared that recently in the survey, it came out that Guimaras is within the Top 10 economic gainer in the country. “We aim to improve the health services in the island inspite of limited resources, and we envisioned Guimaras to be a progressive province all the more,” said the young and hardworking, Gov. Nava.

Among other places, the group also visited the sustainable Rotary Water project in Jordan and Buenavista, the SHAPE – (Safe and Healthy Agricultural Produce for Everyone) farm of Mr. Ruben Corpuz, (where they grow organic food and animals). The group were then treated to a sumptuous and healthy option lunch, plus the team got to taste the famous mango fruit and the passion fruit juice at Neptune Pittman’s Resort in Buenavista, Guimaras. “If you try our passion fruit juice in Guimaras, you will be more passionate…”, Mr. Ruben Corpuz amused the group.

Team Taghoy is scheduled to visit Silay District Hospital in Negros Occidental, and Tagbilaran Regional Hospital in Bohol in the next few days to do a Memorandum of Understanding on their proposed Operation Taghoy Medical missions on February 2012, respectively. They will also visit Ormoc Taghoy Clinic, which is functioning for many years now, mending children…one at a time./TE