It was Bishop Eduardo Juanich, DD who wrote a letter and asked help to the Brothers of St. John of God to conduct a Medical and Dental Mission on his Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay. He asked because according to him, a lot of people who were sick and has poorly accessible to health care facilities. Bishop Juanich also is a long member affiliated in our Order, he was also mem-ber of the Episcopal Commis-sion on Health Care here in the Philippines.

The brothers responded to his request as part of our Charism and Program here in the Philip-pines. The medical and dental mission happens every twice a year (2x a year). At first, the request of Bishop Juanich was last May 2010 but it was postponed due to the medicines were not enough.

We just had our medical mission in Cavite area last April 2010 and most of the medicines were disbursed. So we told Bishop Juanich that we can have the medical and dental mission on November 2010 so that we can gather enough medicines for the people of Palawan and the Volunteer Doctors and medical can prepare also. And so it happened.

UFFICIO MISSIONI E COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE

ORDINE OSPEDALIERO DI SAN GIOVANNI DI DIO

MMMEDICALEDICALEDICAL ANDANDAND DDDENTALENTALENTAL MMMISSIONISSIONISSION TTTAYTAYAYTAYAYTAY, P, P, PALAWANALAWANALAWAN, P, P, PHILIPPINESHILIPPINESHILIPPINES

N.21– JANUARY 2011

We were able to gather medicines and some financial assistance from gen-erous people. We wrote a letter from different founda-tions and institutions to help us for our medical and dental mission. The PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweep-stakes Office) gave us boxes of medicines, the Or-der of Malta, Philippines they also donated medi-cines to us. Some of the Pharmaceutical companies they also donated medi-cines to us. Mrs. Baby An-geles gave us also the medicines and financial as-sistance. And from all of them, we thank them for being generous to us, we were able to pursue the first South Luzon medical and dental mission. The two (2) days medical and dental mission was held last November 4-5, 2010. It was in two places in Pala-wan, first (November 4, 2010) in Taytay, Palawan, where the Bishop lives. And the following day we travel to one of the Barangay of El Nido in Bagong Bayan 2 hours from Taytay and it was a rough road. These two places are remote and it’s

far from the health care facilities. People were also very poor who cannot even buy medicines. Some of the patients were aborigines of Palawan. They were happy when they re-ceived services, consultation and attended by the Medical Doctor. The medical and dental mission was FREE.

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We were able served 1053 patients both medical and dental services. There were 367 patients from dental ser-vices and 686 patients from Medical services that have been served. We would like also to thank our volunteer doctors and medical team. From Manila (9) medical team, compose of: 4 Brothers of St. John of God; 2 DML Sisters from Quiapo Community; Dr. Angela D.V. Garcia, FPARM from Philippine Orthopedic Center; Ms. Cronica del Casti-

llo, Occupational Therapist from Philippine Orthopedic Center; and Mr. Stephen Oliver O. Baldo, Physical therapist from St. John of God Polyclinic PT/OT De-partment. Volunteer from Palawan , 6 Dentists from Taytay, Puerto Princesa and El Nido; 3 Medical Doctors from Taytay, Palawan; Barangay Health Worker of Taytay and El Nido; Social Action of Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay, Palawan; and Students from Central National High School of Taytay. The Governor of Pala-wan lend us his (2) vehicle for our speedy transportation. The Vice-governor also voluntarily gave us 10 boxes of medicines for pediatric patients. The medical and dental mission was a successful one. We are very grateful to God that for HIS guidance and blessings that HE gave to us during the mission. We also felt the presence of St. John of God by in-spiring us to his Charism and being compassionate to-wards the POOR-SICK brethren. May he intercede and inspire more generous people to help us to carry out his mission in reaching those marginalized, de-pressed and hope-less poor-sick

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CURIA GENERALIZIA Via della Nocetta, 263 00164 ROMA (Italia) cooperazione@ohsjd.org