CALIFORNIA DREAMING

Dr. Stanley Ambas in the City of Angels
Benito 'Jong' Molintas Jr.

LOS ANGELES, California –He came knocking at the door with his wife Mary Dominguez of Bauko, Mountain Province. A simple and approachable person, his determination to work as a dentist in Los Angeles was not just for Cordillerans who migrated to this country but for blooded Americans. BIBAK members have traveled all the way from San Diego, Las Vegas, and other places traveled to Los Angeles County to look for this small, smart, approachable, loving, and very Christian professional dentist – Dr. Stanley Amba of Mankayan, Benguet for treatment of their problems among others.

It was a blessing and a pleasure when Arnie Leyaley-Sumbad told me to stay for a while to wait for Dr. Ambas and his wife to sign an important document. It was really worthy enough to wait for these people.

After an hour the couple came and we got acquainted in few minutes. I was also so delighted for my Uncle David Wanawan of Lepanto, who planted his name not only for his progenies, but for his family, bonded with Dr. Ambas.

I may say that even if I am a cub in this job as a member of the Press (Northern Philippine Times), it is a privilege that I am taking this opportunity to thank people who are considered Angels in Los Angeles.

I called him for an appointment in his clinic and asked if he could treat me since I don’t have dental insurance. His positive response solved my problem. For a month I suffered from a bad tooth filling pasted by a dentist in Manila. At last, a kailian was here to save me. His willingness to take care of my dental problem was not a joke. “Doc, apay mabalin kitan you biit ti ngipen ko uray away insurance ko? I asked. “Wen a, uray pay nu han mu bayadan.” A tooth and dental check up in the United States costs thousands, unlike in our country. A root canal here will cost more than a thousand dollars, aside from other tooth filling and his fee. I didn’t really know what to say to him because even a bag of thanks would not have been at par to what he did to me.

“Charging you for free is not for being who you are but for being a Christian who needs my working hand,” he said. It struck my heart while Dr. Ambas was saying this. If you will recall all my columns, most of these were negative comments of Filipinos in this country. But, it was really ironic when I met this person – our kailian, an Igorot who was so Christian. I hope to see more professionals exhibiting their expertise wholeheartedly, doing their job from the bottom of their hearts as Christians, not for anything else or just to enrich themselves. Matago-tago ka.