Baguio charter race draws funds for dialysis patients

Reaching Out

BAGUIO CITY “Straight Into Baguio’s Heart”, the sports and humanitarian feature of the city’s 105^thcharter anniversary, a public-private partnership project mayor Mauricio Domogan designed to build a support fund for kidney patients undergoing life-time hemodialysis treatment in renal centers  here and in Benguet has gained adherent.

The mayor, together with Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr. and city councilor Elmer Datuin, co-chair of the founding anniversary executive committee last week flagged off at dawn Sept. 28 some 1.000 runners under the three, five and 10-kilometer categories that began and ended at Lake Drive of Burnham Park.

As of last week, 12  donors  contributed P9,250 to  up the total  to  P176,380 deposited under Account Number 000940248018 of the Legarda Branch of Banco de Oro which will be jointly administered by the city, through the city social welfare and development office,  and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center Dialysis Patients and  Partners Association headed by Rev. Fr. Richard Justo.

The mayor, who ordered the inclusion of the race in the city charter anniversary calendar to give substance to the theme, “Sharing of Responsibilities, Duties and Resources for a Vibrant Baguio”, expressed hopes that more group and individual sponsors would come in to support the drive to ease the emotional and financial burden of dialysis patients.

Last week’s donors, including runners who paid beyond their registration fees, were Brother of St. Andrews (Cathedral of the Resurrection) – P2,000; United Vision Ministries – P2,000-; Partas Bus Lines – P1,500; Julia Baniaga – P1,000; Dr. Rey Aswat  - P1,000 ( for water cups); Milo Viray – P500; Mile Connections Tavel and Tours – P100; RaffyTallocoy – P50; Roslyn Anos – P750; Judith Iniguid – P150; and Nora and Aldrich Gayman – P200

The Baguio Water Refillers Association headed by lawyer Zosimo Abratique  will provide 20 five-gallons of water while Albert Ong of the Fine Pure Drinking Water, in coordination with the Fil-Chinese Community, delivered 10 cases of  350—ml. bottles.

The Baguio Boy Scout Council under scout executive Ramon Jacinto will man the race route intersections, in coordination with the city police, the  Reserved Command of the Philippine Army, the Baguio-Benguet Public Information Civic Action Group and other support organizations, while operatives of  the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Emergency Medical Service under Dr. John Tinoyan will serve as a medical team.

Baguio girl and veteran race organizer Rosario “Che” Velasco-Alberto heads the management committee in alliance with Cool City technical team and RV-Mapping.

Inmates of the city jail set the community spirit by holding their own 3K version of the run last Sept. 18, negotiating 60 laps around their courtyard and then turning over their P15,000 registration fee to Fr. Justo, through wardens Elvis Danglose and Mary Ann Tresmanio.

The fund, which was donated by former world karate champion Julian Chees, now the head of over 50 martial arts schools in Germany, was kept intact for the purpose as the prison runners opted to run  in their yellow T-shirts , declining the  official race uniform  and number and foregoing with the top finishers’ prizes.  

“Straight Baguio’s Heart” was hatched last June during the induction of the BGHMDPPA, during which Baguio Rep. NicasioAliping Jr. set the tone by donating P100,000 now being used by dialysis patients as support to patients and their families.

In ordering the inclusion of the fun run, mayor Domogan said it “will set a tradition and culture of caring to mark future celebrations of the Charter Anniversary of Baguio, thereby serving as a rallying point to sustain a sense of community among this city’s residents, neighbors, friends and visitors who treasure fond memories of their visits to the Summer Capital of the Philippines”.

“It will give substance to the “Culture of Caring “ that was the city’s centennial theme in 2009, aside from providing a humanitarian dimension to the city’s future charter anniversary celebrations,” the mayor said.

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At least one patient is featured every week in the local papers, making it look endless the number of people stricken with kidney failure  and badly needing  support to continue their life-time hemodialysis. .

This week, it’s the turn of John Pacio Cawayan and Frederick Oller to have their cases told. They had to wait for two months before their permission to have their plight shared as publication has to be on a first-come,  first-served basis.  

Cawayan, a 61-year old father of three from 128 Sunnyside, Fairview Barangay here, was a laborer/carpenter until late last year, when he felt too weak to work. He was diagnosed for end-stage kidney failure and began  twice-a-week hemodialysis treatment last  February.

“At present, his eldest son, Johnson, (a kitchen help at Kalei’s Grill in La Trinidad, Benguet), maionly provides the needs of the family,” city social welfare and development officer Betty Fangasan said. :His two other children are irregular laborers and their combined income is not enough to support the expensive medication of their father.”

“Adtoyak nga agpatpatulong babaen it ipagiwarnak tapno maammuan dagiti addaan iti naimbag nga paangpuspuso ken manangaasi (I’m her asking for help through the weeklies so people with a heart may know and reach out),” he wrote.

Oller, a 38-year old taxi driver of 45-D Purok 1, Marcoville barangay here,  was told early last June his kidneys had also failed. His doctor recommended thrice-a-week-hemodialysis treatment costing  at the least, P6,600 per week, an amount far beyond his daily earning of P500 when he was still well enough to drive a cab.

The former cabbie lives with his wife, Joselyn; one=year old daughter, Esralyn Mae; 71-year old mother, Caridad; sister, Prescela; and niece, Mika Kareza.

“With the health condition of (patient), the family is worried, more so that they could not sustain his needed lifetime medication,” noted social welfare officer Myrna Valencerina.

Barangay chief RuelCasuga has certified Oller’s need for financial support, further supported by the Valencerina’s report that none of the family members is employed.

Cawayan can be reached through  his son John’s cellphone number 09098092877 or during his treatment session at the Baguio General hospital and Medical Center at 8:00 p.m. on Mondays, anmd 4 p.m. on Thursdays.

Samaritans can contact Oller through is wfe’s number – 09324576575/09093558011 or visit him during his treatment sessions at the BGHMC every 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and at 1 a.m. on Sundays.  – Ramon Dacawi