Irisan concert raises P81,000 for five kidney patients

REACHING OUT

“Down Memory Lane”, a folk and country concert staged last March 1 by pioneers in musical shows  for the sick and needy, raised P81,489.48 which the organizers distributed  or allotted last Tuesday to five patients undergoing regular hemodialysis for kidney failure.

Retired city prosecutor Gloria Agunos and punong barangay Thomas Dumalti of Irisan Barangay which hosted the concert, turned over P10,186.19 each for dialysis patients Mary Grace Binay-an, Manuel Boaging and Virginia Payacda, all of Irisan, and Rey Caguioa who have to undergo life-time thrice or twice-a-week blood=cleansing sessions to survive.  

Half the amount raised, or P40,744.74 will go to a Bank of the Philippine Islands-Harrison trust account    0563845279 which Agunos and Dumalti, together with retired assistant city prosecutor Evelyn Tagudar, regional director Helen Tibaldo and city social welfare and development officer Betty Fangasan opened for  24-year old QuakelynLisayen, another kidney patient from  Irisan who is trying to work out a kidney transplant.

The five community officials established the account to manage a continuing fund drive for Lisayen, who, in the face of fund woes, persevered in undergoing initial tests with her brother and would-be organ donor Jericson at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City.

“The girl’s blind courage to live a normal life again against extreme fund woes has inspired us to put our acts together and help,” Agunos said. “It is difficult to deny support to a girl as brave as Quakelyn is.”

The girl, so named for the fact that she was born five days after the July 19, 1990 earthquake hit Baguio, was diagnosed for kidney failure in October the other year. The devastating news came 13 years after she lost her dad, Fabian CalawaLisayen to the same life-threatening and -changing illness.

The concert as the covered court of the Quirino Elementary School in was led by expatriate soloists Conrad Marzan who flew in from Northern California and MhiaTibunsay who arrived from Singapore, and lawyer Jose “Bubut” Olarte, who has been singing pro bono in concerts-for-a-cause since the early ‘70s.

To cut on costs, Mhia had the tickets and posters printed in Singapore, together with souvenir T-shirts for the raffle draw interspersed with the performances.

Other artists who performed were the reunited Foggy Mountain Band, Seldom Seen composed of March Fianza, Alfred Dizon, Dick Oakes and ArsenMarzan, Slow Speed, the trio of Alma, Liza and Dianne, Zeny, another band led by Kenneth, and the La Trinidad Colliders, an A-line dance group.

Quakelyn’s dream for a kidney transplant also found inspiration from Cordillerans in the United States who raised $1,300 through San Diego-based Bob Aliping who gifted them CD copies of  his folk and country collection, “Booba Songs”, in response to their support.

Here, Engr. FelinoLagman and Labor of Love Group added P5,000 each for Quakelyn while Rocel Anne Falcasantos gave P1,000. These were on the heels of a P15,000 donation from a donor who called himself a “Baguio Boy”, P11,000 from Paul Lalwani, P5,000 from a woman from Bontoc, Mt. Province, and  P1,000 from the Quijencio family.

Concert ticket sales were boosted with donations of P10,000 each from regional police director Chief  Supt. IsaganiNerez and the Benguet Electric Cooperative and P7,500 from an anonymous soul he coursed through Conrad Marzan.

Quakelyn’s fund drive was initiated by Baguyio Rep. Nick Aliping who set aside P200,000 to support the expenses in the transplant that the girl hopes to be set within the first half of the year. – Ramon Dacawi

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Another kidney patient appeals for help

Like many in his medical situation, 31-year old JunnereyJacaban welcomes the opening of a new dialysis treatment center here to serve the alarmingly increasing number of kidney failure patients needing twice- or thrice-=a-week blood-cleansing sessions to survive.

Like the other private dialysis centers here, however, the newly opened B Braun treatment facility infront of the Baguio General hospital  and  Medical center  can only accept Philhealth-covered patients while others can only be treated on a cash-payment basis.

Jacaban, a former factory worker at Adriste at the Baguio Export Processing Zone, will soon use up his 45 treatments under the annual Philhealth package.  He can not apply treatment subsidy coming from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and guarantee letters of payment from the medical Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of congressional representatives  elected at large or through the country’s party-list system.

Only the BGHMC   dialysis center, which is still being operated by B Braun, accepts  guarantee letters from the PCSO or congressional representatives assuring payment of dialysis service rendered on patients.

Problem is, at least eight of the close=to 20   dialysis machines at the BGHMC were recently conked out, according to a staff nurse, forcing the facility to cancel out the treatment sessions of several patients who were told to look for other facilities.

Several patients who were dislocated found difficulty in looking for vacancies in other treatment facilities, forcing some to move to other parts of northern Luzon for their treatment. 

B Braun lost in the last bidding  made a couple of years ago as service provider but is still operating  the BGHMC dialysis facility on a hold-over basis  pending the installation of machines by the winning bidder.

Amidst the growing demand for dialysis treatment, Junnerey, who was diagnosed last September, found relief in being accommodated at the new B

Braun facility on the 7:00 a.m. schedule every Wednesday and Saturday.

“Meron nga s’yang slot nguni’t halos naubos na ang kanyangPhilhealth benefit,” his mother, Teresita, told this writer last week. “Sana naman, mapahintulotan ang mga private dialysis centers na  tumanggapnga guarantee letters galling sa PCSO at the PDAP.”

Even if this would be allowed, many of the private dialysis centers refuse to accept guarantee letters because of the slow processing and release of checks covering them. Their rule is “pay-first, reimburse later”, after the facility has received the amount covered by the guarantee letter.

Reason enough for Jacaban, through his mother, to issue a public appeal for support to sustain his life-time dialysis treatment.

Junnery can be contacted through his cellphone numer – 09309323012. Donors may also visit him at the B Braun facility  or at his address at 37 Purok Magsaysay, Loakan Proper, Baguio City.

Meanwhile, Nita Bentadan, a 68-year old dialysis patient from Irisan Barangay here, sought the publication of her gratitude to Samaritans who responded to her appeal coursed through the local media last January.

She recalled that on Jan. 20, two days after the Sunday papers carried her story, the secretary of a government official handed her P10,000.

Two days later, a woman texted her, advising to meet her at the Center Mall along Magsaysay Avenue where she handed P3,000 to the patient.

She left before Bentadan could ask her name.

Later, another woman texted for them to meet at the Abanao Square where the woman, described by the patient  as “napintas”, handed a red envelope containing P2,500.

Whoever these three are, Nita wants to thank you.

Others who would also like to help may ring up Nita’s number – 0947704736. – Ramon Dacawi.