Concert raises P111,600 for nine patients

BENCHWARMER

Ramon S. Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- The allocation of proceeds from “Baguio Reunion”, a concert-for-a-cause mounted here last May, winded up last week with the remaining fund of P12,000  divided for two more patients.

That upped the total recipients to nine and the total disbursements to P111,600.

The last two releases of P6,000 each went to  Police Officer III Rolando Dulay, who has been on twice-a-week hemodialysis treatment since last February for kidney failure, and  fore partial payment of the hospital bills of Alfredo Quidilig, an ailing senior citizen left bed-ridden by heart ailment.

Earlier, Jail Officer 1 Jonathan Bulwayan of the regional office of the Bureau fo Jail Management and Penology received P5,000, also to help sustain his dialysis treatment for renal failure.

Equal amounts of P5,000 went to jeepney dispatcher Randy Almoite of the Crystal Cave route and Eufemia Santos, a worker at the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board. Both are suffering from cancer.

Midway into the concert, cash support of P27,200 each were released to the original beneficiaries of the musical treat: 10-year old Chelsea Benito, then the youngest hemoldialysis patient at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, Jun Willy of People’s Television 4 who is also underoing dialysis, and Linda Fines of the Department of Tourism who is battling cancer.

The remaining P3,000 served as a token for guitarist and vocalist Dolpo Pedronio, who almost missed his regular folkhouse performance just to be reunited with the original Foggy Mountain Band at the concert.  

The total  disbursement of P111,600  was raised by Baguio folksingers led by expatriates Conrad Marzan, now based in Northern California, and MhiaTibunsay, now working in Singapore, in  a three-hour fund-raiser last May 20 at the Cancer Building of the BGHMC.

The Association of Government Information Officers-Cordillera led by Dr. Manuel Quirino sponsored the show, in tandem with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Cordillera Association of Regional Executives (CARE) led by regional executive director Clarence Baguilat of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

To cut on costs and ensure that bulk of the ticket sales and sponsorship would go to the patients, PIA regional director Helen Tibaldo had her staff serve as secretariat and support group while regional police director, Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong provided the back-up band, sound system and musial instruments.The BGHMC led by medical center chief, Dr. Jimmy Cabfit, offered the venue while the ASGIOCO and CARE members pushed  the ticket sales.

The idea for the concert came from lead singers Conrad and Mhia who asked that the same be arranged in time with their visits home. With them at the reunion performance were lawyer-soloist Jose “Bubut” Olarte, Liza Noble, Alma Angiwan, Dianne, Bryan Aliping, March Fianza, Alfred Dizon, Dick Oakes and Tito Martinez.

The PNP folk and country band’s participation was arranged through Supt Davy ViucenteLimmong, the regional information officer and band leader Sr. Insp. Henry Domogan. It is composed of SPO2 Greg Guisdan, SPO1 Jerry Soriano, PO2 Dick Tomas, PO2 Stephen Carantes, PO2 Joel Bastian and PO1 Eugene Ganga. .

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Like anybody else of his kind, 31-year old Ferdinand Dumol, a 31-year old high school graduate and off-and-on laborer,  never imagined his name would eventually find print.  After all, he’s just  one among millions who, even without that annual rallying point from the United Nations, have been trying to stand up against poverty.

And because they’re legion, they become nameless. Until recently, when Ferdinand appealed not  to be nameless. He signed an authority, actually an appeal, for the publication of his name and of what’s wrong with him, so that news readers “may be able to respond and extend their support to sustain my treatment”.

Ferdinand, married with three young kids, is pleading for dear life. Since last February, when doctors told him his kidneys could no longer work, he has been into hemodialysis treatment that doctors monitoring his case recommended should be done three times a week.

Hemodialysis cleanses the blood of waste and impurities that, in a normal person, is conveniently done by the kidneys. For Ferdinand and a legion of others all over, it requires being attached to the machine for four hours at a time. A miss or two may have dire consequences, given that kidneys work not only to filter waste but to stabilize hormone, fluid and salt balance in the body, and for the production of red blood cells.

Ferdinand is one of 180 or so hemodialysis patients at the Baguio General hospital and Medical Center. Their number is gradually increasing. They are spread out into four shifts daily. Ferdinand’s schedule is on the 3p.m.-8 p.m. slot on Tuesday, 6a.m.-10 a.m. on Thurday and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

You should find him attached to one of the 14 blood-cleansing machines  on the said schedule, for dialysis treatment must be for life. Unless he is forced to skip a session or two. Or three or four simply because he couldn’t keep up with a regular budget of P2,200 (per session) x 3 (sessions as week) x 4 (weeks a month) equals P26,400 a month.

The social case study report of the municipal social welfare and development office of Banaue, Ifugao didn’t specify what he used to earn as farm and road construction laborer when he was still healthy. Or thought he was.

Whatever, he and his 27-year old wife, Catherene, a full-time housewife until his illness, were making ends meet – until his illness.  It was more than a blessing then raising three kids: son Journal, 10 and supposed to be in the fifth grade; and daughters Stephanie, 7 and in the second grade, and one-year old Judy Kay.

After Ferdinand’s diagnosis last February, the couple left for Alno, La Trinidad, Benguet, to closer to the renal center of the BGHMC. They stay with Ferdinand’s sister, Norma Ugasna, also with a family of her own and renting  a house while working as rose farm hand. The kids are left back home with Ferdinand’s parents in Bangaan, Banaue.

It’s never a conducive arrangement, but Ferdinand has to be near the blood-cleansing (and therefore life-saving) machines. Until when, he and Catherene  are too afraid to figure out.

\That’s why the couple gave their cellphone numbers, for Samaritans to call and help them figure out. Ferdinand’s is 09994334095 and Catherene’s is 09998271138.