Medical mission serves 1,300

By Ramon Dacawi 

BAGUIO CITY -- The city’s annual medical-dental-optical mission to usher in its founding anniversary drew 1,300 residents last August 30 at the Baguio Convention Center, as per report of Dr.John Tinoyan, action officer for the humanitarian event.

Of those who came, 1,000 availed of free medical consultation and medicines, 200 opted for optical service and 100 for dental  medicine in the day-long mission spearheaded by the Baguio Health Department under Dr. Rowena Galpo.

Designed as a public-private partnership project, the mission drew support from Victor Liner and the Department of health provided the medicines, the Lions Club for the eyeglass frames, and manpower and professional medical service from the Department of Health,  BHD, Rotarians, Lions, Philippine Dental Association, University of Baguio College of Dentistry, the Red Cross, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, Red Cross, Baguio-Benguet Public Information Civic Action Group, Baguio Civic Emergency Group, the Bethesda Ministry and the Grace Communion International-Baguio.

The mission was launched several years ago to give a  service and humanitarian orientation to the city’s founding anniversary celebration.

The free medical service, together with the new  run-for-a-cause feature, fleshes out the charter anniversary theme, “Sharing Responsibilities, Duties and Resources for a Viubrant Baguio” and nurtures Baguio’s centennial theme in 2009, “Fostering a Culture of Caring.

The three-bracket fun-run dubbed “Straight Into Baguio’s Heart”, will fire off on September 28 as finale of the month-long calendar of activities, specifically to raise funds for indigent kidney patients undergoing life-time hemodialysis treatment in renal centers in Baguio and Benguet.

In his administrative order adopting the fun run  as a foundation day event, city mayor Mauricio Domogan pointed out that it “will, indeed, set a tradition and culture of caring that will 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.