Charity gala raises almost P25M for cleft care

CEBU, Philippines — Nearly P25 million was raised during the Operation Smile Philippines Charity Gala 2026 in Cebu City on August 8 to support free cleft surgery and comprehensive care for children.

The amount was generated through charitable donations, pledges, and a live auction during the event that brought together longtime supporters, partners, and advocates of the nonprofit organization.

Operation Smile Philippines said a P40,000 contribution can help fund a child’s cleft surgery and related services, including speech therapy, dental care, and rehabilitation.

Philanthropist Dame Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung, founder of the Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung Foundation Inc. and a longtime supporter of Operation Smile Philippines, shared the challenges she and her family faced in sustaining the Comprehensive Cleft Care Center (CCC) and their continuing mission to help children with cleft conditions.

Salimbangon-Yeung said she had wrestled with the decision to hold the gala amid devastating earthquakes, successive typhoons, catastrophic floods, economic difficulties, and continuing wars.

The event had already been postponed once, she said, as disasters struck communities and claimed lives.

She said she questioned whether it was appropriate to ask people to give at a time when many families and businesses were also struggling.

But she said she could not turn away from children born with cleft lip and cleft palate who continue to wait for life-changing surgery.

She recalled thinking of children who had never experienced smiling without fear of ridicule, mothers praying for someone to help their children, and fathers struggling to find a way to afford the surgery their children needed.

“If we give up, what happens to them?” Salimbangon-Yeung asked.

She said the completion of the CCC did not mean their work was finished.

“Not long after the center opened, we encountered a series of challenges,” she said, noting that the center had to close for three months for major repairs, some caused by natural disasters.

Salimbangon-Yeung said the public often sees only the smiles of children after surgery, without seeing the sleepless nights, difficult decisions, financial burdens, and continuing struggle to keep the center operating.

Despite the difficulties, she said giving up was never an option.

“Every time we saw a child waiting patiently for surgery, we knew giving up was never an option,” she said.

For more than three decades, Salimbangon-Yeung and her family have witnessed thousands of children receive cleft care and experience transformations following surgery.

She recalled children laughing, perhaps for the first time, after surgery, mothers crying tears of joy while holding their children, and fathers embracing their sons and daughters following successful procedures.

“Every single miracle happened because someone cared enough to help,” she said.

Salimbangon-Yeung described the gala as more than a fundraising dinner, saying it was an opportunity for those present to become an answer to the prayers of families waiting for cleft care.

She urged donors and supporters to continue choosing compassion and hope despite the challenges facing communities around the world.

“The economy may be uncertain. The world may be troubled. But compassion must never be postponed. Kindness must never be postponed. Healing must never be postponed. Hope must never be postponed,” she said.

She also emphasized the long-term impact of cleft care, saying beneficiaries could grow into confident adults who can smile without fear, dream without limits, and live with dignity.

Salimbangon-Yeung thanked the individuals and teams who worked behind the scenes to organize the gala, including Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, Mary-Lou Ngo-Ang and the Magna team, Perl Arienza and her ASAP team, Ferdie Salvador, Frances Siao, Nora Muntuerte, Regal Oliva, Jennifer Veloria, Marilou Ong, and Mafe Castillo.

She likewise thanked artists Martin Nievera, Pinky Marquez, and Anya Lagman for sharing their talents in support of the cause, as well as the volunteers, donors, sponsors, and the venue partner.

Operation Smile Philippines said the proceeds will help expand access to reconstructive surgery and multidisciplinary treatment for children with cleft conditions, particularly those whose families cannot afford the procedures and continuing care.

Its comprehensive services extend beyond surgery to include speech, dental, and rehabilitation interventions aimed at improving children’s health, confidence, and quality of life.

The nearly P25-million fundraising haul is expected to help more children receive not only cleft surgery but also the continuing care needed for their long-term recovery. — (FREEMAN)