Toledo officials belie lack of medical aid

CEBU, Philippines - Toledo City Mayor Aurelio Espinosa, daughter Vice Mayor Arlene Zambo and Third District Rep. Pablo John Garcia mounted large tarpaulins bearing assurances that their camp had long started giving medical assistance to the residents.

“Dili kay karon pa, dugay na. Dili kay karon lang, sa tanang panahon,” were the statements printed on the tarpaulins followed by the announcement of a medical assistance at the Toledo City Hospital and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City available for Toledanos 24 hours daily.

 To recall, the group of former Senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña and former third district Rep. Antonio Yapha, Jr. conducted their medical missions thrice in the mountain barangays of Toledo City.

The two tarpaulins were mounted at the back of the St. John de Sahagun Church in barangay Poblacion, where the fourth Alagad Medical Mission of Osmeña and Yapha’s group was held last Sunday.

This prompted the group to claim that their medical missions have affected the administration camp of Toledo City.

According to Poblacion barangay captain Faustino Barcenas, the tarpaulins were mounted a week ago, days after news broke out that Poblacion was the next venue for the Alagad Medical Mission.

Barcenas said there are at most 15,000 residents in the barangay but they only invited those that were identified by the barangay as indigents.

Last Sunday, around 2,000 residents, young and adults, benefited from the medical mission and were given medicines.

Barcenas admitted that the barangay’s main concern is health saying that medicines often run out in the barangay health center.

Yapha said his team of doctors and dentists are already volunteering on shifts every other Sunday for their medical mission. He said they don’t want to compete with whatever Espinosa, Zambo and Garcia are offering.

But for Osmeña, the numbers are evidence of how hungry the residents of Toledo are in terms of health services.

“Makita man na nato, sa kadaghan sa mga miapil og pareha ra ang ilang yangungu, walay tambal, kuwang sa tambal, panagsa ra hikit-an,” Osmeña said.

Alagad had served Toledo mountain barangays, Bulongan, Sagay and Loay and the next Alagad Medical Mission will be in barangay Gen. Climaco on October 2.- (THE FREEMAN)