Subic hosts Operation HOPE

The Philippine American Group of Educators and Surgeons or PAGES has been holding Operation HOPE (Helping Other People Excel) missions for the past 11 years.

This year, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Felicito Payumo and his wife, Daisy, worked with Governors Vicente Magsaysay of Zambales and Leonardo Roman of Bataan to make possible the free operation of a total of 212 patients, mostly young children with harelip and cleft palate problems. A number of patients came from Laguna, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Pasay City and Quezon City.

The PAGES team this year was composed of 45 Filipino-American plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, nurses, technicians and other volunteers.

Operation HOPE is held yearly during the Valentine month of February. For the recent mission, PAGES provided a 40-foot container van of medicines, medical supplies and pieces of equipment, some of which were later donated to hospitals that needed them.

PAGES also conducted seminars for local medical practitioners such as doctors, nurses, medical technologists and other paramedical professionals.

The host institution, on the other hand, provided free board and lodging and transportation for the team. Local firms were also requested to host dinner parties for one week.

Next year, the beneficiary province will be Tarlac, although the mission may still be done at the Subic Legend Health and Medical Center which has adequate facilities.