Seeing Through The Tears

The gift of sight takes a person out of darkness and gives him all the colors–literally and figuratively–that life has to offer.

"Corneal blindness remains to be a serious problem among Filipinos and many still needlessly go blind, simply because of the lack of eye tissues and of resources to promulgate awareness about available treatments," says Dr. Dominga "Minguita" Padilla, founder and president of the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines (EBFP).

Corneal blindness is one of the top four causes of remedial or treatable blindness in the country. For over a decade, the EBFP has been operating a 24/7 eye bank facility that collects, processes, stores and equitably distributes high quality, transplantable eye tissue throughout the country. The foundation also makes sight-restoring corneal transplant surgery accessible to even the poorest recipients by providing the highest-quality eye tissue to indigent patients free of charge.

Back in 1994, Dr. Padilla and other like-minded doctors set out to establish a functional eye bank to address the problem of corneal blindness, which at the time seemed to these hardy souls like an almost impossible task. But, she happily notes today, "I look back on the years that have passed, reflect on the thousands of lives changed because of hope rekindled and sight restored through corneal transplants made possible by the Eye Bank, and I am glad that we chose to see ‘impossible’ as a matter of opinion."

The Eye Bank’s efforts to spread awareness and encourage more people to sign up as cornea and eye donors recently got a major boost when Dr. Padilla and the people behind Pzifer’s Visine Refresh made 50 celebrities literally cry their hearts out, and to have these high profile tears captured on film by one celebrity photographer.

Actor Cesar Montano–who got the project rolling by not only agreeing to be "tearfully" photographed but also by specifying the photographer who would turn out to be the crux of the campaign, showbiz icons Eddie Garcia, Sharon Cuneta, Lea Salonga and Judy Ann Santos, fashion icons Inno Sotto, Ben Chan and Tina Maristela-Ocampo, media icons Cheche Lazaro (who recently underwent a corneal transplant), Kris Aquino and Mike Enriquez, international beauty title holders Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran and Melanie Marquez, and a host of other celebrities willingly shed tears for iconic photographer Jun de Leon, who not only agreed to do the shoots for the project for free, but ended up signing up as an eye donor–and the recipient of his artistic eyes even gets a camera!

The photographs ran in a series of ads for Visine Refresh eye drops in a campaign called "Tears of Hope, Tears of Health" that promoted proper eye care and also made a pitch for the objectives of the Eye Bank Foundation.

It turned out to be an all-win situation: Visine got a slam-bang ad campaign, the Eye Bank Foundation not only increased awareness but also generated a lot of interest for and commitment to its corneal donation program, so many more people with preventable blindness now have a better chance at getting back their eyesight, and the public gets a rare chance to see their favorite celebrities in tears.

The photographs from the project, including some out-takes and behind-the-scenes shots of the photo sessions at Jun de Leon’s studio, have been compiled in a handsome, limited edition collectors’ item folio entitled "behind the Tears?", available at Powerbooks for P1,295. Proceeds from the sale go to the Eye Bank’s programs, of course. A portion of each Visine Refresh sale also goes to the Eye Bank.

"Ultimately, we hope you will be inspired enough to take action and personally help the cause," Dr. Padilla appeals. "With your generous donation or pledge to become a cornea donor, many will have the chance to see again: a priceless gift."

For more information, please contact the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines at tel 302-6282 or email [email protected]