CLIMB for Lukban Children

More than 1,211 schoolchildren of Mansalay and 300 indigent residents from the far flung areas of Lukban, Barangay Panaytayan, Mansalay Oriental Mindoro benefited from the Balik-Eskwela Caravan (Free School supplies, Healthy Teeth Campaign, Feeding Program and Medical Outreach sponsored by Keep Hope Alive Volunteers, partners and concerned individuals.

            PTA Chairman Aybong Ganyuan and different sitio leaders from 6 different Mangayn Villages led more than 500 of his constituents in availing the free school supplies, medical services and feeding program brought by Keep Hope Alive Volunteers to one of its host communities, which is one of the least accessible communities in the municipality. 

Ambulansya de Paa transporting a patient

            Volunteers have to walk for seven hours thru the mountains and cross several hanging bridges just to share the blessings and other important services. During the three-day mission climb, we observed that people from the community sit in the shade idle, children have nothing to play with, and adults have no jobs. Others walk with heavy sacks of goods along the dangerous shoulders of the road in the sweltering heat.

Early in the morning of June 4, 2013 morning we start out on paved the National highway for awhile which turns into crushed rocks. The road is bumpy and potholed for another 4 hours, but we are warned to brace ourselves for a lot worse. Sure enough, the further away from the Barangay proper, the more remote the region, the bigger the rocks and the greater the potholes in number and depth. While grinding and bumping over impassable roads for several hours, we marvel at the dedication of our guide who soldier this 7-hour road trek several times a month! It is dangerous and exhausting. Except for beds and tents, our accommodations lack everything else including screens on windows and electricity at night. We enjoyed our first night by having a sensible and very fun bonding fellowship with the volunteers and local villagers.

We distributed to about 1,211 Day Care and public school pupils in the Municipality of Mansalay received school supplies such as notebook, pencils, crayons and paper. In Lukban, more than 200 sets of school supplies were given. The distribution of school supplies aimed to provide indigent children with basic school needs that could help in their learning process as well as save money which could be used in other school needs. We also provided three feeding sessions and conducted lectures and demonstrations on proper tooth brushing and basic physical hygiene.

In low-income villages in Mansalay, school supplies are a luxury. Often, the parents of indigent school children purchase the supplies needed out of their already small salaries. Parents spend an average of Php200 on school supplies every school year which is very hard for them to provide. Through our sponsors and volunteers, we championed this program as one way to help the poor families particularly the Mangyan indigent community as no children must suffer and no children as much as possible will suffer from learning because of lack of school supplies.  

Aside from the school supplies given, the team also accommodates hundreds of local’s from different sitios. There are two nurses in the team (me and Elaine). While observing the locals, it's very hard for me to accept that a patient in the area who has a potentially life threatening bone tumor that causes extensive deformation can’t have surgery because of his inability to pay 100,000 pesos out of pocket. These were just a few of many heart-wrenching cases I was confronted with during my first nursing-medical mission with Keep Hope Alive.

One thing that I really about the health system in the Philippines is the level of empowerment of nurses like me, many of whom are nurse practitioners. We take on many roles (like prescribing) that in Europe and other parts of the world are the exclusive responsibilities of doctors. The high levels of nurse empowerment in the Philippines actually make a lot of sense when there's such an overall lack of doctors and difficulty in enticing them to settle in remote areas. Again, it makes all the sense if we consider that many patients face significant geographical and other types of barriers to healthcare.

Sitio leader & Day Care worker of Bukana

The scope of health problems I encountered in the area is very similar, but I found a high incidence of respiratory problems in children and an unusually high prevalence of thyroid disorders (like goiter) in adults. In the meantime, I am hoping to continue going back to the Lukban for future relief and medical missions. Our efforts are merely a drop in the ocean considering the needs of local communities, but I firmly believe that little things mean a lot

Volunteers prepared food for feeding the hungry children in Lukban.  The food was donated to us from our friends.  We feed over 300 people that day.

THANK you volunteers!

In Behalf of Keep Hope Alive Volunteer’s Foundation and the residents of Mansalay Oriental Mindoro, I would like to extend my gratitude to our sponsors Jennifer & Edwin Lim, TMA people (Genelyn Golena, & Alona Golena Henning, Minnie Atienza, Nelia and Gina Timena) Gaye Teraytay, Fred Li, Noel Sacris, SK KC Villanueva, Elaine Fetalco, Third Viray, Jinky Espaltero, Arlene Faa, Rosalyn Defeo, Elcana Gamol, Teacher MG delos Reyes and Jereza Mangilaya).