Alameda Sister City Brings Medical Mission to Dumaguete

(ALAMEDA) Over 170 doctors, nurses, health educators and volunteers from Northern CA have just completed a five-day medical mission beginning Jan. 15, 2017 to the Philippines, providing much needed medical, dental and surgical services to over 9,000 low income residents from Dumaguete and neighboring towns in the Negros Oriental province.

This was the first of many collaborations that have been initiated as a result of the sister city relationship between Alameda and Dumaguete. Three Alameda residents and members of the Alameda Sister City Association (ASCA), Vice President Cynthia Bonta, Board Director Flor Ventanilla, and Dr. Maria Araceli De Guzman. participated in the mission which was organized by the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (PMSNC) which conducts large scale medical missions annually to impoverished areas in the Philippines.

In 2015, Dumaguete was selected to be the site of the medical society's 40th mission site after then-Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria – now a Philippine congress person - visited Alameda to initiate a sister city agreement.

Alameda Sister City Vice President, Ms. Bonta, who serves as chairperson of the Alameda-Dumaguete Sister City Committee of ASCA, reports that this was the largest mission to go to that area. The Bay Area and Northern California based volunteers also provided medical trainings to their Philippine counterparts in addition to providing the free medical services. Two Manila-based surgeons also joined their U.S. colleagues from Northern California. which included 35 world class surgeons in urology, ophthalmology, plastics, orthopedics, and obstetrics.

The Alameda side of the sister city partnership worked side by side with the local committees to host the 170 volunteers.

Each mission takes two years to plan: the Medical Society recruited physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals who were willing to volunteer their time including paying for their own air fare and expenses; and solicited donations of medical supplies, equipment, and funds. The host city took responsibility for outreach and pre-screening of patients; securing the facilities for surgical and outpatient procedures; and assisting in logistics like housing and transit for the volunteers.

Major and minor surgical operations were provided at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, and outpatient cases were seen at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.

The Alameda Sister City Association has pledged $5,000 to the mission to help pay for the supplies, hosting a meal for the volunteers, and the purchase of two CPR mannequins to help in training health providers in the Philippines – one named Alameda and the other Dumaguete. Donations are still being accepted. Checks should be made payable to Alameda Sister City Association (ASCA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation for tax deduction to the full extent of the law and mailed to Cynthia Bonta, P.O. Box 6255, Alameda, CA 94501.

Photo captions:

Negros Oriental Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Eduard Du (l) who acted as liaison between the province, city, and the mission delegation pauses to pose with ASCA Vice President Cynthia Bonta (seated in blue) and other Medical Mission volunteers at the out-patient staging area.

Alamedan and ASCA board member Flor Ventanilla helps patient with the correct prescription glasses donated by Bay Area residents.

Over the five-day mission, outpatient medical services were provided at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex from 7:00am to 5:00pm each day.