HELP TO THE HIGHLANDS: My Volunteer Experience at Ifugao

The ladies of SI SJDM II together with the volunteer doctors and dentists.

Ms. Roxy Nicolas,the author of Expressions and Espresso.   The exclusive pass for the event.  Honorable Geraldo Luglug of the Municipality of Hingyon,Ifugao    The volunteers from SI SJDM II where giving free vitamins and medicines from Roquero General Hospital.    The volunteer dentists preparing their tools.   An Ifugao mother carrying her child in a cloth  that is wrapped around her neck.

Last November 4,2013, I was lucky enough to extend my help to the locals of the Municipality of Hingyon in Ifugao. The event was possible through the collaboration of  Soroptimist International of San Jose del Monte District II (SI SJDM II) spearheaded  by their charming president Nida Nicolas and the Municipality of Hingyon Ifugao lead by Honorable Geraldo Luglug . Additionally, the event was sponsored by Roquero General Hospital,headed by their equally charming chairman Dr. Belle Roquero,who is also an active member of SI SJDM2. Soroptimist International of San Jose del Monte District II is a member of the Soroptimist International Federation(SIA) which is based at the United States.It is an organization for women which aims to promote the spirit of volunteerism throughout the different regions in the world. In the Philippines, the member clubs are managed by the Soroptimist International of the Philippine Regions. Their head office is located at Globe Tower in Mandaluyong City. SI SJDM 2 is an organization from San Jose del Monte Bulacan, on the other hand, the club was founded in 2002. Since then, the club had organized different projects that catered to the needs of the less marginalized people in different communities. Currently, the club is composed of successful women in different fields such as in the fields of health and medicine,business,education and social work. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Hingyon in Ifugao is classified as a 5th class municipality.  Hence, resources of this locale is very limited. Ifugao is a province from the Mt.Province and is an 8 hour drive from the City of Manila. In Mayor Luglug’s welcoming remarks, he mentioned that the people from Hingyon were very thankful for the help that are being extended in their community considering the status of their locale and the proximity of their community from the lowlands. He further told an anecdote about the resignation of their previous municipal doctor. He said that the former municipal doctor resigned because he cannot fulfil his duties effectively due to the lack of equipment and medicines available at the municipal health center. The venue was arranged into five sections. The first section was the registration area wherein the staff from the municipal health center facilitated the registration. After the registration the patients where instructed to proceed to the waiting section area and wait for their names to be called. The third section was the consultation area wherein the doctor volunteers from Bulacan and the current municipal doctor were situated to conduct the check-ups for the patients.Dr. Belle Roquero headed the consultation. After the consultation of the patients, they were then asked to proceed to the fourth section, the pharmacy. Aside the documentation of the event , I was also assigned in this area wherein my mother President Nida Nicolas who happens to be a pharmacist managed this area.Aside from the medicines prescribed by the doctors, the patients were all given free vitamins. The last section was designated for the dentists and their patients. The staff from the municipal hall also helped in the mobilization of the people. Also, the said staff were the once who helped the volunteers to talk to some of the locals of the community since some of them especially aged citizens do not understand and speak Tagalog. The event was also attended by people from neighboring places. Considering the mountainous nature of their locality,most of the attendees walked hours to reach the venue of the event. An old man said that the event is a rare occasion hence he did not mind hours of walking to avail free medication. Plenty of mothers carried their children for check-ups. Most of the patients is experiencing flu and cough. Indeed, this event reminds all of us that there are a lot of Filipinos out their that needs our helping hand. This activity proves that certain barriers such as language and distance shall not hinder any endeavor to promote the spirit of volunteerism and generosity. I salute everyone who made this event successful.May you continue spread goodwill and love to others. To know more about Soroptimist International of San Jose del Monte,you may visit their website at "www.soroptimistsjdmdistrict2.blogspot.com"  or add their facebook account at "http://www.facebook.com/soroptimist.sanjose". For inquiries on how to join their club,you may email sisjdmdistrict2@gmail.com.