Save Sight Mission and the Resurrection of Angeles City

by Dr. Antonio M. Gonzales

          It has been 15 years since the powerful eruption of Mount Pinatubo . As we drove into the City of Angeles in the province of Pampanga, the havoc created by the eruption came back to our minds and we recalled pictures of the city covered with that ashen reminder of the eruption, called ”lahar”, of people displaced from their homes, of buildings ruined, of the Clark Air Force base submerged in that thick layer of soot. Driving into the city, we saw what was once a river, no longer had life flowing through it, but in its stead, was again that awful reminder of the eruption, encompassing the entire length of the river. These reminders were however few now, with pockets of lahar seen here and there. For the most part, Angeles City rose up from the ashes, and in the last 15 years, had made a successful effort at resurrecting itself from the ruins. Most of the city folks had returned to their homes and new developments had made Angeles City once again, a busy and proud metropolis !

          The Save Sight Mission conducted their 2006 mission in this reborn city. Ospital Ning Angeles, which served the city’s indigent population and that of its neighboring “ barangays”, was chosen as the venue for the mission by the host societies , the Circulo Pampangueno of Michigan, the Rotary Club of Metro-Clark Angeles City and San Fernando.

            

          Preparations began several months prior to the mission dates. Renovations of the operating rooms and installation of new air conditioners were undertaken. Critical medical and surgical supplies were procured. A big coup was the acceptance by the practicing ophthalmologists in the region to participate in our missionary endeavors. This group of physicians conducted the screening and selection of patients to be seen by the mission team, several weeks prior to our arrival. And once the mission work began, they also participated in the surgeries through the post-operative care of the patients. Their volunteer efforts were truly a commendable gesture of friendship and servitude , setting a fine example for other chapters of the Philippine Ophthalmological Society to emulate.

        

           We drove through the town and visited the Henson Clinic and the Angeles University hospital where the pre-operative screening, through the post-operative care were done. Angeles University is part of a non-profit foundation established by the Angeles Family. The magnificent buildings surrounded by manicured lawns are the pride of Angeles city and is considered one of the best infrastructure in the country. The university boasts also of graduating top students who rank in the top echelon of the medical board examination.

          We were housed in a nice bungalow, provided by the Limjoco-Tongol-Evangelista family in Mabalacat Metro-Clark, where the US Clark Air Force field used to be. The US military forces vacated the base when the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo left the fields buried in “ lahar “ .  Years later, in this same area, housing subdivisions, a hotel, golf resort, an international airport, and a museum would be built as part of the resurrection of the city.

          We were fortunate to have the services of Dr. Jack Bautista and three ophthalmology residents from UST joined our team. Dr. Bautista is the current Chair of Pagkalinga sa Mata, Rotary Club of Manila; chief of Ophthalmology at the Infant Jesus Hospital and former Chief of Ophthalmology at UST. Over a 5 day period, a total of 96 surgeries were done which included 27 cases of pterygiums, one exotropia, and 68 cataracts.

          Two young patients with advanced intraocular tumors were sent to the UST Charity Division for treatment.

         

         

          A farewell reception hosted by Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba capped our mission work. We discovered that Candaba is home to migratory birds and has now become an international tourist attraction.  With the medical mission over, there was time left to spend with our family . We left the mission site with a light heart because of the satisfaction of having done something good for a community that needed us, and because of the friendship that we shared with each other amongst the mission staff.

Acknowledgement: We are grateful to Sukob Foundation, Alcon Pharmaceuticals. Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo,  San Fernando Mayor Oscar Samson Rodriguez and Gov. Mark Lapid for their support.

About SaveSight Mission: SaveSight Mission is a gift account at Columbia

University. After Dr.Gonzales’ first medical mission at the Aeta

resettlement in Bamban, Tarlac following Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991,

Dr. Stanley Chang, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at New York Presbyterian Columbia Medical Center granted Dr. Gonzales the gift account to continue with the missionary work. Seed money  was supplemented by two concerts. The first ‘‘Wonder of Christmas’ was held at the Clark auditorium, Columbia University on December 7, 2000 and the second was “A Tribute to Elvis’ at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City on December 2, 2002. SaveSight does not solicit funds from the public, however, friends of Dr. Gonzales had been donating voluntarily. The account is managed by Columbia University. Expenditures are through purchase orders only and strictly for equipment maintenance and critical medical-surgical supplies. Among the regions SaveSight had conducted mission were:Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, Manaog_Lucao_San Fabian, Pangasinan, Concepcion_Bamban_Tarlac, Angeles, Malolos, Bulacan , Calamba, Laguna, Dipolog, Zamboanga, Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Pototan, Iloilo and Kalibu, Aklan, Bataan, Save_A_Sight in-House UST. SaveSight conducts mission by invitation only with the cooperation of civic associations and the community physicians.

About the author: Dr. Antonio M. Gonzales was President of the USTMAAA Foundation from 2001-2003. He is an Asst. Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Columbia University and is the Chairman of Save Sight Mission. He has a private practice in New York City, Jersey City and Hoboken, New Jersey where he is the Director of Ophthalmology at Hoboken University Medical Center.