SM medical, other volunteers get recognition
The SM Foundation health and medical team, led by its executive director Connie Angeles, honored the medical and non-medical volunteers for
Gamot Para sa Kapwa medicaldental missions, which started in 2001.
The special guests have been active volunteers for two years up to as long as 17 years. As Angeles thanked them, they also expressed their gratefulness for the privilege to serve with the Foundation.
What truly fulfills them and makes them come back as volunteers is when patients – especially the senior citizens and PWDs – sincerely thank them, the said. They are particularly moved when they volunteer at medical missions after natural disasters.
Most of them have already pledged to join the upcoming medical missions for the victims of super typhoon Ompong.
The youngest of the doctors, Lulubelle Barcelona, has been helping since she was a medical intern in Baguio. She
regularly offers her services, feeling fulfilled especially after seeing many patients in
a day, “Minsan, dadagsa talaga sila. Mga 100 ang nakikita namin bawat doktor. Hindi lang isa ang pasyente pero buong pamilya ang mga natutulungan namin,” she said.
Rosalina Cuenca, a dentist volunteer, always comes with her two volunteer dental aides – Genesis Caguiat and Janellsa Jarito – who were also recognized by the Foundation. Cuenca had started volunteering after she retired in 2013 and has never stopped since. “It is very rewarding,” she said. Caguiat and Jarito echoed the sentiment, adding that they do everything to make the patients comfortable, especially the children who hold their hands and sit on their laps during tooth extractions.
Serving for years before she got married, Dr. Ma. Mercedes Agustin went back to volunteer with SM again after her children had grown up. “I wanted to go back. I am proud to be part of SM Foundation,” she said.
Dr. Carmie Chua agreed, saying that when people ask her what she does, she always talks about her practice and being a “proud volunteer of SM.”
Emalyn Boco, a radiologic technologist, operates the xrays of SM Foundation’s mobile clinics. “I found my purpose here. Iba ang saya pag nag thank you ang mga pasyente,” she revealed.
Dr. Lyn Cequena, a volunteer since 2008, is a breast cancer survivor. Even during her battle with the illness, she never forgot about helping SM Foundation. Inspired after SM recognized their efforts, she wrote a poem to express the happiness she felt volunteering with SM Foundation for ten years.