Monday, January 15, 2007 Ibaloi woman begins drive for 2 Benguet patients
AN IBALOI woman raising her young daughter in Kentucky has sent US$210 to support medical patients in Benguet, her native province.
It was the latest in a series of humanitarian remittances she began last year, triggered by her downloading news articles about seriously ill patients posted on Internet websites based here. Again, she requested anonymity.
The Session Rd. branch of the Equitable-PCI Bank, through which she coursed the donation, released it in the local currency for a total of P10,040.44.
As advised, P3,824 was for 20-year-old Ariel Paquito, a native of Cabuttotan, Bakun, Benguet who was diagnosed with naso-pharyngeal cancer in August last year. His sister Analiza received the money last week.
An equal amount will be for Fortunato Balancia, a 44-year-old father of six working as a road maintenance man with the Benguet Provincial Engineering Office (PEO). He is suffering from ameloblastoma, a rare tumor affecting his teeth and jawbone.
She said the remaining US$50 (P2,390) will be for another expense which she told this writer not to reveal.
Ariel is the eldest of six children of Adonis Paquito, a 45-year-old vegetable farmer who wrote an appeal on behalf of his son.
"He (Ariel) needs to undergo chemotherapy at the SLU Medical Center for six sessions worth P40,000 per session, three times cobalt (therapy) worth P35,000 per session, plus medicines and hospital bills (or) a total of P350,000," Adonis said.
Benguet Social Welfare and Development Officer Juana Bannawe noted in the social case study prepared by social worker Virginia Lapina that the Paquitos' have been financially drained. Balancia needs P85,000 to have his jaw corrected by surgery. Bulk of the amount would be for the titanium plate needed.
Only last November, the same donor sent US$160, which was allotted to Rodel Serrano, a 33-year-old who is also suffering from naso-pharyngeal cancer, four-year-old leukemia victim Zandro Cherwaken-Pagayon and for the family of Marqvinz Mamaril, a three-year-old who succumbed to leukemia.
The Ibaloi woman in Kentucky has set the tone for the fund drive for Balancia and Paquito. Others who want to follow suit may contact Ariel through her sister Analiza's cell phone 09214535398 or Balancia's 09182134917.
Donations for Ariel may also be coursed through Landbank account number 1376-0398-50 opened by and under the name of his father at the La Trinidad branch. (RD)
