Tuesday, September 02, 2008 Smart supports medical missions
SMART Communications, Inc. recently supported two medical missions in Mindanao.
Smart provided financial assistance to "Bombo Medico 2008" in General Santos City, contributing to the P8 million fund raised to buy medicines in support of the efforts of Bombo Radyo Philippines Foundation and Queenbank Foundation to hold medical missions in 24 key cities nationwide.
The leading wireless services provider also lent cellular phones to the California-based doctors who undertook the five-day medical mission in Baungon, Bukidnon.
"Smart is happy to support Bombo Radyo Philippines' initiative to mark 42 years in the business by giving back to the community," said Smart external relations manager Wo Rosete.
Bombo Medico 2008 served more than 24,000 indigent patients in 24 key cities nationwide, surpassing its target of 20,000. Aside from the medical mission held in General Santos City, Smart also supported those held in the cities of Baguio and Dagupan.
The medical mission is the brainchild of Bombo Radyo Philippines president and chief executive officer Dr. Rogelio Florete "to act on the health concerns of the poor to have more productive and peaceful communities."
"This is to remind everyone that we are a network and an organization that cares about and tends to the needs of our less fortunate countrymen," Bombo Radyo Gensan station manager Ricky Collado said.
Smart also supported a five-day medical mission initiated by the local government of Baungon, Bukidnon.
"Communications support isn't something that we do only in times of calamities or disasters. When and where able, Smart also supports worthy causes like medical missions by providing wireless communications," said Atty. Maria Jane Paredes, Public Affairs VisMin manager.
Baungon Vice Mayor Pedro Roa Alvarez thanked Smart for its contribution, particularly for the cellular phones that the California-based doctors used during the medical mission.
"International roaming can be expensive so we decided to give our doctors a low-cost alternative, especially because they provided their services for free. Smart was the best choice because it has the widest coverage," said Alvarez.
Baungon, Bukidnon is a fourth-class municipality with a population of 35,000 composed mostly of farmers with no access to free medical services.
Alvarez said the idea of holding a medical mission was born when his father, Jose Chaves Alvarez, met Dr. Herminigildo Angeles during a medical checkup abroad. Angeles, a well-respected Filipino doctor overseas, had mentioned that he had provided medical services for free in many parts of the Philippines.
Over 4,000 benefited from the five-day medical mission in Baungon, Bukidnon. Alvarez credits the success of the activity to the medical team composed of surgeons, pediatricians, obstetricians/gynecologists, and cardiologists who provided services for free and to the organizations who gave funding support.
