AS PEDIATRIC heart treatment costs rise beyond household incomes, a humanitarian group of business leaders and professionals is pooling funds to finance critical surgeries for children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
The Rotary Club of Cebu aims to fund more than 100 pediatric heart operations in 2026 through its annual “Run for Gift of Life,” which has evolved from a charity event into a structured fundraising platform backed by corporate sponsors, business leaders and private donors.
Over 13 years, the club’s Gift of Life initiative has facilitated 615 pediatric heart surgeries. In 2025 alone, 115 children underwent operations funded through the program.
This year, the group will stage its seventh run on May 24, 2026 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
A market gap in pediatric care
Dr. John Albert Montoya of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) said affordability remains the core issue. CHD device closures typically cost between P400,000 and P500,000, while complex open-heart procedures can run significantly higher figures that remain prohibitive even for middle-income families.
CHD refers to structural heart or blood vessel abnormalities present at birth, ranging from minor defects to severe, life-threatening conditions. The condition affects one in every 100 infants globally, with more than four million children under five estimated to be living with CHD.
Although public hospitals and government insurance programs provide partial coverage, out-of-pocket expenses, professional fees and related hospital costs continue to deter early intervention.
Through its partnership with Let It Echo Foundation, Rotary Cebu’s model absorbs much of these expenses, allowing some families to pay little to nothing for surgery.
Beneficiaries now extend beyond Cebu to hospitals in Metro Manila and Bacolod, signaling how private-sector fundraising in one region is subsidizing healthcare access in others.
From charity event
to structured funding model
Club president Charles Vincent Ong, also president of Citrineland Corp., described the 100-surgery target as both symbolic and scalable, noting that last year’s P3-million fundraising milestone demonstrated the model’s viability.
Gift of Life Initiative chair Alfredo Relucio Jr. emphasized that each race registration translates directly into surgical funding — a measurable outcome that resonates with corporate sponsors increasingly focused on impact-driven corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Rather than dispersing small donations across varied causes, he said the group consolidates contributions into a single high-cost, high-impact medical outcome: one funded surgery equals one saved life.
The group also aims to raise awareness that CHD is treatable and that organizations are willing to help finance the treatment.
Two-year-old Cyrus was among the beneficiaries of last year’s run. He underwent corrective surgery for patent ductus arteriosus at the VSMMC, with the procedure costing about P85,000, excluding related expenses. The full amount was covered through the program.
As healthcare inflation persists, Cebu’s corporate leaders are demonstrating how localized private capital can temporarily bridge systemic financing gaps — particularly for high-cost, specialized treatments.
With a target of 2,500 to 3,000 runners this year, organizers said the event is more than a race. It serves as a private-sector funding mechanism channeling CSR budgets into life-saving medical interventions for children in need. (KOC)