The 2008 Bogo Medical and Mercy Missions
by Elly Verallo Delavin, President
Bogohanons of Southern California and Abroad
September 8, 2008
The planning of 2008 Bogo Medical and Mercy Missions started in the summer of 2006. Starting the plan and going to the drawing board is a huge task but knowing deep within that this dream is reachable. Basing from the experience during the 2004 Medical Mission, the group, this time, was more confident on what to do and expect to assure the success of this Mission. The Bogohanons USA and Abroad decided to have its first Reunion in Las Vegas Nevada in December 2006 as the official kick off to this 2008 project. The reunion was for 3 days filled with different events and activities. Dinner and Dance tickets were sold as part of the fund raising. From then on, several raffles, dances and solicitation from kind donors took place in order to raise the amount needed. With focus & strong determination to succeed, Bogohanons of Southern California and Abroad together with the of the Nevada Bisayan Society and Las Vegas Nevada Medical Association, the dream became a reality, the seemingly impossible task became possible.
The Medical Mission started May 19 -23, 2008 at the Severo Verallo Memorial Hospital . The hospital staff, city health employees, Social Services employees volunteered to help with the Mission. For four & a half days, these different medical services were accomplished:
Major surgery- 18
Minor surgery-98
Circumcision-72
Dental work and extraction-91
Eye test and provision of reading glasses -231
Blood sugar test and training of patients to handle diabetic
disease-150
Nebulizer treatments-104
Medical cases-1,628
Total free packages of prescription drugs dispensed/provided during the mission-2,170
After a week of challenges and a successful Medical Mission, the group proceeded to give bags of rice and other basic needs to more than a thousand indigent families among the different barangays, to the Gawad kalinga Community at the multi purpose building our association has donated. We then proceeded to the City jail to visit the inmates & gave their share of goodies. For more than a decade, the Bogohanons of So. California & Abroad has been a major sponsor in providing hundreds of books and other reading materials to the Bogo Public Library. There is a need for a good library to help the growing population of students in the city. Bogo is proud to claim as being one of the few cities in Cebu Province to offer an array of schools - from elementary, high school, college, vocational courses .
We are happy and proud that our colleges have produced numerous graduates of nursing, physical therapy and teaching programs & are now gainfully employed in the U.S. and Europe.
The new Bogo City Library and Museum has been inaugurated and blessed last May 8 , 2008 by Fr. Suico .
The past successes of this gift of love to our kababayans has been a constant source of our inspiration to do even more in the future. The sight of grateful and happy faces of the people we encountered during these 7 wonderful days was sheer joy knowing in our hearts that we have accomplished our Mission . The experience, memories and the sense of accomplishment are by themselves gratifying and self rewarding .
A DREAM BECOMING A REALITY, indeed!
To All Bogohanons, friends, donors & all who in one way or another have helped made these projects of love possible, in behalf of the Southern California and Abroad, my heartfelt & sincere gratitude to you.
