ALAMINOS CITY— Some 200 children and adults suffering from harelip, cleft lip palate, burn marks on the skin and other similar conditions underwent free surgical  treatment conducted by the Philippine-American Group of Educators and Surgeons (PAGES) from February 5 to 9.

Members of the group, numbering 67, who came from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Puerto Rico made this city one of their stops during their yearly medical mission to the Philippines upon the request of the city government led by Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Braganza told newsmen that the group has been coming to the Philippines for the past 17 years and has so far benefited some 7,000 patients.

The group, led by Filipino-borne Vid Figueras, founder of PAGES, had nine surgeons who are all prominent practitioners in the places in their respective countries.

The other members of the PAGES team were 15 nurses, 10 sociologists, three pediatricians, one medical student, 24 support staff and two officials of Northwest Airlines, among them Ms. Shirley Yin, the company’s sales manager.

The operations were conducted under the PAGES’s project Helping Other People Excel (HOPE).

Braganza said the patients were lucky because operations in private hospital on hare lip and cleft lip palate normally costs P25,000 and P50,000, respectively.

All the patients were operated on at two special operating rooms set up at the Western Pangasinan District Hospital (WPDH) which was constructed with the help of Governor Victor Agbayani.

The city government of Alaminos provided all the medicines that were needed by the patients.

Braganza said members of PAGES brought with them their own surgical equipment costing from P6 million to P7 million, which they later donated to the WPDH through the city government.

The group also conducted a lecture series for the local media and other professionals.

Braganza said the group agreed to return in April this year to do more operations and has already asked the city government to gather all potential patients not only from Alaminos but also adjacent towns of Pangasinan.

Before finally bidding the people of Alaminos goodbye, members of PAGES distributed gifts to 500 indigent families under their own “Operation Grace”.

The group’s next and last stop will be Quirino before flying back to their respective homes.—LM

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