Sarie Guanzon-Laserna, MD, FACOG, F-SPSA
President, NCVAPP Vice Chair, FUN,
Overall Coordinator, US-GK-Taguig Partnership
for Philippine Rebuilding
The following are my thoughts, ideas, suggestions for the Filipino
United Network (FUN) and other associations partnering with FUN in
the service of our country.
I. FUN is supporting the Gawad Kalinga village construction program
all over the Philippines, with its holistic support for education,
healthcare delivery system (Gawad Kalusugan) and livelihood programs
(vocational training, agro-aqua industrialization and worldwide trade
mission promotion to the Philippines). For this purpose FUN embraces
the U.S.-G.K.-Taguig Partnership with Taguig Mayor Tinga and GK's
Tony Meloto. Overall coordinators for this rebuilding partnership
based in the US are Dr. Sarie Guanzon-Laserna, Dr. Ale Ragaza and
Dr. Fe Cacdac
II. FUN is networking with other Filipino leaders worldwide and will
inspire other provinces and cities in the Philippines to adopt the
Pampanga experiment, being implemented by its Governor, "Among"
Ed Panlilio, as a template for honest, moral, accountable and transparent
government leadership. Overall coordinator for this moral crusade
and honest governance is Dr. Philip S. Chua, Chairman of FUN.
III. FUN, in cooperation with Rotary International, is supporting
the computer literacy program in the Philippines, to aid the government
public high schools. Again, Pampanga's 45 public high schools will
be used as template ($300,000 worth of computers at $650.00 each will
be donated by Rotary International for a total of 450 computers (10
for each of the 45 high schools).
In turn, FUN is raising $30,000 as its "goodwill share"
in exchange for 12 months of free hands on tutoring and 12 months
of free internet connections. NB: We hope to coin the word "Gawad
Karunungan" for this educational program in computer literacy.
We will appoint US- and Philippine-based chairpersons for this undertaking.
IV. FUN aims to assist in improving the healthcare delivery system
in the Philippines through:
A. Well organized Medical-Surgical Missions in the Philippines –
a joint venture of two national organizations, the Philippine College
of Surgeons (PCS), and the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America
(SPSA), serving as lead organizations.
B. Support of all GK communities in the future with free health clinics
using Taguig's Fil-Am Friendship Village as template. NB: We earnestly
urge Gawad Kalusugan to accept the challenge of regional organization
of the 6 major Philippine Medical Alumni Associations in America and
create a joint venture with their Philippine counterpart in "claiming"
Philippine regional areas where GK communities exists that each Philippine
based university (UST, UP, FEU, UE, CIM, SWU) will take charge of
in terms of efficient health care delivery system and in cooperation
with physicians for PEACE (where established).
C. Revival of Dr. Philip S. Chua's MPTIP (Medical Post Graduate Training
Institute in the Philippines) wherein we will invite Western trained
surgeons from the SPSA and other PMA's to rotate once a month in the
Philippines to conduct post graduate training course in selected hospitals
in the Philippines that will welcome this joint venture with us. Template
to be used is Taguig Public Health Hospital which is currently being
renovated. Other possibilities are being worked out by SPSA's Philippine
liaison coordinators, Dr. Enrico Garcia and Dr. Dan Fabito. We are
also eyeing the Asean Hospital in Alabang as a possible venue for
this purpose. Future talks about this is being planned.