SAN JUAN, BATANGAS – Bayanihan. It’s a word we hear all the time, maybe too much. But on August 2nd in Barangay Calubcub 1, it stopped being a word and became a verb. You could see it in the unlikely, effective team that formed right there on the spot: doctors and soldiers working side-by-side with the village’s own volunteers. They had a single, unspoken mission: reaching the 203 people who showed up looking for help.
This was the vision of the Rotary Club of Lipa South (District 3820) for its HEARTWork: Bayanihang May Puso Legacy Project. They set out to do more than just provide services; they convened a true community effort, proving that the most profound changes happen when people decide to show up for one another. Under the vision of HeartWorking Governor Jeremie Lo, this initiative was a direct answer to the call for disease prevention and a renewed focus on maternal and child health.
But Rotary did not walk alone. But a mission of this scale is never carried by one group alone. Rotary was joined by a formidable circle of partners: the medical wisdom of Physicians for Peace Philippines, the disciplined support of the 3rd Air Force Wing Reserve and 3rd ARCEN, and most crucially, the tireless Barangay Officials and Health Workers of Calubcub 1, who were the true heart of the operation on the ground.
The barangay hall was packed, repurposed into a place where people could get real help. The vision corner was particularly busy. There, 96 residents received free eyeglasses. You could watch them put on a pair, their expression shifting from uncertainty to quiet delight. It was a practical solution to a long-held problem, allowing people to once again see the world and the family in front of them without a blur.
And the kids? They made out like bandits. Forty of them submitted to a tooth inspection and walked away victorious, armed with a new toothbrush. The fear was forgotten instantly; the big, clean smiles were proof. They were the ones waiting in line, worrying, hoping for good news from the medical screenings. A blood sugar test can feel like a verdict. A consultation, a lifeline. So the children went home with their small, practical treasures. The adults, you hope, left with something more fragile: the simple, blessed absence of a fear they had woken up with that morning.
How do you give someone back their dignity? You don’t. You can’t. You just give them what they need to go and get it themselves. That’s exactly what happened for 37 people who left with the simple freedom of a wheelchair or a cane. And then there was the quiet resolve happening in a private corner, where 14 women took an hour for themselves. An hour that could save their lives, to get a Pap smear. The day was a mosaic of these moments, big and small. The fitting of a prosthetic leg. The answer to a long-held question. Each one is a clear and simple message: You are not invisible.
This symphony of service was conducted by a chorus of dedicated leaders. The mission was expertly guided by the wisdom of PDG Doc Pete Tenorio, the hands-on leadership of Lady Au Tenorio, and the focused passion of Rtn Mye Agojo. Holding it all together were HeartWorking President JV Lim and HeartWorking Secretary PP Floreto Solano, whose commitment was the event’s steady pulse.
Gratitude flows endlessly to partners like PDG Lyne Alano Abanilla and the entire Physicians for Peace team, whose expertise is matched only by their generosity. The presence of COL. Harold V. Hernando PAF GSC and LTC Floreto I. Solano PAF (RES) GSC, alongside their personnel, were a powerful reminder that service to the nation wears many uniforms.
Of course, no such undertaking could succeed without the community’s own embrace. Brgy. Captain PP Jerome Isabela and his team of officials and health workers were the true cornerstones, their tireless efforts ensuring a seamless and welcoming experience for all. A special tribute must be paid to PDG Chito Recto, the project’s Overall Chairman, whose profound generosity and constant presence were a source of inspiration, and to the sponsors, PP Eva Beltran, PP Gerard Villa, PP Doc Sol, and PP Gene Perce, who funded the gift of sight.
So what remains when a medical mission packs up and leaves? An empty hall. Packed-up boxes. A list of names. But that’s the surface of things. What really takes root is something quieter. A subtle shift in the barangay’s posture, the replacement of worry with a small, stubborn seed of security. You can’t put that in a report. You can’t quantify the feeling a woman has, walking home with medicine for her husband, or a child who can finally read the blackboard at school. The HEARTWork mission did its job, but its true legacy isn’t the work it did, but the quiet, powerful belief it left behind: the belief that they were not forgotten.