Physicians for Peace Philippines opened 2026 with a bold “One Trip, Two Sites” Healthcare and Multi‑Specialty Mission in Leyte, serving a total of 888 beneficiaries with various disabilities in Tacloban and Ormoc in just two days. From mobility assistance to eye, ear, and women’s health, and diagnostic services, the missions embodied a powerful blend of medical expertise and Rotary volunteerism in action.

One Trip, Two Cities, and Hundreds of Stories

Families had arrived early, long before dawn broke on January 10 at the Leyte Academic Center Annex, filling the grounds near Tacloban with their papers ready, anxious to get started. The following day, the mission caravan moved to Saint Paul’s School of Ormoc Foundation, Inc., where classrooms turned into consultation rooms and covered walks became waiting areas for patients who had long postponed checkups they could not afford.

Across these two sites, 906 men, women, and children living with varying disabilities and health challenges received much‑needed attention, many of them seeing specialists for the first time.

Many Services, One Healing Purpose

The goal was to bring actual hospital-level care to communities that usually get left behind. This wasn’t just basic triage; it was a full operation with specialists on the ground.

• Mobility: The mobility team didn’t just hand out devices. They assessed and fitted patients for prostheses and wheelchairs from The Church of Jesus-Christ Latterday Saints Charities right on the spot, giving people the tools they needed to finally move on their own again.

• Vision & Hearing: Side by side with these were eye care consultations and refractions, hearing health assessments and provision of hearing aid units provided by Starkey Foundation.

• Diagnostics & Women’s Health: Community X‑ray services and dedicated women’s health stations provided breast and cervical screening, all aimed at early detection and prevention rather than crisis‑driven care.

Rotary Governors Unite in Service

What made this mission special was the rare mix of leadership from two different Rotary districts. You had PDG Lyne Abanilla from District 3810 teaming up with District 3860’s PDG Caroline Andrade and PDG Anna Bumagat to make the ‘One Trip, Two Sites’ concept happen. It was a perfect example of how crossing boundaries can actually get more done.

The current Governor of District 3860, Gov. Jong Fernandez even showed up all the way from Cebu City, which gave the volunteers a huge morale boost and highlighted just how serious Rotary is about improving healthcare in Eastern Visayas.

Powered by Ambassadors and Rotary Hearts

Quietly fueling the Leyte missions were PFP Ambassadors Romy and Mona Buerano from New Jersey, whose sponsorship, together with generous friends, covered the full range of services offered over the two days. Years of steady support from this Fil‑Am couple have made it possible for Physicians for Peace Philippines to keep reaching far‑flung communities, and 2026 in Tacloban and Ormoc is part of that continuing promise.

Because of their backing, 906 beneficiaries living with different disabilities were seen by specialists at no cost, a reminder that when overseas Filipinos give back, entire provinces feel the impact. The medical staff didn’t work alone. It wasn’t just medical staff on site. Rotarians from RC Kandaya-Tacloban and RC Ormoc handled the heavy lifting on logistics, managing patient flow so the doctors could concentrate on what they do best.

Leadership with Sleeves Rolled Up

At the center of the activity was the familiar tandem of PFP Chair Dr. Josephine “Penny” Bundoc and Chief Operating Officer Lyne Abanilla, both more at home in crowded mission sites than in air‑conditioned boardrooms.

Dr. Bundoc, famous for her Walking Free program, was constantly on the move. She hopped from station to station, checking prosthetic fittings and guiding the women’s health volunteers with a mix of expertise and kindness. Meanwhile, COO Abanilla used his Rotary experience to handle the logistics. He coordinated with the local government, hospital staff, and the clubs to ensure supplies and patient referrals kept moving smoothly.

When Bayanihan Learns to Walk Again

We can look at the stats: 906 patients served in two locations. But the memory of this mission isn’t about data. The real impact was in the scenes no report can capture: a man trusting his balance on a new walker, a farmer reading an eye chart for the first time in years, or a mother finding peace of mind after a screening.

These personal victories are the true measure of success for Physicians for Peace Philippines and Rotary. It was about bayanihan—helping our neighbors stand a little taller and hope a little more.