Ending  year 2015 was a blast for the Physicians for Peace Mission team.   The Seeing Clearly Team of Physicians for Peace   jointly conducted a Multi specialty mission in Dumangas,  Iloilo last Nov 5 and 6, 2015.  The team was composed of PFP  Optometrist volunteers together with Board Member Mitch Monfort Bautista,  Mayor Rolando Distura,  Councilor Lakan Bautista and other council members and our own Dr. Zorba Bnn Bautista more known as known as Dr. “Z.”

The Municipality of Dumangas is a third class municipality in the Province of Iloilo which is located in western Visayas.  The town’s major source of livelihood is primarily agricultural and fishing.

As we started a few years back little did we know that being a volunteer may give us a different perspective in life ,where  a feel good feeling is an understatement. Sharing knowledge through instructional lectures ,conducting  a forum or teach-in seminar to  teachers on visual care had not only helped the kids we have screened  but also the teachers  we have met and taught for the passed  years . The SCP team had all cross bridges to form a life changing purpose.  The teachers together with the SCP team  had become the bridge to these kid’s future.

As we have done  in our previous missions, we started by orienting the teachers on the  basics of vision impairment ,visual problem indicators and visual hygiene and answered their queries on vision topics.  We encouraged them to share  possible vision flaws they encountered. Some of the teachers’ observations of their students were skip reading, struggling in playtime activities e.g. catching a ball, difficulty in copying writings on the blackboard.   These findings, we explained to them may be due to vision impairment which can be corrected if properly attended to.

A total of 462 students had undergone vision screening.  Among the group vision screened, 11 students from age group 5-7 years old were found to have poor vision.  With eye glasses now provided to them by PFP, the students will be more adept in coping with their vision problems in their studies and living normal lives.

This mission had  been a success due to the cooperative efforts of the people involved in the planning, monitoring, and the attention to details in the execution of the project, thereby meeting the needs of the Dumangas community.  Once again our efforts as volunteers have been rewarded by the kindness of the people we served and of the joy we gained in serving those who need our help most.

Maricris P. Lim,  O.D.