The Philippines: A Land of "Mona Lisas" |
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Sections - Health and Medicine | |
Wednesday, 06 June 2007 11:30 | |
First Article in a Series of "Reinventing the Philippine Healthcare Industry" Princess Emraida Kiram is a member of the Royal Sultanate of Sulu. She is a daughter of the now-departed Sultan. She works now with the University of Wisconsin. On Dec. 14, 2003, Princess Emraida and I met several Filipino-American leaders in Niles, Illinois. One topic discussed during the meeting was the healthcare system in the Philippines. Princess Emraida said that if we did not know it yet, the number-one cause of death in Mindanao, especially among the Filipino Muslims, is the "Mona Lisa" Syndrome (MLS). All of us asked what in heaven's name is the MLS? With a twinkle in her eyes, Princess Emraida said, "Whenever the poor people of Mindanao get sick, 'they just lie there and they die there.'" We got the message. Yes, she referred to the lyrics of the song, "Mona Lisa," that balladeer Nat King Cole popularized. I say that Step One is to restore, fund and operate a chain of public-health clinics in the Philippine towns and large barangays (barrios). The project may be done as joint ventures by and among the Philippine government agencies, Filipino non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Overseas-Filipino entities.
Funding the "Health Clinics/NANAY Centers (HCNC)" is very much doable if only the Overseas-Filipino communities will team up with NGOs in the Philippines like the Ayala Foundation. In Southern California alone, there are more than 500 Filipino-American associations. These civic clubs range from alumni associations to provincial or town organizations. What is needed is to synchronize the fundraising efforts by having a common "Director of Grants" and eventually a shared Executive Office or Secretariat. The American branch of the Ayala Foundation in Northern California and the NANAY head office in Miami, Florida, may be able to help coordinate these fundraising efforts that shall follow strictly the ATIC Principles. Remember the slogan that I coined? ATIC, as in accountability, transparency, integrity and credibility.
Perhaps a task force may be organized from the different entities that may be interested in doing this HCNC Project. It will take time, dedication and resources to do it but it can be done. And hopefully, in a matter of years, people in the Philippines who get sick will be smiling like Mona Lisa, instead of merely singing Nat King Cole's song.
(To be continued . . .)
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 June 2008 10:14 |
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