HCW’s children launched Books and toys drive for children-patients

Nag-uugnay Volunteer Initiative and the Philippine Society of Anesthesiologists – Bataan Olongapo Zambales Chapter (PSA BOZ) announced recently a donation drive for children admitted in hospitals and children of health care workers in the 15 hospitals covered by the chapter. Dubbed Libro’t Laruan, the program aims to collect new or preloved toys and books for children being cared for in hospitals and children of health care workers who continue to take extra safety measures when going home to their loved ones.

“As a mother of twin girls, it breaks my heart to attend to young patients in the pediatric wards especially at a time like this. It would mean a lot for these young patients to have a toy or a book during their stay in the hospital. We recognize the benefits of play in their recuperation,” Dr. Sheryl Felix-Jalaidi, internal vice president of the PSA BOZ, said. The doctor added: “We would also give these items to the children of our hardworking colleagues as a way of saying thank you to the selfless service they continue to provide in a pandemic.”

The donated books and toys would be distributed to the following hospitals: Isaac and Catalina Medical Center; Bataan Doctors Hospital and Medical Center; Bataan St. Joseph Hospital; Balanga Medical Center; Ulticare Medical Center; Jose C. Payumo Jr. Memorial Hospital; Centro Medico de Santisimo Rosario; Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center; Orani District Hospital; Bataan Peninsula Medical Center; Mariveles District Hospital; James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital; Orion St. Michael Hospital; Allied Care Experts Medical Center-Baypointe; and Ridon St. Jude Medical Center Olongapo City.

Adarna House and Adarna Group Foundation, Inc. donated 257 picture books to the program. Tahanan Books, on the other hand, sent two (2) sets of 13 titles comprised of early concept books and storybooks. These initial book donations are allocated for the pediatric wards of James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital and Ridon St. Jude Medical Center Olongapo City.

For those who would like to donate children’s books and toys, please message Nag-uugnay Volunteer Initiative FB Page https://www.facebook.com/naguugnayvolunteerinitiative or email pagawaanincorporated@gmail.com.

Nag-uugnay Volunteer Initiative, a loose group of friends helping out medical communities in Camiguin, Bataan and Olongapo in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, has successfully completed 12 efforts to-date. These private sector-driven projects are documented on its Facebook Like Page with the same name:

(1)       1,550 hygiene kits from Unilever Philippines and 35 gallons of isopropyl alcohol from     the Jalaidi family. This effort was in partnership with the Philippine Society of            Anesthesiologists – Bataan Olongapo Zambales Chapter (PSA BOZ);

(2)       Nag-uugnay T-shirt, face masks and alcohol spray bottle from SD Custom Concept           Enterprise available on Shopee;

(3)       400 raincoats (used as PPE) from SM Foundation, Inc.;

(4)       205 cartons of Bear Brand Sterilized Milk (200 ml) or 6,560 units of the milk product       from Nestlé Philippines;

(5)       7,600 various PPE items from the “Project Kaagapay: Protect our Healthcare Heroes!”     of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and its donor Cartier Philanthropy in partnership with Metro Drug, Inc. and Zuellig Pharma;

(6)       50 PPE sets from the Tulong Kapatid Consortium comprised of the PLDT-Smart   Foundation, the Makati Medical Center Foundation, and the Philippine Navy. Sky        Land Brokerage, Inc. delivered the PPE sets from Manila to Camiguin General      Hospital free of charge;

(7)       250 reusable face masks from a private donor for Makabuhay Movement and the University of the Philippines Covid-19 Response Volunteers (UP CRV);

(8)       300 isolation gowns from a private foreign donor coursed through the Taipei Economic    and Cultural Office in the Philippines. JRS Express delivered the gowns from Makati     City to Bataan Peninsula Medical Center free of charge;

(9)       Medical items for Camiguin General Hospital from HealthSolutions Enterprises Inc.;

(10)     200 food packs and drinks from the Ronald McDonald House Charities      (RMHC)/McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen for the health care workers of Mariveles District Hospital;

(11)     734 various PPE items donated by Unilab Foundation to Camiguin General Hospital;

(12)     Food packs and drinks from the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) given to Misamis          Oriental Provincial Hospital, the Lipunan Hospital, and the Gingoog Sanitarium and    Hospital.

Visual artist Aba Lluch Dalena created the poster for the Libro’t Laruan program. Betty Uy-Regala and Kathelyn Ann Bravo founded the Nag-uugnay Volunteer Initiative. They have been subsequently joined by Emerald Go, Denize Manalo and Liza Ofianga.