The Journey Home

The Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung Charitable Foundation, Inc. is hosting Operation Smile Medical Mission in Cebu for the 15th year.

Operation Smile began in the Philippines with its first mission in Naga City, Camarines Sur in 1982. Founders Dr. William Magee and his wife Kathy, a nurse and social worker, traveled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children's cleft lips and cleft palates. They discovered hundreds of children with deformities and although they helped many children, the volunteers were forced to turn away the majority of those who sought help. The Magees saw the need and Operation Smile was born.

Today, on its 30th Jubilee year, Operation Smile will conduct "The Journey Home" from October 26 through December 2, 2012. This campaign celebrates 30 years of transforming the lives of the children in the Philippines. These nationwide simultaneous international missions will be mounted with the help of volunteers from 30 countries, across 10 sites throughout the Philippines with the goal of changing lives of more than 4,500 children forever.

Operation Smile is an organization who believes that every child deserves the opportunity to lead a normal life. It has become a pioneer in care centers specializing in comprehensive treatment for children with cleft. It is part of a global coalition of NGOs advocating for safe surgical care in developing countries. It is actively engaged in the research and prevention of childhood facial deformities and birth defects. It is a leader in medical education and training of health care professionals across the globe.

In Cebu, the mission is scheduled on November 23 to December 1, 2012 at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. Patients, volunteers and donors may call site coordinator Monette Aliño at 2311829 or 4158090 for inquiry.

* * *

Laminine Opening. The blessing and inauguration of Laminine office in Cebu at Cherry Court along Mango Avenue was held a few weeks ago with franchise bigiwigs cutting the ceremonial ribbon, Susan Esgana, Ronald Clemente, Ronald Raguero and Gene Concepcion.

Malyn Paradero, one of the top sales executives in Cebu, informed us that Laminine was selling like the proverbial hotcakes on opening day. Actually, Laminine is a form of a natural adaptogen helping to create a state of normalizing and restoring the body to its natural state of homeostasis. Regular use of laminine helps to reduce signs of aging, builds collagen for healthier looking skin, and more. For more information, contact Forever Rich Phils., Inc. 2nd Floor Cherry Court, Mango Avenue.