DMCI Homes’ medical mission benefits more than 200 Parañaque families

MANILA, Philippines - More than 200 families from Barangay Sto. Nino, Paranaque City received free medical check-up, dental service and medicines during a recent medical mission in the area that property developer DMCI Homes sponsored.

“DMCI Homes has a long-standing good neighbor policy. When we do a project in a community, we also want a smooth relationship with the local government and its residents.” says Jan Venturanza, explaining why DMCI Homes sponsored the medical mission on Nov. 22.

The medical and dental mission was conducted at the barangay’s basketball court along Sampaguita Street and opposite the property where DMCI Homes is building the mid-rise residential community, Arista Place.

Local government officials led by Parañaque City Mayor Jun Bernabe, his son and Councilor Benjo Bernabe, and Sto. Nino barangay captain Ismael de Leon graced the event and thanked DMCI Homes, led by senior vice president for finance and operations Ramil Lombos and the city doctors and dentists who served mothers, babies, children and elders.

Councilor Bernabe says that with the partnership of the local government, city health office and DMCI Homes, public service has a wider reach.

“With this kind of partnership, the local government is able to serve more people because companies and NGOs shoulder the other needs of our constituents,” Bernabe says.

Barangay residents who came to the venue first registered to get their queue number. Doctors then separately examined mothers, babies and elders before prescribing medicines for them.

Meanwhile, dentists performed tooth extraction on adults and children. After the check-up and dental operation, the patients proceeded to the pharmacy table to get their free medicines.

Generic drugs distributor Generika, toothpaste-maker Lamoiyan Corp. and pharmaceutical firm Unilab were also DMCI Homes’ partners in the medical and dental mission.

Aside from providing free medicines, DMCI Homes provided meals for all the health workers and volunteers.

Venturanza says DMCI Homes will sponsor more CSR activities in other barangays where the company has residential communities that are either constructed or being constructed. The plan is part of Kaakbay, the new name of the company’s corporate social responsibility program that also includes housing, environmental, educational and cultural projects. One example of a Kaakbay environmental project is a Quezon City river that DMCI Homes adopted for rehabilitation, according to Venturanza. 

For housing, De Leon says DMCI Homes recently donated 100 homes for the joint housing project of Paranaque City government, Rotary Club and Gawad Kalinga in Barangay La Huerta. The housing project is the relocation site for poor residents living along the city’s river.