People for others

Last 25 July 2001, at the Rev. Henry Lee Irwin, S.J. Threatre in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, in a special academic convocation, the Ateneo de Manila University conferred traditional university awards to outstanding alumni, individuals and entities. One of the distinguished awards given out was the Lux-in-Domino Award – and a most worthy recipient was Dr. Manuel Chua Chiaco Sr. of the Ateneo Class of 1932. Dr. Chua Chiaco, as a cardiologist, was not only a leading figure in the medical profession but has the biggest heart of gold for the poor, the sick, and the less privileged sectors in society.

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As the souvenir program explained it, "The Lux-in-Domino Award is given not as a tribute to achievement, but as the alma mater’s loving and grateful recognition of a life of Christian witnessing. It holds up, for others to emulate, a life lived in generous pursuit of the Gospel ideals. These ideals, which the Ateneo has tried to instill in her sons and daughters, are faithful love of Christ and his Church, and humble service to others, specially the least of the brethren."

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Dr. Chua Chiaco practiced his profession in the UST College of Medicine, the UERM Memorial Medical Center, the Chinese General Hospital, and the Philippine Heart Center. Even then, he already showed his compassion and concern for the poor. At the Chinese General Hospital, for instance, he increased the number of hospital beds for charity patients, maintained a policy of "no tuition, free board and lodging" for all students, especially those from the provinces, in the hospital’s School of Nursing.

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It was almost a decade ago when I first met Dr. Chua Chiaco. And it was his spirit of philantropy, his desire to help the poorest of the poor, that brought him to my office and the Good Samaritan Foundation. He not only donated generously to the socially-oriented projects of the Foundation but also conceptualized pro-poor programs that I took up and implemented.

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Remember of the "Operations Christmas Joy" that the Good Samaritan Foundation has been implementing year by year, a charity project designed to bring some joy and happiness to the sick indigent children confined at the charity wards of hospitals during the Christmas season? It was Dr. Chua Chiaco who proposed that beautiful project to me many years ago – and the Good Samaritan Foundation took it up, with my staff distributing toys, food and other gifts to the suffering but starry-eye kids confined in the charity wards of various Metro Manila hospitals.

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What was distinctive about "Operations Christmas Joy" was that it eventually attracted civic groups and large companies like Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (now HSBC), the Senate Spouses Foundation, the DPWH Officials and Personnel, etc. to participate in the gift-giving and eventually adopt it as their own program. For instance, the HSBC, after several years of joining "Operations Christmas Joy", even spent several millions of pesos to spruce up an idle backyard beside the children’s ward of the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital and turned it into a playland for the kids.

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It was President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was then Vice President, who inaugurated the playground with HSBC officials. Thank God there was a Dr. Manuel Chua Chiaco Sr. who planted the seeds of "Operations Christmas Joy".

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Dr. Chua Chiaco, too, asked me to work with him in hosting a "Valentine’s Party" for kids from indigent families in Mandaluyong City. For two successive years, Dr. Chua Chiaco and his wife, Marcela, in partnership with then Mayor and Mrs. Benjamin Abalos, provided a sumptuous lunch and distributed school bags and gifts to the poor children from the depressed areas of Mandaluyong. Indeed, those were memorable times when the spirit of sharing, caring and concern was in full bloom, as exemplified by the humanitarian spirit of Dr. Chua Chiaco.

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Dr. Chua Chiaco, who is now 87 years old and retired from the practice of his profession, is a perfect symbol of a man for others. As I have known him through the past many years, he is someone who lives not for his own joy and glory but to be of service to those who need help most, to the least of his brethren.

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The kindness and thoughtfulness of Ms. Veana Fores, daughter of the great surgeon Dr. Raul Fores, director of the Makati Medical Center, have saved the lives of Siamese twins born last July 3, 2001, of Pamela Dulay of Pangasinan. It was Veana who, as a Christian gesture for the less fortunate in life, made arrangements with her father for the surgical operation that separated the twins from each other.

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After an eight-hour operation at the Makati Med on Thursday, September 6, Dr. Fores and another topnotch surgeon Dr. Vicente Arguelles, assisted by equally able associate surgeons Dr. Jose Ozamis and Dr. Diaz, cut off the twins – Alia and Maia – from the liver and abdomen which connected them to each other. The operation was a howling success, and the two-month-old can now look to living a normal life.

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Originally, the twins were supposed to be operated on last September 4, but this was reset to give way to further tests and studies from Makati Med’s team of plastic surgeons. Alia and Maia, after the successful operation, are now recuperating at the Intensive Care Unit. By the way, the other members of the medical team that participated in the surgical operation of the twins were plastic surgeon Dr. Ponciano Manalo, anaesthesiologist Dr. Remedios Suntay, and cardiologist Dr. Leus. Thanks a million, and God bless!

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The Dulay family requested me to publicly convey their heartfelt thanks to Dr. Fores, Dr. Arguelles, the medical team, and all those at Makati Med who assisted in the medical treatment of Aila and Maia. They also wish to thank the management and staff of POBAR Marines Inc. at Roxas Blvd., Manila, who sent financial assistance of P6,300, and the following blood donors: Peter Norman Brillante, Aaron Brillante and Francis Pagsolingan.

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Dennis Miller, a Christian minister who trains laymen and pastors in the Asian Centers for Christian Studies in Balanga City and Ramos town in Tarlac, and who is also the national superintendent of Kingsway Fellowship, a ministerial service organization with more than 1000 member pastors, wrote to me in behalf of Remedios Ricanor of Binalonan, Pangasinan, one of the paralyzed victims of the Manor Hotel fire tragedy. Remedios is the wife of the Rev. Abraham Nicanor, a member of Kingsway Fellowship, and both of them were attending the Don Clowers religious meeting at Araneta Coliseum.

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Mr. Miller requested the Good Samaritan Foundation to provide a wheelchair to Remedios, who is currently hospitalized at the Quezon City Medical Center where she is expected to stay for two more months. The requested wheelchair has already been personally delivered by the Good Samaritan Foundation personnel to the hospital.

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A human interest item is that the Rev. Abraham and Remedios Ricanor went to the Clowers meeting to take two young people from their church, one deeply depressed, because the theme of Clowers’ teaching, regarding healing all hurts, was what was needed by the troubled young person. Fortunately, the two youngsters were able to get out safely from the Manor Hotel through the air-conditioner opening and lowered themselves down. On the other hand, Remedios jumped into the darkness from the fourth floor, landing on the second, breaking her back in the process.

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PULSEBEAT: Former Ambassador Rodolfo A. Arizala wrote to suggest that my 7 September 2001 column entitled "A Nation and People with Short Memories" could have been retitled as "A Nation and People with Voluntary Amnesia". . . Thank you to Robert Lacoste who took time to write and encourage me to continue writing about the good things that are happening in our country, and to continue featuring the "Thoughts for Today" that are inspiring and give us solace from the woes of the day.

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Thoughts for Today:

Smile and your muscles will stretch,
Pray and your burdens will lighten,
Laugh and your heart will be strong...
These are the secrets of a good life.

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God never takes a day off…
To love, to care and guide us
Every moment in our lives,
Even in times of distress.

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My e-mail address: <[email protected]>