(Part 1)
In my blog post about the 2023 medical and humanitarian mission organized by the United Catanduanes San Diego (UCSD) and Friends, I detailed how my experiences as a volunteer left such feel-good memories and meaningful takeaways. That 2023 stint got me so excited at the prospect of joining the mission’s next staging in 2026, following its triennial schedule.
Then, out of left field, the news came that the next mission is happening not two years from now, but this year from January 28 to February 3. In light of this surprising turn of events, the questions “Why?” and “How?” had to be asked.
The answer to the “Why?” question turned out to be providential: The UCSD cup runneth over!
UCSD President Doctor Oscar Enriquez disclosed that the decision to conduct this year’s mission came after a close friend of his, another doctor in Texas, donated a hefty amount to the group’s cause. His generous friend had a simple message in relation to the donation: “Take care of the needy and God is with us.” The generous endowment, when added to the surplus funds from the 2023 mission, was a compelling factor in this year’s conduct of the third Gift of Love humanitarian event.
His resolve to give it a go was likewise prompted by this quote from the great essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson:
The good doctor says that he always pays heed to similar ‘birdie whispers’ (I call them spiritual tweets) that seem to pop out during serendipitous moments; and so far, they have not failed him yet. The UCSD president had the same intuitive experience in San Diego some years back, while he was trying to think of a proper catchline to go with the mission’s objectives. That light-bulb moment gave birth to the theme ‘The Gift of Love.’
As to the “How” part, the 2024 Gift of Love Medical Mission opted to use the same strategy adopted for its previous outreach programs. It will be recalled that during its first UCSD humanitarian mission in 2020, the group was restricted from conducting its activities in central Virac owing to the pandemic scare. It had to resort to a solution akin to the doctrine that says “If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must come to the mountain.”
The UCSD volunteers were divided into teams and were assigned to different mission churches representing the 11 municipalities of Catanduanes. This alternative entailed massive planning, fundraising, organization, mobilization, and collaborating with foreign and local partners, not to mention the taxing on-the-ground work during the week-long conduct. Yet, it turned out to be a course of action that yielded more beneficial results and therefore served as the model for succeeding missions.
Thus, this year, designated teams rendered services and gave gifts to pre-selected beneficiaries in all 11 municipalities of the island, in venues particularly chosen for their accessibility and convenience. Services were clustered into free medical checkup, dispensing of medicines, dental services, eye checkup, OB/GYN consultations, distribution of free reading glasses, soup kitchen, and giving gifts to both young and old beneficiaries. The mission was capped by distributing gifts, as well as providing medical and dental services to Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) at the Virac District Jail on February 3. The group likewise donated a hospital bed and a stretcher to the Eastern Bicol Medical Center (EBMC) to replace the damaged ones at the hospital.
Two days before the Catanduanes mission, UCSD conducted a similar initiative in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga. The outreach program benefited 200 locals who received pails containing rice, kitchen essentials, and fresh tilapia bought from a nearby fish pond. Including fresh catch in the goodies pack was another ‘first’ in UCSD’s book of gift giving. In addition to the gifts, the Betis beneficiaries were also treated to filling snacks and drinks during the event.
Given an inspired and charismatic leader, the clear objective of serving the needs of the underprivileged sector, plus benevolent donors and sponsors, any humanitarian endeavor needs collaborators who share the same purpose and commitment to run its affairs seamlessly. In this aspect, UCSD has a distinct ace up its sleeve: the combined strengths of its hardworking team members, generous foreign and local partners, dedicated organizers/coordinators/facilitators, and the all-out support of religious, local government, and civic organizations.
Part 2 of this story will focus on these groups and their unique contributions to fostering a culture of compassion, charity, and sharing of one’s time and resources for the good of the needy — all of which represent the core values of ‘The Gift of Love.’
Salt & Pepper 