THE JOURNEY HOME JOURNAL
by: Bobby Manzano, President & Executive Director, OSP
It’s amazing how quickly our volunteers can get things up and running. They arrived in the sites on Friday. Yesterday, they screened 914 patients. Tomorrow, they’ll start the surgeries. By the week’s end, we’ll have changed the lives of more children --- forever!
For two decades now, I’ve been witnessing these mini-miracles that we create. Yet, every time I think about it, I still get goose bumps. How many people ever get the chance to make such a dramatic difference in someone else’s lives? We’re so blessed to have been given this rare opportunity.
The quick turnaround at the mission sites speaks volumes about the quality of our leaders in the field. It takes inspired leadership to be able to motivate individuals who come from different cultures and upbringings and weld them into an effective team. We have plenty of this kind of leader who can wield authority and empathy in equal measures.
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| Dr. Owen Loh |
We have Willie Go, Andrei Ostanin and Isabelle Simoneau in Naga; Owen Loh, Rodel Valera and Mani Batra in Angeles; Sonny Santos, Bong Paltriguera, Lito Dimapeles and Nanette Solis in Silay; and BG Alcantara, Elsa Villagomeza and Debbie Smith in Cagayan de Oro in the second leg, and Eric Cembrano for the huge dental mission in Koronadal in the first leg.
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| Mayor Darlene Custodio |
It takes the same kind of inspired leadership to mobilize the local resources in the mission sites. We met two who helped us tremendously in Mindanao: South Cotabato Governor Dodo Pingoy and General Santos City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio. Both are young, well educated, well-liked public executives who genuinely care for the welfare of their constituents and their community.
I think both threw their support behind Operation Smile because they saw our sincere desire to help children with deformities that seriously impair their ability to live normal lives, and to enlist the entire community’s participation in the effort.
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| Smile Ambassadress Shamcey Supsup |
We provide a venue for people to unite in a collective positive action. Their response to The Journey Home has been overwhelming. We’re getting support from various sectors. The Rotary clubs in Angeles, Manila and General Santos, for example, volunteered to provide food and warm bodies. So did the alumni associations of De La Salle Health Science Institute and Manila Science High School. The SM store in General Santos allowed us the use of the mall for the screening of patients. Former Binibining Pilipinas titleholder Shamcey Supsup came all the way from Manila to spread cheers to the patients. A group of journalists in General Santos was so moved by what we’re doing that they approached us to explore a tie-up so they can help spread our story to even more people.
The core idea behind Operation Smile, that of a whole village coming together to care for a child who cannot fend for himself, remains as powerful today as it did 30 years ago. As we continue to pursue this thrust across our global network, we shall bring more healing, leave more caring communities and help create a better world.
