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Dear members, dear friends, and supporters of Mabuhay!
"Children, how time flies..." Another year has passed, and before it's quite over, I'd like to tell you about what's new in Bugko.
From August 18th to September 12th, four medical students from Germany were here to visit, or rather, to work. They were able to put into practice a lot of what they had learned at university and also learn new things. Manuel B., Christoph S., Max B., and Kristina K. worked around the clock, examining patients and getting to know the country and its people. Our volunteers were constantly on hand to assist them and translated effectively to bridge the language barrier. It was an exciting time for both sides, as we had students here for the first time.
The crowning conclusion was a medical mission we organized, during which 362 patients were seen by our "young doctors." The patients were happy to wait just to be examined by "Dr. Jo." Some of the patients came from far away to receive medical help. The health care system here is still so poorly developed that people are grateful for any help they receive.
While our students were still here, our newly elected Governor of Northern Samar, Paul Daza, also visited us. He had heard so much about our clinic that he wanted to see for himself what we do here. Our volunteers were also interviewed.
Thanks to the generous support of the German Dental Aid Organization, led by Dr. Klaus Winter, we were able to fence in and secure our newly acquired property. Our site is now complete and provides space for further expansion, including our programs.
On October 25, barangay elections were held in Bugko. We'd say the election of the mayor and his advisors. And, almost unimaginably for us, no ballots arrived here that day, just like in over 2,000 other barangays (that's 6% of the Philippines!). So, the election wasn't held until October 26, and we got a new mayor, who is now responsible for law and order.
At the end of October, Sister Veronica and I flew to Cebu to officially register our programs at the Mabuhay Clinic. This is the first step toward our registration with the local DOH (Department of Health). Since we plan to offer small laboratory services to our patients here in 2011, we need this registration for our legal protection. Thankfully, Sister Veronica has a former student in Cebu who took care of much of the work and legwork for us beforehand, so we are now officially registered.
This year, our annual trip with our volunteers went to Tacloban. We had put together a small program and even happened to meet the city's mayor, who was happy to pose for photos with us.
At the end of this year, I would like to thank you all once again, also on behalf of all Bugkoano, because without the many helping hands and financial support, it would not be possible to carry out and maintain such a program here.
With best wishes for a happy Advent season and a blessed Christmas, I am yours,
Sabine Korth
Malipayon nga Pasko (Merry Christmas) from Bugko!
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