MSYCFE 25 Years of Service to Community

It all started with a dream! Yes, Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung always had a dream – to give back, a sort of paying forward. She wanted to share her blessings with the less fortunate.

So, in August 1991, Mariquita shared her dream with relatives and a few friends who believed her vision was a way of thanking God for His blessings. Thus, was launched the Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung Charitable Foundation, Inc, or MSYCFI.

The original plan was simple: to empower the less fortunate, prioritizing their educational and medical needs. Health care centers were established in depressed barangays making health services accessible, available and acceptable. Medical and financial assistance were provided for immediate surgery of indigents; medicines and medical equipment were distributed to enhance medical services.

The Foundation adopted poor schools, granted financial assistance to marginalized but deserving students, improved the physical structure of schools as well as instructional materials.

In 1998, MSY partnered with Operation Smile International, a world-wide organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children born with cleft lips, cleft palate, and other facial deformities through free reconstructive surgery. In the Philippines, it is estimated that one in 500 babies born every year is born with a cleft lip or palate or both. It is also reported that cleft lips and palates are among the top 12 birth defects in the country. In as little as 45 minutes, a single surgery can change a life – but because of the cost, it is not in the priority list of indigents. So, MSY has been sponsoring Operation Smile in Cebu for19 years now (since 1998) giving almost 4000 children and adults new smiles at no cost whatsoever.

Last March 3, three big events were celebrated: the birthday of Mariquita on March 2; the 25th anniversary of MSYCFI and 19th year of MSY’s partnership with Operation Smile in Cebu through MSYCFI. All the OPSmile volunteers, national and international, at the time, were guests of MSY at this big dinner affair. In her speech, she specially thanked her dear hubby Carlos Yeung for all his support, and also thanked her family and friends; special mention was Monette Aliño, the executive director who is incredibly efficient and loyal to the foundation, and last year was Dr. James Joaquino who brought Operation Smile to Cebu through MSYCFI

Before ending her speech, MSY once again reminded everyone: “No one is ever so poor or ever so small as not to be able to give something of himself!”