Operation Smile on June 25 – July 2

CEBU, Philippines - Children and young adults with facial deformities can avail of free surgery anew with this year’s Operation Smile Medical Mission from June 25 to July 2.

The project is sponsored by the Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung Charitable Foundation in partnership with the newly-inaugurated UCMED Center in Mandaue City.

This is the 18th annual mission of MSYCF starting in 1998 in Cebu City.

Ramona Aliño, executive director of the mission, said almost 4,000 Filipino children have benefitted from this mission.

She said an international team of around 60 surgeons, pediatricians, anesthesiologists and nurses in partnership with local medical practitioners will undertake the reconstructive surgery on cleft lip/palate patients from the Visayas and Mindanao .

Last year, a total of 129 indigent children, mostly with cleft palate underwent free reconstructive surgery during the five-day medical mission from June 15 to 20.

Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung, the foundation's chairperson, said earlier helping kids with facial deformities is always fulfilling as it can help lead them to a brighter future.

She assured the medical mission will continue so long as there are kids suffering from such facial deformities.

Operation Smile said oral cleft is one of the country's leading congenital defects, afflicting one in every 500 newborns or a total of 5,000 Filipinos every year. – (FREEMAN)