These doctors get a high from helping our upland brothers

MANILA, Philippines - In the midst of the world-famous Rice Terraces in Banaue, Ifugao can be found a modest but adequately equipped clinic/hospital that has catered to the medical needs of the natives. For many years, Dr. Tony Ligot, the surgeon-missionary medical director of the Good News Clinic and Hospital in Banaue, wanted specialists to come to his hospital on a regular basis. He approached the Philippine Dermatological Society more than a decade ago but because of funding and other reasons, his idea did not materialize.

In 2002, after lengthy talks via the Internet, fax and e-mail with a classmate, Dr. Ida Tiongco, a dermatologist at New York Cornell Medical Center and at the time a visiting professor of dermatoloy at UERM, they were able to raise funds from classmates and friends from the USA to start the first derm mission. Four senior residents (one from Cornell) and two graduates from UERM Derm, together with Dr. Francisca Roa, then president of the Philippine Dermatological Society, joined the first derm mission of Dr. Tiongco. Since then, all presidents of the PDS have participated in the missions and during a recently concluded mission, most of the board directors were there, too, upon the invitation of Dr. Gina Pastorfide, current PDS president.

Except for year 2003, the Ifugaos have been regularly visited by the derm group. About 120 patients are seen every day and about 120 skin surgeries are done (excision of moles, fatty tumors, cysts and other growths; burning of warts; age spots; keratoses; and occasionally skin cancers). Patients are provided with all their medications for the whole course of the disease and even sunscreens, moisturizers, and special soaps and shampoos, most of which come from the US.

The members of the derm mission come from New York, Manila and other parts of the country. It is an annual event that the Ifugaos look forward to after the New Year. There is also a follow-up with either Dr. Ligot or through cyberspace, with members of the mission who are in Manila. At the same time, there is continuing medical education where the visiting doctors from the USA and the Philippines interact with the local physicians.

This year’s mission was composed of Drs. Gina Pastorfide, PDS president, and officers and members Tess Gabriel, Lonabel Encarnacion, Arcee Grey of Lucena, Quezon, Karen Alabado of Davao, Alex Castillo, Johann Dayrit, Faith Generao of Baguio City, and Yvonne Lopez. From New York Cornell Medical Center, Dr. Ida Tiongco invited a derm resident, Dr. Toby Ebede. Overseeing the mission operations was Dr. Tiongco’s husband Alex Sarmiento.

“We plan to serve the Ifugaos for their dermatological needs as long as we can sustain it,” says Dr. Tiongco, “because it is a way of showing the Ifugaos that we care for our upland brothers and sisters.”