In Bogo City, Israeli medical clown heals patients, kids

CEBU, Philippines - Hundreds of typhoon-affected residents in Bogo City have experienced the therapeutic entertainment brought by the State of Israel yesterday as part of its continuing assistance.

Israeli Deputy Ambassador Adam Levene brought with him the medical clown, Moshe Twito, in the hospital and different schools in the city.

Levene said that medical clowning is running in the hospitals of Israel for about 10 years bringing professional clowns to work together with children and adults before and after operations.

"It was found out in medical research that many children have positively reactions when they see clown, their recovery rates is up to 30 percent faster and it is also shown that if they are relaxed, they need fewer anesthesia and less medicine, so they are safer in operation," said Levene.

Twito is a 37-year-old professional clown and a senior member of the Dream Doctors Project which is an Israeli organization specializing in Clowning Therapy.

Twito showed his wacky tricks, jokes, and musical fun to patients in Cebu Provincial Hospital in the city and students in Bogo Central School I.

After the medical showed tricks in the hospital, he immediately went to the school and performed over a thousand children.

Twito said that clowning has a therapeutic effect on children and is a small antidote to the effects of the destructive typhoon.

"I wanna have some fun with the people and the children in hospital and in school" he said.

He added that he'll meet the medical staff in the hospital and he would teach them some skills and the art of his profession that would help in dealing patients.

Twito will stay in Bogo for three days and will continue to give joy every morning in hospital and by afternoon in different schools in the city.

Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez, Jr. expressed his gratitude to all Israelis for humanitarian mission conducted in the city in response to typhoon Yolanda.

Meanwhile, a US-based non-profit service organization has offered their assistance to help residents in northern towns of Cebu, Tacloban City and other towns in Leyte and Samar affected by typhoon Yolanda to have potable water.

Mark Hogg, founder and chief executive officer of Water Step based in Louisville, Kentucky in United States said that one of the problem after any disaster and calamities especially typhoon is the lack of potable water.

As part of their initial assistance, they were giving 60 water chlorinators to relief organizations working in devastated areas in Northern Cebu, in Tacloban City and other areas in Leyte and Samar.

A team from Water Step will also train interested organizations for free starting today until Monday at the former Sacred Heart Center School at Gen. Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City.

For five days, Water Step will train on how to install and operate an M-100 chlorine generator, a water purifier capable of purifying over 10,000 gallons per day and provide safe water for over 1,000 people daily.

WaterStep's humanitarian mission here is in line with their Philippines Relief project funded by generous donations from GE, Louisville Water Foundation, PPG, Jones Lang Lasalle (Manila office), and Wyatt, Tyarrant, & Combs (Kentucky Office), as well as individual contributions.— (FREEMAN)