Bohol province under Gov. Edgar M. Chatto honored in New York the noble acts of the top volunteers of the Philippine Gift of Life and Home Reach Foundation in the USA and Canada that have benefitted not just the Boholanos for 20 years now.
Those based in the Philippines will be honored in further highlight of  the major Bohol surgical mission on the occasion of the birthday of the governor two weeks from now.
The two humanitarian foundations have already helped hundreds of thousands of patient and non-patient beneficiaries by way of surgical missions, outreach medical programs and even emergency calamity aids in their two-decade existence.
The surgical missions have involved open heart surgeries, and operations on cataract, myoma, goiter, cleft lip/palate, hernia, gallbladder and ovarian cyst, among other special cases, as well as operation tuli.
The foundations have at the same time been engaged in medical and dental missions, to include distribution of medicines, and emergency relief operations during calamities—as in the great Bohol earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda.
In addition, the foundations have championed education thru their college scholarship program.
The awarding ceremony for the committed, selfless life workers was done at the Minado Japanese Restaurant in Long Island, New York on January 26, 2016.
In spite of the worst blizzard to hit the USA, the awardees did come for the honoring led by Philippine Gift of Life Foundation chairman Dr. Ramie Cadag and Home Reach Foundation chairman Dr. Pepe Recitas.
The awardees included Dr. Diane Recitas, Dr. Edgar Lerias, Dr. Genara Medina, Dr. Rebecca Tse, Dr. Addison Barman, Dr. Christopher Schaffer, Dr. Rosalie Megur, Madeleine Jabonillo, Carlos Talisaysay,  Romeo Jabonillo, Belen Rayo, Alex Sarmiento, Gavino Garcia, Jose Mari Borres, Judith Cimafranca, Manuel Cempron, Dr. Eduardo Alvarez, Marietta Santos, Meren Gepilano, Camilo Villagonzalo, Jr., Joseph Alagon, Catherine Climaco and Alphonse Alagon.
Due to the busy schedule of Gov. Chatto, the awards from the provincial government were personally presented by Philippine Gift of Life Foundation President/Chief Executive Officer Fancy Baluyot, who is also the governor’s consultant on medical and surgical missions.
There are Philippine-based awardees, also top officers and members of the Philippine Gift of Life, whose honoring will be done in Bohol on February 26, 2016.
They are Rev. Fr. Victor Bompat, Peter Dejaresco, Engr. Albert Uy, Benjamin Ong, Dr. Ludgerio Torres, Dr. Mary Ann Ruiz, Richard Uy, Engr. Victor Bantol, Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, Dr. Avenilo Aventura, Dr. Franciso Dizon, Dr. Florante Lomibao, Dr. Federico Malubay, Dr. Ma. Lourdes Casas, Dr. Eduardo Ortiz, Dr. Elmer Punzalan, Dr. Kazan Baluyot, Dr. Julia Maape and Dr. Ma. Bernadette Azcueta.
The honoring will be one of the fitting activities capping the yearly large-scale surgical mission in celebration of the birth anniversary of Gov. Chatto on February 21.
As in the past, the free massive operation benefiting the sick poor on the governor’s special day will again be performed by a team of US-based doctors led by Dr. Renato Rivera at the Borja Family Hospital in Tagbilaran City on February 20-27.
Cases for operation include thyroid goiter, gallbladder, ovarian cyst, hernia, colon cancer and breast tumor, among other major operation cases.
The governments of the Province of Bohol and Tagbilaran City sponsor the mission as facilitated and coordinated by the Philippine Gift of Life.