• 2008
• 2007
• 2006

TZU CHI GREAT LOVE EYE CENTER
2008-03-09

Nurture Center with Great Love: In the year 2004, Tzu Chi Zamboanga inaugurated the Tzu Chi Great Love Physical Rehabilitation and Jaipur Foot Prosthesis Manufacturing Center at the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC). Headed by TIMA Volunteer and ZCMC Department of Physical Rehabilitation and Medicine chairman Dr. Raymond A. Sator it has restored hope to close to 400 indigents with their regained mobility with the distribution of FREE Jaipur foot prosthesis. Likewise, over 40,000 physical therapy sessions have been conducted since then. Late last year, Tzu Chi Zamboanga added an ANNEX that houses the expanded Jaipur Foot Manufacturing Workshop and a dedicated Pediatric Physical Rehabilitation Room to cater to a growing number of Cerebral Palsy, post VP Shunting Hydrocephalus children among others needing physical therapy sessions to improve their quality of life. In her conversation with Tzu Chi Zamboanga volunteers, the founder of Tzu Chi Foundation Master Shih Cheng Yen likened the center to a young sprout. She advised Tzu Chi Zamboanga volunteers to nurture the center with great love so that it will not only take root but will run deep and spread far and wide; for whatever fruits Tzu Chi Zamboanga will enjoy in the future, it will emanate from the hard work done at the Tzu Chi Great Love Physical Rehabilitation Center!
Taking Master Cheng Yen advise to heart…..Tzu Chi worked tirelessly to realize the mission of the Tzu Chi Great Love Rehabilitation Center which is to RESTORE HOPE…..REBUILD LIVES WITH GREAT LOVE…ONE FOOT AT A TIME. The center catered to the differently-able and temporarily-disabled sector not only in Zamboanga but neighboring areas in Visayas and Mindanao as well. It’s numerous Tzu Chi - Jaipur Foot Camps that provided FREE Jaipur Foot Prosthesis to the poorest of the poor have answered the prayers of a lot of our suffering brothers and sisters. The center importance as viewed from growing number of elderly, post stroke and post accident clients getting physical therapy sessions have exceeded the wildest expectations of Tzu Chi Zamboanga. For nearly 4 years, Center Head Dr. Raymond Sator and equally devoted Physical Therapists, Jaipur Prosthesis technicians joined the Tzu Chi volunteers in working hard in spreading seeds of love to make sure that the center lived up to its name and serve its clients with GREAT LOVE! This work was made easy with the all out support provided by the Zamboanga City Medical Center led by Dr. Romeo Ong, Mahaveer Philippines Foundation, Sulpicio Lines, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) Foundation.

Embarking On a New Challenge



Since the establishment of Tzu Chi Zamboanga Liaison Office on May 6, 2000; one of the very first program it established with the help and support of Bacolod-based Cataract Foundation of the Philippines led by its President Dr. Jack Po and its very supportive administrator Ms. Mavis Campos was its SIGHTSAVING PROGAM. After 2,000 free cataract surgeries (of which 315 were done last year) and hundreds of eye glasses distributed, Tzu Chi volunteers stood living witness to GOD’S MIRACLE at work through the hands of selfless ophthalmologists who volunteer their services to Tzu Chi. In less than 30 minutes, kind-hearted doctors were able to restore the eyesight of the cataract patient which restored hope and rebuild lives of their families as well since most recipients are the main breadwinners in the family.
With the efforts at the Tzu Chi Great Love Physical Rehabilitation Center starting to bear fruit and with the blessings and inspiration of Master Cheng Yen and the love of Tzu Chi people worldwide, Tzu Chi Zamboanga rolled up it sleeves once again and started planning for the establishment of the TZU CHI GREAT LOVE EYE CENTER. The project got a jump start when Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) gave Tzu Chi Foundation a free hand in choosing where it wants the eye center to rise. After much discussion, it chose the area where the old Department of Physical Rehabilitation used to stand plus the adjoining abandoned tennis court for a total of land area of 1,000 square meters. Tzu Chi Zamboanga then burned the midnight candle to come up with the best design and layout conforming to the Tzu Chi Standard. For this, nothing but the best effort of its local Tzu Chi members and Bro. Mico Lee ( a Tzu Chi Manila engineer) all brainstormed to come up with a functional and yet modern eye center that its members and their children and their children’s children can be proud of! The final perspective was sent to the Tzu Chi Taiwan headquarters for the approval. The hard work of Tzu Chi members who volunteered their time and talent for FREE paid off! Master Cheng Yen approved the plan but asked Tzu Chi Zamboanga to get professional help for the second floor. Tzu Chi Zamboanga heeded the advice and requested HOLDYEAR, a professional hospital contractor from Taiwan to do the design with all design done; the plans were submitted to the Department of Health for final approval. With minor corrections, the plans were approved! Several contractors were invited to submit their quotations. But after deliberations with local Tzu Chi members it was decided that Tzu Chi Zamboanga undertake the construction themselves under the leadership of Tzu Chi volunteer Nixon Go and members Architects Gerry Maizo, Jim Duco and Jerome Go. It will take a lot sacrifice on the part of the volunteers but in order to ensure the quality of the construction and low cost, there was no other recourse but to labor with great love…. And the rest as they say is history…

A Modern Eye Center

The plan was to set up one of the most modern eye hospital in the country to be aptly called the TZU CHI GREAT LOVE EYE CENTER. The 1,500 sq meters two-storey (750 square meters/floor) structure will sit on a 1,000 prime land fronting the Pediatric Ward inside the ZCMC compound where the old ZCMC Rehabilitation Center used to stand. The center will permanently house the ZCMC Department of Ophthalmology chaired by Dra. Antonette “Ann” Cases and to be assisted by Dr. Rey Christopher Usman who are all original members of the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) Zamboanga. Under a memorandum of agreement entered into by Tzu Chi Philippines and ZCMC; ZCMC will provide the land for perpetual use of the eye center and Tzu Chi will build the two story structure at no cost to ZCMC or the government. ZCMC will also equip the center with 24-M worth of STATE-OF-THE-ART sight saving equipments that was procured through a soft loan with the Spanish government years ago. The center on the first floor will house the consultation room, laser room, minor operating room, doctor’s quarters, conference room, records room and the Tzu Chi office. On the second floor it will have a recovery room, 6 bed male common ward, 7 bed female common ward, 3 VIP rooms, Doctors quarters, Two state of the art operating rooms with hepa filters, water filtration room, doctor’s changing room and a multi-purpose room that can be converted into a minor operating room or a seminar room for continuing education lectures by visiting ophthalmologists. The center is envisioned to play an important role in the development of the Ophthalmology profession in this underserved part of the Philippines. With its big lobby, the center will have a hotel-like atmosphere that will heal the heart and set the minds at ease for those who come to avail of its services.
A Heart Strengthened By Great Vow and Show of Support!
Even before the Tzu Chi Great Love Eye Center broke ground, the Tzu Chi Zamboanga volunteers realized the magnitude of the project and the many sacrifices it will entail. It will surely mean hard work, hard work and more hard work! With generous sprinkling of sweat and tears here and there! But knowing and having seen what their “little” effort and sacrifice can do to restore hope and improve the lives of their less fortunate brothers and sisters, the volunteers strengthened their heart and willingly made a great vow to do what it takes to cultivate a new field of many blessings that will not only give them the opportunity to do good deeds but more importantly, to be able invite more people to sow good deeds with them.

TZU CHI EYE CENTER GROUND BREAKING

On August 26, 2006, in front of hundreds of supporters and friends led by Department of Health Undersecretary of Health Dr. David J. Lozada., Congresswoman Beng Climaco, Congressman Erbie Fabian, Mayor Celso L. Lobregat and other dignitaries, the Tzu Chi Great Love Eye Center officially broke ground and on that very same day, Zamboanga City’s very grateful Mayor Lobregat surprised Tzu Chi members and volunteers by declaring August 26 of every year as ANNUAL TZU CHI DAY in Zamboanga City. The only one to have been accorded that honor in the city’s history. As the ground breaking ceremony came to a close, the Tzu Chi Zamboanga volunteers turned pensive, finally feeling the magnitude of the project which was never ever done by a NGO in Zamboanga …be it foreign or local! Where will we get the money? What will we do if we run out of money in the middle of the project? Is it the right time? Are the volunteers up to the challenge? Can we do it? Or did we bite more than what we can chew this time around! These messages were running across every volunteers mind… But there is no turning back and Master advice to “JUST DO IT! And don’t think of so many things!” plus the assurance from Master that with perseverance, unity, harmony and a strong vow nothing is impossible!” A volunteer said in jest: “But just in case we run out of steam we can always finish it on our next lifetime!”
As the project moved forward, and with each sharp curve, sudden humps and bumps everything was made easier with the continued inspiration of Master Cheng Yen and the show of support of Tzu Chi brothers and sisters from Manila, Cebu and Taiwan as well as the unexpected but very positive response from the local community. All their love boosted the morale and further strengthened the vow made by Tzu Chi Zamboanga volunteers. From the well attended charity bazaars in Manila and Zamboanga and the very successful “A NIGHT OF GREAT LOVE” musical concert staged cooperation with Da-Ai Mama Philippines, Tzu Chi Manila Sign Language Team and the Zamboanga Hermosa Chorale broke all-time fund-raising records in this part of the Philippines! Much to the amazement of Tzu Chi members and volunteers alike. Humbled by the warm response, Tzu Chi volunteers pledged to work even harder to be worthy of the trust and support shown to them by the community! With each activity and with each trial, Tzu Chi Zamboanga volunteers and members increased in numbers! For that alone, it is worth all the sacrifices and tears. For more members will mean more hands to carry out Master Cheng Yen’s mission.

A LABOR OF LOVE……A GREEN BUILDING

Since the start of the construction…Tzu Chi volunteers where very conscious of putting into concrete practice Master Cheng Yen’s SAVE PLANET EARTH program. From the start, only rain water was used for the construction. No treated water was used. Recycled wood from the demolished buildings were used as form lumber while good lumber from crates were reused to make shelves, cabinets, shoe racks, decors and small furniture for the eye center. The architectural design was inspired by the Tzu Chi-donated school building in BAM, IRAN which made use of wind-tower technology. As a result, the lobby is several degrees cooler even without air conditioning. With high ceilings, heat from the sun is minimized.

GUARDIAN OF HOPE

On August 26, 2007, during the 1st Annual Tzu Chi Day in Zamboanga City, Congresswoman Beng Climaco unveiled the glass marker officially dedicating the Tzu Chi Great Love Eye Center as the GUARDIAN OF HOPE. As such, the center vowed to fulfill Master Cheng Yen’s mission in this corner of the world and serve as the candle of hope that will provides light in times of darkness; Hope…in times of despair! And sight restored when there is blindness. When sight is restored so is hope! And with hope, better days are sure to follow. Tzu Chi Great Love Eye Center vowed to be the guardian of that light of hope!

A DREAM REALIZED…..A VOW FULFILLED TZU CHI INAUGURATES EYE CENTER; HARD WORK BEGINS

Like a beautiful lotus flower sprouting out of murky water, an elegant Tzu Chi Great Love Eye Center building rouse up from the ground in a little over a year. It seemed only yesterday that the groundbreaking ceremonies were held and now the Zamboanga volunteers busied themselves with an endless flurry of activities to prepare for the Eye Center inauguration. For weeks, Tzu Chi volunteers rushed to the eye center right after their work for non-stop cleaning of the building, last minutes repairs, decorations and improvements. It was truly a labor of love as the volunteers outdid themselves in their own field of expertise. Exhausted but happy, they even managed to practice a sign language routine and prepared the supplies needed for the 40th Tzu Chi Medical Mission that was held at the Eye center right after the inauguration. Everyone was so committed to hit the ground running that they did not mind going home very late just to be able to make a difference.

January 18, 2008 - After several sleepless nights, the big day came…..Amidst gentle shower very early in the morning, the weather cooperated as it allowed the sun to shine through! It was an auspicious day in Zamboanga City. As early as 7am, Tzu Chi volunteers were already at the Eye Center doing last minute practice for the inauguration ceremonies. Sis. Molita Chua and Bro. Noel Navarro left no stone unturned to ensure a very meaningful and memorable inauguration. All props were in place and all participants from Zamboanga and Manila were briefed on their roles.

By 8AM. Tzu Chi officers and volunteers from Manila led by Pres. Manuel Siao arrived to join the other volunteers who arrived from Manila days before the event to help Tzu Chi Zamboanga volunteers with the preparations. The love shown by the Da-Ai Mamas to the local volunteers were reminiscent of the GREAT LOVE shown by a mother to her child. The warmth of their love put the jittery nerves of the local Tzu Chi volunteers at ease.

At exactly 9am, The special guests led by Undersecretary of Health Dr. David J. Lozada, Hon. Mayor Celso Lobregat, Congresswoman Beng Climaco, City Councilors, Dr. Romeo Ong, Archbishop Romulo Valles formed two lines and held on two long red cloth joined by Tzu Chi volunteers, TIMA volunteers, and other guests forming a human train . At the count of 3 and with a gentle pull, the red cloth unraveled, letting the lotus flower fall into the entrance ground and as a thick cloud of smoke started creeping slowly as the automatic door at the entrance slowly opens. Like blue angels from the sky, Tzu Chi volunteers appeared out of the clouds and stormed out of the building proudly carrying the Tzu Chi colors amidst the sounds of firecrackers, confetti showers and ear splitting applause from the visitors. They were followed by the Tzu Chi Dragon Dance Team moving in unison to the sound of the music. The applause continued as the Dragon performed and showed the guests the way to the building. Everyone excitedly went in as the program proper started with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and the Tzu Chi Hymn followed by a very solemn Tzu Chi prayer sign language rendition by Sis. Molita Chua. The very solemn and meaningful TZU CHI PRAYER song and the accompanying graceful hand movements of Sis. Molita moved a quite lot of guests to tears. Dr. Romeo Ong then welcomed the guests and thanked Master Cheng Yen for yet another gift of love to the Zamboanga City Medical Center. Dr. Ong said: “Like the Tzu Chi Great Love Physical Rehabilitation and Jaipur Foot Rehabilitation Center which benefited thousands of indigents, the Eye Center will be another beacon of light that will benefit not only the people of Zamboanga but the neighboring islands as well. He further added that what separates Tzu Chi from other organization is that when Tzu Chi donates; it gives nothing but the best because it is given always given with respect and GREAT LOVE!” Hon. Mayor Celso L. Lobregat again publicly thank Master Cheng Yen for this wonderful gift that will restore the eye sight and hopes of the poorest of the poor! He announced to everyone that for the second time, Tzu Chi Zamboanga will receive the ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA AWARD from the city during the City’s Charter Day celebration on February 26, 2008. (The first award was accorded to Tzu Chi Zamboanga during the time of the late Mayor Hon. Maria Clara Lorenzo Lobregat, the mother of the current mayor). He again reminded everyone that Tzu Chi is the only organization to be honored by the city with an Annual Tzu Chi Day. “With the Tzu Chi Great Love Eye Center, Tzu Chi does not only donate a building..… But leaves a legacy……..a benchmark for other organization to emulate! It raises the bar higher, thereby benefiting the society and the community!” Archbishop Romulo Valles, the highest ranking Catholic clergy in Zamboanga City shared that he heard a lot about the work of Tzu Chi for the poor; but did not expect to see such a beautiful and modern eye center rivaling the best in Manila. He was also amazed at what it has accomplished and was specially touched to know that the coordinator of Tzu Chi in Zamboanga is a Catholic and Tzu Chi Zamboanga counts among its members; people from diverse background and religion all working to fulfill Master Cheng
Yen’s with GREAT LOVE!

It was truly a very memorable and proud day for Tzu Chi Zamboanga! With mixed emotions for A DREAM REALIZED…A VOW FULFILLED, the day ended on a happy note as the visitors gamely joined the volunteers in doing the OH LA LA exercise ROUTINE… Huffing and puffing as they sway to the beat…..a lot of the guests were surprised that Tzu Chi also know how to have fun!
As the last of the guests left the eye center at 1130AM, the volunteers went about doing another task, to hit the ground running with the 40th TZU CHI MEDICAL MISSION. By the end of the 2 day mission, 103 surgeries comprising thyroidectomy, hernia repair, cataract excision and pterydium scrapings were done for FREE with over 78 Tzu Chi volunteers, 120 TIMA volunteers and 26 local volunteers serving with GREAT LOVE.