Greetings:

I just got back from the Phil. for the SPSA 2009 Hydrocephalus mission. This is the second year of the project which aims to put a dent on the poor and unfortunate children afflicted with hydrocephalus needing shunts. Again, this project was funded by the SM Foundation (c/o.Harley and Debbie Sy) and Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko ( c/o Connie Angeles and Fr. Jun Padua)…who’s generosity in helping these children is unsurpassed. They took care of all the pre-op testing of the patients, including CT scans, hospital and operating room charges.

I am much honored to have been invited and be a part of another mission by a foundation in San Diego called ” Shunt for Life” whose main objective is also to find and treat children with hydrocephalus. Since their inception they have mostly served theNorthern part of the Philippines. When I arrived, the group had already done 5 shunts in Laoag City with Dr. Lauro San Jose, a neurosurgeon from Baguio City who has been providing the surgical expertise for the group.They in turn provide funds for buying the shunts and OR supplies. I joined them in Baguio City where we performed 6 shunts at the Benguet Med. Center then proceeded to Pangasinan where we did 7 shunts in Dagupan. Majority of the patients could have or should have been shunted earlier but because of lack of funds, facility and neurosurgical expertise, they wait for a group or foundation to donate such services.

In Decemebr of 2008, the sPSA mission also did 5 shunting procedures in Cagayan deOro followed by another 6 shunts in Manila. I also left 8 shunts to be used on patients waiting for medical clearance. All these patients have been shunted successfully at the Jose Reyes Mem. osp. and at the Phil. Children’s Mem. Center. This year between the above facilities and Ospital ng Maynila, more 20 twenty children are and will be shunted. All in all, in two year more than 50 shunts have been performed.

This trip was also very fruitful..having had the chance to meet Manila Mayor Alfred Lim thru Mr. John Siojo and Mr. Ver Raymundo. The Mayor who is familiar with medical/surgical  missions, graciously gave me permission to use the facilities at Ospital Ng Maynila thru its Hosp. Administrator, Dr. Fidel C. Chua. I am also grateful for the assistance and extreme interest in this project of two local neurosurgeons Dr. Robby Orata and Dr. Jun Encanto. They have agreed to  provide their services for free in my absence. This will help a lot in screening the patients and postop follow up.

I also was able to visit with Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri’s staff as he was on vacation ( Senate not in session for Holy Week).I purposely went there  to discuss the PRC’s rules and regs regarding Med/Surg Missions. I had an audience with Mr. Dave Torres, Chief Legislative Affairs Unit of the Senate, whom I gave a copy of the very restrictive covenants and he promised to discuss this with Sen Zubiri and make
some changes. My dream of having a Hydrocephalus Foundation in the Phil. is close to fruition. A lot of discussions have been made and a lot of interested individuals are  looking into this matter. We surely will be able to help these children so that surgery can be done on them to give them a chance to grow as normal human beings.

Lastly I met with Atty. Winston Gonzalez, Executive Asst. to Cong. Mitra to finalize the Palawan surgical mission in Jan. 2010….Again.. my thanks to Integra LifeSciences, Inc. and Medtronics for donating the VP shunts we used on all these  patients…… and to all who in some way or another made this trip a succes through their encouragements and prayers.. I thank you…. 
Manny Cacdac