Out of Reach, But Not Out of Sight

contributed by Rosanna Javier

ILIGAN CITY — Think of the paralytic and four of his friends who had to tear a roof apart to drop him right smack at the center of one of Jesus’ healing crusades.

Dalama Bualan, an 80-year-old who could barely walk, was carried from his mountain-top home by his daughters and grandsons for a grueling hour to get to Operation Blessing’s medical mission in Barangay Panoroganan.

Dalama, the village’s oldest among 3,800 residents, had been suffering diarrhea for five days. He was fighting for his very life when his relatives broke through lines of people seeking medical help.

His vital signs were alarmingly abnormal. His blood pressure plunged and he was severely dehydrated. An OB volunteer doctor had him rehydrated on the spot and was put on close watch during the entire medical mission.

A few minutes later, Dalama’s 72-year-old wife Tako Tuan was also rushed to the mission site and was immediately attended to by the medical team. She had difficulty breathing and was diagnosed with some form of lung disease a year back.

Because of their dire circumstances, Tako could only comply to just a month of her recommended three-month respiratory medication. 

Isolated

Like most of their fellow villagers, Panoroganan’s oldest couple couldn’t afford consistent medical treatment and consultation from city doctors. Dalama and Tako had to rely on their six daughters to provide and look after them, and their one-hectare corn farm, which was recently devastated by tropical storm Sendong.         

Ironically, the villagers remain energy-deficient despite living in Iligan, where power plants supply the provinces of Lanao and Misamis, and even parts of Davao.

Sendong further cut off residents of Panoroganan from civilization when the hanging bridge that connected them to the lowlands was destroyed in a landslide that also rendered main roads impassable. The Operation Blessing team with its medical supplies had to be airlifted to their location 2,000 feet above sea level by Philippine Air Force Huey UH1 choppers.

Dalama and Tako belonged to the Kolibogan indigenous group, who are entirely different from the rest of the village’s Maranao and Higaonon inhabitants. They are severely underserved and unreached in many respects. One had to pay a hefty P600 to take a motorcycle ride to the Iligan.

The parlor games introduced by Operation Blessing volunteers to children on the mission site may have been the kids’ first, judging from the sheer glee on their faces as they played. The colorful toys they received from OB may have been their first as well.

Thank You From Panoroganan

Dalama’s conditioned stabilized by the time the medical mission ended. He was put on antibiotics and oral rehydrating solution. His wife Tako was also given antibiotics and will soon be undergoing further respiratory examination to be conducted by a rural health worker.

“Salamat gyud nay naka-anhi doktor diri, (Thank you so much that a doctor was able to come here)” their oldest daughter said.

Operation Blessing came to Panarogonan and found its people open, agreeable, and peaceful. And as adults and children waved goodbye from the slopes of the upland village, every staff and volunteer felt something warm tug at their hearts. To them, it really felt good to know that they have brought much good to people who were so out of reach, even for just a day.

MORE THAN 52,000 THANKS TO YOU!

As of January 19, close to 52,000 Sendong-affected victims are grateful to you—because you chose to support Operation Blessing’s various disaster relief activities. All of them say a heartfelt “Thank you!”