by Leonardo Micua
The three-day medical, surgical, dental, and optical mission organized by the U.S.-based Saints Francis and Claire Foundation served 13,163 Dagupenos, more than double the initially targeted 5,000 beneficiaries, according to Mayor Belen Fernandez.
She explained that although the mission aimed to help only 5,000 people over three days, the actual number of participants, including walk-ins, surged to over 13,000.
Held from January 30 to February 1 at the Dagupan People’s Astrodome, the event was a collaboration among Fil-Am doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists  and other health professionals, along with the Dagupan City Health Office (CHO) led by Dr. Julita de Venecia.
Medical services benefited 4,202 individuals; surgical procedures, 108; dental services, 920; laboratory tests, 1,328; optometry, 1,722; pharmacy services, 4,282; X-ray, 33; ECG, 56; and physical therapy, 432. Patients also received assistive devices such as wheelchairs (54), canes (160), walkers (84), crutches (6), and four-wheel chairs (4).
“The three-day Medical, Dental, Surgical, and Optical Mission, in partnership with our Team USA Doctors and the Saints Francis and Claire Foundation medical team, was a huge success. We look forward to more collaborations in the future as we continue serving those in need,” Fernandez stated.
Dr. Joel Diaz, a former foundation president from Dagupan City, chose to hold the mission in the city  to help his fellow residents.
Mayor Fernandez expressed gratitude to the Saints Francis and Claire Foundation for its generosity, saying, “what you brought here went far beyond a three-day event—you brought compassion that transcended borders, cultures, and oceans.”