Blog

Oplan Smile: #OdettePH

Last December 16, Super typhoon Rai (the strongest typhoon that hit the Philippines this year), made its landfall in Visayas and Mindanao region. It left a trail of devastation and rendered several communities homeless and in great need of food, drinking water, and shelter. 

In response, Operation Smile Philippines, together with Operation Smile Student Programs Philippines and Hope Foundation, will gather and distribute donations to aid those affected. 

Please help us help families in Vis-Min by donating any amount you can through the following:

PayPal: http://tiny.cc/OplanSmile

GCash, PayMaya, and BDO Pay: Please scan the QR codes below through their respective mobile apps

Your monetary donations will be used to purchase:

1. Non-Perishable Goods (Canned goods, instant noodles, etc.)

2. First Aid Kits

3. Hygiene Kits (Soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, towels, etc.)

4. Batteries and Flashlights

5. Tents/Tarps

6. Water Filters

7. Sleeping Bags and Blankets

8. Drinking Water

For verification and acknowledgment purposes, please send proof of transaction to [email protected] or through our social media pages:

FB: Operation Smile Philippines 

IG: @opsmilephil

Thank you and stay safe!

#OdettePH

#ReliefPH

#OplanSmile

To Come Full Circle With Operation Smile

“Help the life of one person and you can help the community”

This could not be more evident with the story of Chaimaa Zamoum from Morocco.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_9797.jpg

Chaimaa was a former Operation Smile patient who received free surgery for her cleft lip condition. But there are two things that makes her story unique – the doctor who operated on her and what she is doing now.

Her doctor is no other than Dr. Sonny Santos from Operation Smile Philippines (OSP). Dr. Santos is one of the long-standing medical volunteers of OSP. Dr. Sonny has been volunteering not only for local Philippine missions but international missions as well. That’s where he met Chaimaa.

Here is how Chaimaa shared her story:

Operation Smile Morocco cannot be described in one word. That’s what I’ve discovered while my colleagues were shooting a video yesterday.

My name is Chaimaa Zamoum, I’m 23 years old and I’m an ex Operation Smile patient, now volunteer.

I was born with a bilateral cleft lip so, I had about 3 surgeries, 2 of them were right after I was born and I have no memory about. However, I can remember the last one and will be sharing with you some of them. It was at the hospital of Settat on 2006. I was twelve by then so, I can remember pretty much everything. I still remember the atmosphere that was there very clearly, the joy I was feeling, the kids I was playing with, and the toys I was given.

My surgeon back then was Dr. Sonny Santos. I can remember how nice he was with me, not just him but everyone who was there including the OR nurses and the child life.

The image I’ve maintained from Operation Smile, is “Happiness” “friendliness” and mostly “Kindness”, those are the words I thought of while I were asked to describe Operation Smile in one word.

On 2019 my brother, who had a unilateral cleft lip, was also operated by Operation Smile. My dad  immediately recognized Dr. Sonny and so, I met my doctor for the second time in my life. It was a feeling that no words can ever describe especially when I talked to him face to face.

Dr. Sonny insisted on operating my brother as well, which was an overwhelming feeling for my family.

At the same mission my brother was operated in, at El jadida, I met Ms. Nour and asked if I can volunteer with, the operation that’s giving me so many memories, Operation Smile. Since, I have a BA in English studies, I was able to volunteer as a translator, which was my major for my master’s degree, hopefully I’ll graduate by next month once I finish my thesis.

So far, I’ve been part of three missions. My first mission was on October at Agadir, my second was at Tangier on July 2021, and my third one November 2021, sadly, just ended today. I hope I participate in more missions, God willing, because by meeting those kids I remember myself as a kid. Specifically when I was given the chance to get into the OR at the mission of Tengier to see how the Operations work. I would lie if I say I wasn’t gonna burst into tears. I felt proud of myself knowing that I’ve been on the bed of surgery and now I’m being on the other side. It’s a feeling that no words can ever describe.

By joining the Operation Smile family I’ve met several lots of people, now friends, from different backgrounds, who made me feel loved and included and that’s one of the so many things I’m grateful for after joining the family.

Operation Smile means a great deal to me and words can never give it justice.

My family and I will forever be grateful for it. 🙏🏻

This is just one of the stories how Operation Smile provides more than just surgery. As Dr. Sonny puts it, we are happy we are able to effectively change lives of the patients we touched.

AirAsia Philippines, Operation Smile Philippines forge partnership to help children with cleft

Philippines AirAsia is giving free transport to volunteers and patients of Operation Smile Philippines (OSP) to areas served by the leading budget carrier. OSP has been treating Filipino children with cleft lip and cleft palate since 1982, providing them with medical evaluation, dental treatment, reconstructive surgery and speech therapy – all for free. To date, the medical charity has treated more than 30,000 patients from all over the country. Philippines AirAsia serves 14 domestic destinations. The sponsorship agreement was signed recently by Philippines AirAsia president and CEO Ricardo Isla (middle), chief finance officer Raymund Berja (second from left) and OSP executive director Emiliano Romano (second from right). Also in photo are AirAsia Communications and Public Affairs head Steve Dailisan, (left) and OSP development manager Carol Arriola (right).

BRAND LOVE by Ngiti Manileño

Have a business but struggling to get a foothold in the online markets?

Learn best marketing and branding practices from the industry experts this Saturday, November 20, 2021.

Join us in our fundraiser webinar and learn Brand Design, Strategies, and Execution to further boost your brand’s online presence.

Not only will you get to learn from the best but your participation in this event will also help kids with cleft have brighter smiles.
Registration link is indicated down below:
https://bit.ly/3253X0b

Admission Fee:
JCI Member: PHP350
Non-JCI Member: PHP500
When: November 20, 2021 (Saturday)
Time: 2:00-4:00 PM onwards
Attire: Casual

OSP, MEDEQUIP FORGE PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE SAFE SURGERY

Medical Equipment Healthcare Group, Inc. (MEDEQUIP), a DTI-PAB Accredited ISO 17020 Inspection Body, recently inked an agreement with Operation Smile Philippines Foundation, Inc. (OSP) to volunteer their engineers and technicians to the latter’s mission sites to ensure the medical devices for oral cleft surgeries are in good working condition. 

OSP has an urgent need for trained biomedical personnel to continuously monitor and calibrate the sensitive surgery equipment throughout the duration of its medical missions, and their proper care after, to ensure the safe conduct of the cleft repair procedures.  

Safe surgery is an advocacy of Operation Smile globally, while patient safety has always been the priority for MEDEQUIP.

MEDEQUIP has been in Healthcare Technology Management since 2005 and has provided its services to private and government facilities throughout the Philippines.

Shown below following the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement are from left: Jose Pepito M. Amores MD, PhD (Chief Technical Officer, MEDEQUIP), Emiliano Romano (Executive Director, Operation Smile Philippines, and Joseph Patrick S. Amores (Chief Executive Officer, MEDEQUIP).

Operation SMILE Philippines Puts the Spotlight on its Volunteers for World Smile Day

Have you ever made someone smile? Do you remember the look they had when they beamed that nice beautiful and warm smile across their faces? Looks awesome, right? But here is the question, how did it make you feel? 

This is a feeling that Operation Smile Philippine’s (OSP) volunteers know all too well! 

OSP volunteers sacrifice their time and skill to make sure that children born with cleft conditions are able to get life-changing surgery in as little as 45 minutes. With the help of generous donors and partners, the volunteers are always at the receiving end of the new smiles they create inside the operating room.

That is the reason why as the world celebrates World Smile Day, no less than Mr. Emiliano Romano, the Executive Director of OSP went around and visited volunteers and turned the tables on them. Mr. Romano went around 7 cities in one day. He visited Valenzuela, Quezon City, Pasig, Marikina, Taguig, Makati, and Manila just to make the volunteers smile.

He hand-delivered gift packs from Fresh Philippines to show appreciation for all the hard work they have done for OSP.

World Smile Day is really a perfect way to spread smiles all around.

Operation Smile’s Oral Health Conference 2021

Our very own Dr. Eric Pius Cembrano represented Operation Smile Philippines at the recently concluded Oral Health Conference in VA, USA last September 16-19, 2021.

The goal of the conference was to bring together key Operation Smile global leadership in Oral Health for productive discussions creating an Operation Smile Framework of Practice for Oral Health Services. This included the standardization ng dental services, treatment procedures, and protocols during Operation Smile mission as well as for centers.

In photo are (l-r):

  1. Dr. Pedro Santiago – OSI Lead Global Advisor- Puerto rRco/ US
  2. Dr. Maria Alejandro Forero- Columbia
  3. Dr. Luiz Pimenta PHD – Professor Columbia University & USI Global Advisor
  4. Dr. Nancy Rojas- Columbia
  5. Dr. Billy Magee Jr. – OSI /US Chief of Research, Innovation and Education
  6. Dr. Carmen Kamas-Wieting – Chair OSI Dental Advisory Council / US
  7. Ann Campbell – OSI/ US
  8. Dr. Sissy Jimenez – US
  9. Dr. Ryan Cody- US
  10. Dr. Maria Belen Andrade – Nicaragua
  11. Dr. Roberto Paz – Bolivia
  12. Anna Copperman – OSI US
  13. Dr. Christian Martinez- Chile
  14. Dr. Eric Pius Cembrano- Philippines 🇵🇭
  15. Dr. Vilma Arteaga- Guatemala
  16. Dr. Manuel Hinostroza – Peru
  17. Dr. Giancarlo Barache- Dominican Republic
    Dr. Teresita Pannaci- Spain (online)
    Midori Hanayama – Speech Pathologist Brazil (online)
    Taylor Ringer – OSI / US (online)