ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Feb 7 (PIA) – In its tireless efforts to help the less fortunate individuals of Palawan, Western Command (WESCOM) in partnership with Cranio Facial Surgery Foundation of the Philippines (CFSFP) and Palawan Provincial Health Office (PHO) will offer and give free surgical operations to the Palaweños with cleft lip and cleft palate.The 6th Civil Relations Group of the AFP reported that registration, screening and interview of the patients were held last January 23 to 25, 2012 at Camp General Artemio Ricarte Station Hospital (CGARSH) at the WESCOM Headquarters. The actual surgical operations were performed from January 26 to 28 also at CGARSH.
Espie Paradero, 20 years old and one of the patients who rushed in to be screened commented (in Tagalog) that, “This is a great opportunity for us less privilege to be given free services since this will help boost our moral, starting with a good smile, in the future. We hope that our soldiers and other stakeholders will be more blessed in order to continue helping more less privilege Filipinos in the future”. 
Aside from offering the use of its medical facilities, the medical doctors, nurses and staff of CGARSH, headed by LTCOL WILFREDO M NAKPIL MC, will also lend their services for the surgical operations.According to Dr. Mary Ann Navarro, coordinator of the said surgical mission, the CFSFP is ready to operate on more than 30 individuals with cleft lip and palate.
The Commander of Western Command, LtGen Juancho M Sabban hopes that this partnership will help give the beneficiaries a positive outlook in life starting with a good smile. (RVC-PIA9 ZBST)
