Mother patients at the Tzu Chi Eye Center get special treatment on Mother's Day.
SSG Venchito S. Tabungar and other members of the 124th Philippine Air Force Affiliate Reserve Unit hug patients during the celebration of Tzu Chi's anniversary and Mother's Day at the Tzu Chi Eye Center in Manila.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF TCFP
TZU Chi Medical Foundation Philippines president Dr. Antonio Say (left) and other eye doctors wash the feet of patients as part of the humanitarian organization's celebration of Mother's Day and its 58th anniversary at the Tzu Chi Eye Center in Sta. Mesa, Manila on 10 May.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF TCFP
Moms were showered with love in various ways yesterday as Filipinos celebrated Mother's Day.
For mothers struggling from failing or impaired vision, receiving free treatment and regaining healthy eyes through the help of compassionate doctors was the best gift for the occasion.
Many of them received more than the medical services they needed as Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines' (TCFP) volunteer eye specialists and surgeons gave them an unforgettable special treatment on Friday, two days before Mother's Day.
May is a special month for the Tzu Chi organization as it was founded by Buddhist nun Dharma Master Cheng Yen in Taiwan on 2 May 1966.
Aside from celebrating its 58th anniversary, Tzu Chi volunteers also celebrate on the second Sunday of May Buddha's birthday and Mother's Day.
Volunteers of the organization's chapters worldwide celebrate by performing charity works, offerings, and prayers.
The offerings consist of food, cash donations, free medical services, and the washing of the feet of beneficiaries.
For the TCFP, volunteers, including doctors of the Tzu Chi Eye Center (TZEC) in Sta. Mesa, Manila, washed the feet of their elderly patients following Tzu Chi's principle of "treating each patient as a family."
TZEC is the first non-profit organization-owned medical center in the Philippines offering free eye consultation and treatment to indigent patients through volunteer doctors.
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The symbolic gesture of respect and love was a touching scene with the feet washers embracing the patients after the cleansing.
TZEC Deputy Medical Director Dr. Susan Irene Lapid-Lim said: "I was reminding myself that it is like I'm doing it for my Mom. It's just like the services we give here in Tzu Chi. The feeling of fulfillment is because these patients are allowing us to be their doctors. I am grateful to have an opportunity to physically show to our patients that we care for them as persons and not just an eye that we need to treat and operate on."
Members of the 124th Philippine Air Force Affiliate Reserve Unit (Pafaru) were also present at the center and washed the feet of the other TZEC patients.
Pafaru Technical Sargeant Vincent Garcia described washing someone else's feet as "very fulfilling."
"It was my first time to wash someone's feet. It felt good," Garcia told DAILY TRIBUNE.
The Pafaru representatives assisted in airlifting of medical equipment and supplies that Tzu Chi had needed for its medical mission in Ormoc last November to commemorate the 10th anniversary of super typhoon Yolanda. The TCFP handed a plaque of appreciation to them during the event.
TCFP CEO Michael Siao also said the washing is a gesture of gratitude to Master Yen.
After the feet washing ceremony, an interfaith prayer was delivered to close the celebration. Then, patients empty their coin banks into TZEC's donation well.
Julia Buhay, 62, has been diligently saving up a peso daily to donate to TZEC's cause after her successful pterygium surgery.
"It makes me happy to be a donor of Tzu Chi and have a chance to help others. I realized we were not the only ones struggling. Many people are also suffering so we should extend what help we could afford," she said.
