Bringing back light to a ‘dark world’

For some persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who have served their time, the joy of finally regaining their freedom is mixed with anxiety knowing that their vision that has been impaired by age is hindering their mobility.

For the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), letting them out with such a condition is not safe and defeats their meaningful reintegration into society.

The dilemma of whether to extend the stay of three dozen PDLs suffering from cataracts, glaucoma and retinal problems at the New Bilibid Prison Minimum Security Compound (NBP-MSC) for their safety or release them virtually blind was solved when a newspaper publisher learned of BuCor’s plan to spend millions of pesos for the needed procedures on the nearly blind PDLs.

Daily Tribune — which has been referring poor eye patients to the Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation Philippines for free eye consultations and surgery as part of the media company’s public service — reached out to BuCor and bridged the agency and the foundation established in Taiwan.

In June last year, under the humanitarian partnership forged by BuCor and Tzu Chi through the intercession of Daily Tribune, PDLs with impaired vision were escorted to the Tzu Chi Eye Center (TCEC) in Sta. Mesa, Manila for their free consultation and diagnosis. On 18 September, 32 PDLs underwent surgery to remove their cataracts.

Five volunteer surgeons led by foundation president Dr. Antonio Say and TCEC medical director Dr. Bernardita Navarro performed the operations.

Only minutes after each cataract surgery, most of the PDLs had recovered their eyesight.

One of the PDLs, 63-year-old Rene (not his real name), was so happy and thankful to Tzu Chi for repairing his vision.

“I will see my children’s faces again!” exclaimed Rene as he was led out of the operating room.

PDL Romeo discarded the walking stick he kept near him on the day of his cataract surgery. He had no need for it now that his eyesight was clear again. Along with his sight, the 72-year-old Romeo found a new strength which he used to assist a wheelchair-bound fellow PDL during the post-surgery consultation.

Another PDL, 72-year-old Hernando, also discarded the cane that he no longer needed with his clear eyes. Hernando also found the strength to push the wheelchair of a fellow PDL. The PDLs returned to the TCEC for their follow-up checkups two days after the surgery.

The Tzu Chi medical team also visited the NBP-MSC in Muntinlupa City twice. The team set up a temporary clinic, complete with a slit lamp, diagnostic machines and eye drop medications, in the compound’s chapel to check on the operated eyes of the PDLs and other NBP-MSC inmates with vision problems.

Overwhelmed with joy after regaining his vision, one of the PDLs exclaimed, “Tzu Chi Foundation, Dharma Master Cheng Yen and all the Tzu Chi Eye Center people, thank you so much for bringing back the light to our dark world!”

Dharma Master Cheng Yen founded the Tzu Chi humanitarian organization, which is present all over the world, to spread love and care.

Foundation CEO Alfredo Li expressed gratitude to the BuCor for entrusting the PDLs’ eye health to Tzu Chi.

“We follow the teaching of Master Cheng Yen [which is] to alleviate the suffering of the poor and all the deprived people in our society so we are very happy to be given the opportunity by the Bureau of Corrections to help the inmates see again,” Li said.

“One day, when they return to society, they will reunite with their families and will remember what we had done for them — the kindness, the compassion, [we hope] they will practice the same virtues in their lives,” he added.

To date, 52 PDLs from the NBP-MSC impaired by cataracts have regained their vision through the help of Tzu Chi, according to BuCor Directorate for Health Services head, Dr. Ma. Cecilia V. Villanueva.