Soon after the turn-over of their latest Philippine free clinic project to the Divine Mercy Integrated Academy Wellness Center at Villareal, Samar last February 11, 2023, the staff at the Dentistry For Every Village Foundation set up work to find another project to do. This is in line with their “One Charity Clinic a Year” goal.
The Foundation found a suitable project in Arayat, Pampanga, through their advanced person that is now in the Philippines.
Monico T. Alejandrino, indicated to the Foundation that the Municipality of Arayat is building a Health Center for the 28,144 households that make up the municipality. They need support to equip a dental office for the lone municipal dentist. At present, the said dentist can only perform limited procedures due to lack of an adequate office and equipment. He mostly does extractions.
Based on the recommendations of Mr. Alejandrino, the Foundation decided to extend a helping hand.
First order of the day was to have a formal agreement with the municipality, a Memorandum of Agreement, so to speak.
The said agreement was formally signed by Mayor Ma. Lourdes M. Alejandrino on behalf of the municipality and Mr. Monico Alejandrino, on behalf of the Foundation. Dr. Frank Kibanoff, the Arayat Municipal dentist witnessed the signing ceremonies.
The formal signing ceremonies were done on Thursday, April 20,2023 at the Office of Mayor Maria Lourdes M. Alejandrino at the Arayat Municipal Hall.
Part of the agreement states that the Municipality will shoulder the entire cost of the construction and the furnishing of the clinic to make it operational. The only responsibility of the Foundation is to raise funds to procure and install the equipment necessary for the clinic to function as close as possible to International Standards.
On behalf of the foundation, the current project is spear-headed by the Alejandrino Cousins. These are some of the grand children of the late Filomena Medina and Pastor Alejandrino, a prominent couple from Arayat the 1930’s and 40’s that helped make the town what it is today.
Fund raising activities has started with generous donations from Jess and Emy Jess Alejandrino, Rene and Mila Medina, Ed and Cel de la Vega, Leslie and Clare Alejandrino, Dentistry For Every Village Foundation, Erlinda Reyes-Stone, and Alice T. Medina-Alcaraz.
Dr. Jack and Nenette Moreno of Simi Valley, CA also send a modest contribution as well as Romeo Balboa, a former resident of Barangay Baliti in Arayat who now makes his home in Wilmington, CA.
A couple of large pledges were made by Monico Alejandrino and his brother, Roy Alejandrino.
Foundation friends and family members from the Municipality of Arayat that are now based in the US are requested to lend a hand to reach the goal needed to fund the dental equipment for the project.
Barring any unusual delays that may most likely occur during the construction on account of the monsoon rains that frequently occur on the central plains of Luzon where Arayat is located, the project is slated to open in February 2024.
The Foundation scheduled a dental mission in Arayat on June 17-18-19, 2023. The mission is sponsored by the Municipality of Arayat and is being coordinated through Dr. Frank Kibanoff, the Arayat Municipal dentist. Dr. Kibanoff will work with Dr. Amry Chavez-Noza, the Philippine-based Special Assistant to the President of D4EVF. He will be screening patients to identify those in most need and are fully vaccinated against Covid.
During the mission, upwards of 150 patients may be seen to address their basic and emergency dental needs.
Dental supplies for the mission are partly provided by the International Collage of Dentists Global Visionary Fund and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.
Dentistry For Every Village Foundation will provide the equipment for the mission using their huge stock of portable dental equipment that are stored in Metro Manila. Volunteer dentists and auxiliary help will come from the Group A Dental Associates, a group of private practicing dentists based at Las Piñas City.
The same group is scheduled to return to Arayat to do another mission during the opening of the new charity dental clinic sometime in February 2024 to help open the clinic and introduce the services that will be offered by the municipality.
Donations to help fund the equipment for the dental clinic can be sent to the Foundation at: 6200 Royer Avenue Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Please make the checks payable to Dentistry For Every Village Foundation. Donations are tax deductible.
The Dentistry for Every Village Foundation, Inc., raises funds by seeking grants and donations to build dental clinics. These clinics are donated to health care institutions that have the resources to house the facility, experiences and expertise to run them efficiently, and whose management is supportive of the cause.
