The first three boxes of dental equipment , instruments and supplies for the new dental clinic now being constructed at the Municipality of Magallanes, Sorsogon were delivered November 12, 2024 (GMT Manila) by the representatives of MetroBox SoCal, the shipping company that takes care of most of the shipments sent to the Philippines by the Foundation.
The said dental clinic is a joint project of the Municipality of Magallanes headed by Mayor Ma. Elena Ramona Ragrario and the Dentistry For Every Village Foundation .
The clinic is being built at the Rural Health Unit of the Municipality located at Central Magallanes. The clinic is the brainchild of Dr. Neil B. Gavino, Jr., the Rural Health Physician of Magallanes. It was Dr. Gavino that requested the Foundation build a dental clinic at the new Rural Health Unit of Magallanes to complement his goal of providing total health care for the people of Magallanes.
Dr. Gavino was recently hired for the position of Rural Health Physician. He immediately went on to set new health standards for the municipality. The standards include a fully equipped dental clinic to address better, the dental needs of the people of the municipality.
The expected finished date of the construction has been moved to the middle of February 2025 owing to the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina that ravaged the Bicol area where the Province of Sorsogon is located. The incessant rains and the damaging floods accompanied by strong winds paralyzed the area. Soon after Hurricane Katrina left the country two more typhoons came in succession further delaying the ongoing construction for the Rural Health Unit Building. Main highways were only opened recently, thus allowing the delivery of the boxes from the storage area of the shipping company located at Metro Manila.
The three jumbo boxes containing the equipment were sent last August 8th, with the hope that the clinic will be finished before Christmas 2024. But mother nature nixed all those plans.
Most of the major equipment for the clinic including the dental unit, x-ray machine and air compressor are already stored at the headquarters of the Foundation in Metro Manila. They will be delivered after Christmas 2024 for temporary storage in Magallanes until the dental clinic is fully constructed.
The Magallanes dental clinic project is one of the three on-going projects of the Foundation for 2024-25. The other two are located at the Sto. Niño National High School Wellness Center at Iriga City, Camarines Sur and at the Rural Health Unit 2 of the Municipality of Bulan. Sorsogon. The three projects will be the 5th, 6th, and 7th dental clinic built by the Foundation for the Philippines.
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.
