A former nurse volunteer of Benguet General Hospital raised a total of P105,218 to help his former colleagues in acquiring personal protective equipment to protect themselves from the Covid-19 infection.
Now a real estate broker, Roman Joe Añoso recently turned over the PPEs such as N95 and KN95 facemasks and face shields to the BeGH.
Añoso, who was a volunteer nurse from 2009 to 2011 in BeGH, said the amount came from his relatives, friends, neighbors, real estate clients and friends in the social media whom he doesn’t know personally but were willing to donate to the cause.
The fund drive took place from June 20 to 26 in response to the call of one of his former colleagues to assist the personnel of the provincial hospital. He was surprised with the amount they were able to pool in just seven days.
“Ang gusto ko lang po sa drive na ito ay makatulong talaga sa mga kapwa ko nurses mas lalo pa at iyong mga dati kong boss doon sa Benguet General Hospital ay sila sila pa rin ang nandoon hanggang ngayon,” Añoso said.
He added he wanted to inspire people to help in this time of crisis even if the effort did not come from his own pockets.
“Hindi naman kailangan manggaling sa sariling bulsa ang itutulong. Puwede rin na tulad ng ginawa ko, iyong effort at connections ang naging contribution ko. Kung gusto talagang tumulong maraming paraan,” he said.
Recalling his time as a volunteer nurse, he has experienced being one of the duty nurses at the emergency room during the onslaught of Typhoon Pepeng in 2009. At the time, he was not receiving any financial aid for his volunteer work.
He said he could not bear the thought of the emotional, mental, and financial strain his former colleagues are experiencing now with the Covid-19 pandemic, which all the more pushed him to help the provincial hospital.
The boxes of PPE were turned over to BeGH representatives led by nurse Alimar Baskial Aquisio at the Manduto Restaurant of Pinewoods clubhouse, who also prepared food for the BeGH representatives.
He also thanked Mr. and Mrs. Deanne Caballes-Sangalang for their assistance during the fund drive.
“With God’s help, you can make a difference,” Añoso said. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 24, 2024
