TAO-Pilipinas

Lita Asis-Nero, Executive Director of the Foundation for Development Alternatives, wrote us about an appeal to help Gil Giolagon, the Community Development Officer of Foundation for Development Alternatives. Gil Giolagon is supposed to work with us through SHEC (St. Hannibal Empowerment Center) for the capability-building of DSOP (Dike Side Organization of Punta). The following is the content of the letter:

If You Could Save Sandy P. Giolagon’s Life

This Time Around, Would You?

Of course, your answer is “Yes!”. But who is Sandy P. Giolagon?

And why would you help save his life for the second time, and how?

SANDY P. GIOLAGON (Gil) is 38 years old and lives with his wife Susan and their three-year old daughter in his parents’ house in Capri, Novaliches, Quezon City. After graduating AB-Political Science from Manuel Luis Quezon University in Manila, he spent most of the good years of his life doing social development work. He joined the Mondragon Foundation as a Community Organizer/Loan Documentation Officer. He is presently a Community Development Officer with the Foundation for Development Alternatives looking after the land tenurial and housing interest of the homeless urban poor of Metromanila and suburbs.

So, what’s wrong with Gil ? He seems to be all right. You can always say that. In fact, he is good, committed and passionate at what he does for the homeless poor. But there is more to Gil than what meets your eyes see.

Gil’s health is in a very bad shape. At age 27, while he was still with the Mondragon Foundation, he was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease due to chronic glomenrulonephritis. On 02 June 1998, he underwent kidney transplant. Since then, he had been on regular follow-up at St. Luke’s Medical Center. And yet, his kidney’s function gradually declined over the years. In 2006, he underwent percutaneous biopsy of the allograft kidney. And the diagnosis: recurrence of end-stage kidney disease (lupus nephritis type V). And he would be needing lifetime immunosuppression. Dr. Christina Dy said, Sandy would also need a twice-a-week dialytic support. He is now being worked up for a second kidney transplant.

Gil is battling for his life for the second time around. But this time he is more determined to win, he must win because, as he says, he must live longer for his young family, and also for the cause of the homeless poor.

Gil only knows too well that he cannot win this battle with determination alone. Somehow, he must have the means to win it. Which he has none. He, his wife and their daughter are just sharing in the house of his widowed mother. His monthly salary of P12,000.00 is barely enough to support his medication and his daughter’s milk sustenance. It’s his mother’s P2,500.00 SSS monthly pension that they are depending on in their daily subsistence. At other times, his siblings chip in their limited financial help to make things bearable. Seemingly, Gil has come to terms with his situation. But certainly he wouldn’t take the option of just waiting for death to come gently. And why is that? Because he knows you wouldn’t allow him to ever consider that option. Because you said you would give him the kind of help he needs in order for him to win back his life again. And because you really want to help, please consider the following:

GIL’S MAINTENANCE MEDICATION

AS OF SEPTEMBER 2007

Awesome, isn’t it? And for Gil, overwhelming! Almost discouraging. We know that Gil’s life is in God’s hands. But we know, too, that it is as much in ours—because we know that Gil is counting on us, in the way that he does on God.

You may send your help through Bank Account No. 3080-0071-23, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Loyola Heights Branch, Katipunan, under the name of the Foundation for Development Alternatives, Inc. Or, you may hand-carry it to the Foundation for Development Alternatives, Inc. at 144 B. Gonzales Street, Varsity Hills, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Tel. 426-1754. Fax 426-1755. Email: fda_gen@yahoo.com.

Thank you, friends, for saying “Yes” and committing yourself to helping Gil win back his life this time around—and let’s hope that this time will last for a lifetime. God bless.

Lita Asis-Nero
Executive Director
Foundation for Development Alternatives

As part of the same NGO community, posting this letter here in our website is the least that we could do. We hope that this could reach a lot of people and hopefully they would help alleviate Gil’s condition. Prayer intentions are very much welcome too. Let us help Gil to win this battle!

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