Memorial for Aurora Fernandez

Family, relatives and friends gathered together for a solemn memorial service for the late Aurora Jayme Fernandez last January 26, 2012 in the Archival’s Ecological Park in Talamban, Cebu City. 

Aurora, a board member of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, passed away in her Oakland home last September 12, 2012. Her ashes were brought by her son Clay to be buried in Cebu. Aurora hails from Guadalupe, Cebu City. She would have turned 69 on January 26. 

Family, friends and acquaintances hold 
a necrological service for the late Aurora Fernandez. 

The memorial service was officiated by Fr. Ben Alforque, MSC, Fr. Paul Medina, O.Carm., and Rev. Rey Gelloagan, UCCP and was attended by family members, relatives, friends, staff of VPHCS, and acquaintances of Aurora. 

Rev. Rey Gelloagan officiates the service together with 

Fr. Ben Alforque (seated) and Rev. Fr. Paul Medina. 

Aurora’s son Clay is seated below the tarpaulin.

Tributes from VPHCS and Council for Health and Development were offered; two brothers, Manuel and Douglas reminisced about their lives together with Aurora, a close relative talked about the Jayme family, and Bobby Bajenting, a very good friend, shared about Aurora’s advocacy with him in protecting the environment. Her son, Clay, capped the messages with a poignant sharing about his mother. 

The memorial ended with a moving singing of the “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” of Andres Bonifacio, a closing prayer and blessing by the officiating priests. 

The urn containing Aurora’s ashes. 

A view of the necrological service site, the ecological park 

of Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival in Talamban, Cebu City.

Excerpts taken from http://ccropsharing.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-memoriam-aurora-fernandez.html

One of the kindest, thoughtful, most intelligent, and loving persons I’ve ever met, Aurora has so much idealism in helping the poor and needy and in saving the environment. That was uppermost in her mind when she returned to the Philippines where she had done a lot of charitable works. Her declining health however, forced her to return to the U.S.A. where she could be closer to her children whom she loved unconditionally, taking such great pride, in whatever accomplishments they may have had. But then Aurora herself wasn’t just a dedicated nurse; she was such a good and sensitive writer she would have excelled as a writer had she pursued writing as a career. 

Taken from the Philippine News, Filipino-American newspaper in the U.S. 

http://www.philippinenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8739&catid=37:community&Itemid=49

Aurora Fernandez died in her Oakland home on Sept. 12, 2012. She was 68.

Aurora was a tireless activist for healthcare issues, especially those concerning the underserved and underprivileged. She worked for decades as a registered nurse, including as a public health nurse in Berkeley, and was a key member of Tambalan, a Filipino organization supporting community-based healthcare programs. 

Her retirement proved equally active. In the Philippines, she volunteered as a patient and women’s advocate for community-based healthcare programs in Bohol and Cebu. In Oakland, she strove to educate her community about kidney disease, nutrition, and the dangers of genetically modified organisms, volunteered for a food bank, and worked to improve multicultural translation services for seniors. 

Aurora was known for her energy, intelligence, determination, compassion, and gentle spirit. She was her high school’s valedictorian, graduated summa cum laude from Colegio de San Jose-Recoletos, and received her B.S.N. with highest honors from the University of California at San Francisco. She was a jazz enthusiast and enjoyed the films of Woody Allen and works of William Shakespeare, and spending time with her family. 

She is survived by her brothers Douglas, Manuel, and Andy; loving children Clay, Sangumay, and Michael; and beloved grandchildren Elizabeth Aurora and Winston Truce. 

Donations may be made in her memory to Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. in the Philippines at vphcs.org ( vphcs@yahoo.com; Banco de Oro , F. Gonzales Branch, Acct. #6110005001). 

Her memorial service took place September 22, 2012, where those she touched contemplated her life through the moving words: 

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. 

I awoke and saw that life was service. 

I acted and behold, service was joy.” 

- Rabindranath Tagore 

Nevada group outreach in VSMMC Pediatrics Ward

Members of the Philippine Bisayan Society of Nevada (PBSN) in Las Vegas, Nevada distributed medicines to patients in the pediatrics ward in the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) last January 15, 2013.

Members of the PBSN meet with VSMMC Chief of Hospital 

Dr. Gerardo M. Aquino Jr.

This is the fifth year of the outreach program of the group who came to visit Cebu in January. The group also sponsored a medical, dental and surgical mission in Malabuyoc, Cebu in early January which served more than 5,000 residents of five municipalities.

The Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. through its staff member Dr. Erlinda Posadas facilitated the outreach activity by coordinating with the Department of Pediatrics through its medical specialist Dr. Cynthia Cabatit and chief resident doctor Dr. Senny Marie C. Zamora. Medicines were bought from the hospital pharmacy and included life-saving antibiotics, intravenous fluids and other essential medicines.

Members of the PBSN give medicines to patients 

in the VSMMC pediatrics ward.

The group also met with VSMMC Chief of Hospital Dr. Gerardo M. Aquino, Jr. who showed them around the hospital departments and wards including the newly renovated Orthopedics Ward.

 A pose at the intensive care unit of the pediatrics ward.

A pose at the newly renovated orthopedics ward.

CIM students visit Sitio Back of Matimco

Four third year students of the Cebu Institute of Medicine had their elective course in preventive and community medicine with the Visayas Primary Health Care Services last December 28, 2012 and January 4, 2013.

Carmelle Caracena, Rore Remedio, Mary Therese Paradiang, and Abigail Melicor spent the two days integrating with the community health workers (CHW) and residents of Sitio Back of Matimco, Barangay Subangdaku in Mandaue City, one of the community-based health programs of the VPHCS.

The medical students check up patients in the community health center 

in Sitio Back of Matimco.

The elective course of the Department of Family and Community Medicine aimed to provide the students with venues to explore government facilities or programs and health related activities of non-government organizations in order to give them a perspective of the basic practice of preventive and community medicine. The students chose the VPHCS, through Dr. Erlinda Posadas, VPHCS staff member and faculty member of CIM.

The students pose with Dr. Erlinda Posadas 

and two community health workers.

In the sitio, the students got to know about how the CHW who are trained by the VPHCS are promoting health, preventing disease and rendering basic curative services. The students also had a medical check-up of hypertensive patients who sought consult on January 4 in the health center built by the people’s organization, the KALUWASAN.

Below are insights from the students

Despite the health problems that continue to surround the community, it was inspiring to see the community’s determination to improve their health condition and way of life despite the odds. We were able to see a community standing up as one, helping each other despite struggles of finances and limited resources. It reminded us that in being a physician, we should not only provide medical aid, but also we should holistically care and touch upon the different aspects of family and community, motivated by love and compassion for our fellowmen.

We learned a lot about community health care and the important role doctors have in this endeavour. It was humbling to see that despite of their living conditions, they have smiles on their faces as they go through life. It made us realize we have a lot to be thankful for. It helped us realize that there is more to being a doctor than what we read in textbooks. The real world is out there. We are to reach out and help the less fortunate who are people as well and have the right to access quality health care. We were reminded that our purpose in pursuing a medical career was to help people. It reminded us that a physician is to be selfless, serving those who need our help, with love and compassion to motivate us, not monetary gain nor prestige. What started out as just a fulfilment of a requirement for family medicine elective turned into a learning experience for the whole group which brought us one step closer in becoming physicians with a heart.

The students and community health workers with the health center 

and sitio in the background.