More than 170 doctors, nurses, health educators and volunteers from Northern California recently completed a five-day medical mission to the Philippines. While there, they provided much-needed medical, dental and surgical services to more than 9,000 low-income residents of Dumaguete and neighboring towns in the Negros Oriental province.

This marked the first collaboration initiated as a result of the sister city relationship between Alameda and Dumaguete; more are planned. Three Alameda residents and members of the Alameda Sister City Association (ASCA) — Vice President Cynthia Bonta, Board Director Flor Ventanilla and Dr. Maria Araceli De Guzman — joined the mission organized by the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California. The society conducts large-scale medical missions annually to impoverished areas in the Philippines.

Bonta, who serves as chairperson of the Alameda-Dumaguete Sister City Committee said that this was the largest mission to go to that area. The Bay Area and Northern California-based volunteers also provided medical training to their Philippine counterparts. The Alameda side of the sister city partnership worked side by side with the local committees to host the 170 volunteers.

ASCA pledged $5,000 to the mission to help pay for the supplies, hosting a meal for the volunteers and the purchase of two CPR mannequins to help in training health providers in the Philippines. They christened one mannequin “Alameda” and the other “Dumaguete.”

ASCA is accepting donations.  Checks should be made payable to Alameda Sister City Association (ASCA). The association is 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation. Mail your check to to Cynthia Bonta, P.O. Box 6255, Alameda, CA 94501. For additional photos, visit the medical society’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pmsnc.