President’s Desk
(by Yolanda Quirino Abad, President & CEO)
Whenever I am asked what direction I would like to take the Craniofacial Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (CFFP) to, I answer with contradicting emotions, shyness and chutzpah all rolled into one, “The Asian version of Mayo Clinic” … small, but highly specialized. One would say “What audacity to aspire to be a Mayo Clinic!” My answer? I can dream can’t I? I know that it is a daunting aspiration, but when one considers all we have achieved in a span of four years, armed with next to nothing but a grim determination to succeed against all odds, I tend to be optimistic and believe that achieving the standard we are aspiring for is possible.
At the CFFP Craniofacial Center, quality counts more than quantity. With the diversity of skills, talent, and exceptional character of the volunteers that we have, that dream is not far-fetched. To our past and present volunteers, our utmost thanks for making us what we are today. To those who have not yet volunteered with us, I say “Come and walk with me in pursuing this lofty dream. We can dream, can’t we?
One may wonder why those of us who volunteer do what we do. In my case, EASY! What more can I ask when a grateful parent, with hardly anything to offer in return for her child’s free surgery, asks me at the end of a tiring day … “Ano ang pangalan mo?” ( What’s your name?) One wonders and responds “Bakit?” (Why?) Only to be told “Ipagdadasal kita.” (I will pray for you.) Now tell me, how can you not keep on volunteering?
Our sincerest thanks to our Affiliates, the Mabuhay Deseret Foundation (MDF), the U.S. Embassy Club (USEC), Smile Train (ST), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (OLLH), the Cardinal Santos Medical Center Department of Anesthesia, and the Department of Speech Language Pathology of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST); and our Donor Partners, the Rotary Club of Manila Taft and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for joining us in our journey to create a better world … a compassionate world.
