Eye Missions
Eye Care for Indigents
A large segment of the Philippine population is classified as indigent, unable to afford high quality eye care. With this, Asian Eye committed itself to making its services more accessible, partnering with pharmaceutical companies, non-government organizations (NGOs) and local government units (LGUs) and the Ophthalmological Foundation of the Philippines (OFPHIL).
Starting 2002, Asian Eye held an annual cataract surgery mission program, wherein free cataract surgeries were done on 770 eyes. The indigent patients came from Manila, Pasig, Pasay, Quezon City, Marikina and Bulacan. Surgeries were performed at its own surgery facility in Rockwell Center, Makati.
As part of its 10th anniversary and in commemoration of Rizal’s 150th anniversary in 2011, Asian Eye launched the Bringing Hope to Life: 150 Eyes Cataract Surgery Mission. In partnership with the Cataract Foundation Philippines, Inc., Asian Eye aimed to operate on 150 eyes to help patients live a quality life. Beneficiaries were from partner-communities, including PHINMA Foundation, Philippine Army, Cavite Mayor’s League, Our Lady of Peace Mission Aeta Resettlement Community in Zambales; Pangarap Foundation Resettlement Communities in Cavite and Pasay City; Philippine Christian Foundation Resettlement Community in Tondo; BayaniJuan in Calauan, Laguna; Sinag Kalinga Foundation in Quezon; San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan; and sponsored communities of First Philippine Industrial Park (Pantay Bata, Tanauan City), First Gas Sta. Rita (Brgy. Aplaya, Batangas), and First Gen in Pantabangan (Nueva Ecija).
Despite achieving the target, Asian Eye has vowed to continue the program in partnership with selected private companies as part of their own corporate social responsibility programs. Following an evaluation system used by Asian Eye and the participating companies, these surgeries remain to be free-of-charge to deserving indigent patients. As of December 2015, it has already operated on 291 eyes.
Asian Eye also provides diagnostic services, surgeries and treatments to indigent patients referred by OFPHIL, for difficult cases or those that require specialized equipment. In the last decade, Asian Eye has already subsidized treatment on about 1,200 eyes, most of which were OFPHIL-referred cases
