For the last three decades, the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc. (TYKFI) has been sending specialists from its partner UERM Memorial Medical Center, College of Medicine and UE College of Dentistry to the remotest parts of the country to bring the much-needed medical assistance to those who have little access to free health care. In 2015, TYKFI, in partnership with UERM Memorial Medical Center was able to cater to the health needs of almost 2,000 residents, many of them indigenous people (IPs) from the mountains of Nueva Vizcaya. Last month, TYKFI and Absolut Distillers opened the new year with a medical mission in Barangay Malaruhatan, in Lian, Batangas in cooperation with the local government. After their free check up by nine young UERM doctors who specialize in pediatrics, general medicine and ob-gynecology, more than 700 barangay residents received free medicines and vitamins.

On April 11, 2015, the residents of Sta. Fe in Nueva Vizcaya  descended  from different barangays and converged at the Chapel of the Divine Mercy for three special reasons: to attend the Holy Mass; to avail of the free medical services from the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc.’s medical team and local volunteers; and to enjoy free haircut from the TYKFI-Hortaleza beauty care trainees and volunteers from the military

Students of Tabaco National High School and pupils of Tabaco South Central and Tabaco North Central Elementary Schools, all in Tabaco, Albay, recently received PhilHealth cards through their parents.  The project is a partnership of Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc. with DepEd and the LGU of Tabaco City.  164 families received their cards based on Foundation’s recognition of  the need of the less fortunate pupils and students to avail of treatment and services for health problems through their parents.

The 2013 Kalanguya Festival  town fiesta of Santa Fe in Nueva Vizcaya was made more worthwhile by the medical-dental mission brought by the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc., benefitting close to 300 indigenous people of the area.  

Dubbed “Santa Fe:  Tinitingala, Dinadakila, Pinagpapala, Pinauunlad… para sa Tao at Bayan”, doctor and dentist-volunteers from UERMMMC and the University of the East College of Dentistry, assisted by nurses and healthworkers of the LGU of Sta. Fe diagnosed, treated, prescribed and gave medicines to the recipients.  Majority of the beneficiaries were first-time dental patients.

PhilHealth and the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc. recently partnered for the PhilHealth Card Distribution Project.  The effort directly addresses the need of the less fortunate to avail of treatment and services for health problems that are otherwise unaffordable to them. The partners aim to provide PhilHealth membership which have not been accessible to them yet.  

Initially covered during the distribution from July to October of this year were areas in Northern and Southern Luzon provinces and the Visayas. 1,949 recipients in Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra and Occidental Mindoro who are farmers, 104 from Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, and 206 from Leyte are now PhilHealth members.

Barangay Buyasyas is a mountaintop area in Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, whose residents are mostly rice and vegetable farmers coming from the Iwak tribe lineage. 

The Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc., together with dentist-volunteers coming from the University of the East College of Dentistry and assisted by teachers and nurses provided by the LGU of Sta. Fe recently visited Buyasyas for a dental mission and hygiene mission. Sta Fe Mayor Teodorico Padilla, members of the Sangguniang Bayan, and Brgy. Buyasyas officials were with the mission.  

Close to eighty residents were given dental treatment and prescribed needed medicines. Most were first-time dental patients.

The group also Distributed Personal Hygiene kits of soap and slippers and Household Cleaning packs of detergent soap, pail, and dippers.

Seven public hospitals in the Province of Palawan are now better equipped to address the needs of indigent patients. The Tan Yan Kee Foundation-Lufthansa Technik, Philippines partnership donated Ambulance Bag, Aneroid Blood Pressure Apparatus, Stethoscope,  Hanging Scale,  Physician Weight Scale, 1 unit Wheel Chair, Suturing Set, and Disposable Needles.

Tan Yan Kee Trustee Tan Hui Bin, together with Amen and Karlu Say, personally handed over the equipment to hospital officials, in the presence of Provincial Governor Joel Reyes and Provincial Health Officer Eduardo Cruz last August8, 2009.

In brief remarks, Governor Reyes thanked Tan Yan Kee Foundation Chairman and President Dr. Lucio C. Tan for initiatives of the Foundation that reach far-flung locations such as where the Palawan recipient-hospitals are located. He said that the donated equipment will be utilized to the fullest as their existing equipment are either very old or already broken. 

The Lucio Tan Group’s solidarity was very visible during the event with the presence of Fortune Tobacco Palawan Branch Head Joel Kabigting and Assistant Manager Ronnie Po, Asia Brewery Inc. Branch Manager Marcos Hernandez, Allied Bank Puerto Princesa Branch Head Gemma Pineda, and PNB Business Manager Jacky Sanchez.

It started with a letter-request.  The 1st Blessed Youth Multi-Purpose Cooperative initiated talks on a possible medical-dental mission to benefit pupils, parents, and teachers of Sto. Domingo Central School in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.  In response, Tan Yan Kee Foundation—with support from Lucio Tan Group companies Fortune Tobacco, Pan Asia Securities, and Philippine National Bank—conducted a one-day medical-dental outreach with practitioners from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC) and the University of the East College of Dentistry.