BORONGAN CITY – The Noor Dubai Foundation, in collaboration with the Bacolod City-based Eye-hEAR Foundation, recently concluded a three-day Cataract Surgical Caravan in Eastern Samar, from February 18 to 20, 2024.
The group, consisting of volunteers dedicated to preventing blindness, met with Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda to express their gratitude for the opportunity to serve the residents of Borongan City and Eastern Samar.
The Cataract Surgical Caravan, spearheaded by the Noor Dubai Foundation under the leadership of Omar Ba and in partnership with the Eye-hEAR Foundation led by Rebbie Relator, was a joint effort that also involved the Department of Health – Eastern Visayas.
Mayor Agda expressed his appreciation, stating, “On behalf of our city, we are very thankful for your assistance to our people, especially to those who have eye problems like cataracts. This program is really remarkable, and I’m very grateful for all of you.”
Omar Ba shared that this was not the foundation’s first eyecare initiative in the Philippines, mentioning previous missions to Cagayan De Oro and Catarman, Northern Samar. He expressed the foundation’s intention to return to Borongan City in the future, emphasizing the need for continuous support.
“We can see there is a need for us to come again [to Borongan] one year from now, who knows? Hopefully, we can come back and give continuous help and support to the city,” Omar said.
He also highlighted the importance of encouraging more NGOs to collaborate on eyecare initiatives, citing the shortage of eyecare experts in the province. “You have a big population, almost half a million in Eastern Samar, and [there is] only one ophthalmologist. Definitely, one is not enough,” Omar remarked.
The Noor Dubai Foundation, established in 2008, began focusing on eyecare in 2010. In addition to mobile eye camps, the NGO has long-term programs in Nigeria, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Morocco. Globally, Noor Dubai has reached 33 million people and continues to provide eyecare-related trainings and surgeries.
