PH CONSULATE HAILS PH MEDICAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
ON ITS 52nd ANNIVERSARY
Vice Consul Adrian Baccay (4th from right) with PMSNC officers, including: President Dr. Mark Gonzalgo (5th from right); President-elect Dr. Luigi Borrillo (3rd from left); Immediate Past President Dr. Thad Padua (center-left); and 52nd Anniversary Gala Committee Chair Bernadette Roco (center-right). (San Francisco PCG photo)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, USA – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, represented by Vice Consul Adrian Baccay, joined the 52nd anniversary gala of the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (PMSNC) at the Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel in Oakland, California on 18 May 2024.
In his message, Consul General Neil Ferrer recognized the PMSNC’s efforts “in elevating the profile of Filipino American medical professionals in the United States, as well as in advancing the rights and welfare of those working in the U.S. medical and healthcare sectors.”
Consul General Ferrer also commended the PMSNC “for going above and beyond the duties of your Hippocratic Oaths to save lives and uplift the communities that you serve,” citing the PMSNC’s annual medical mission to the Philippines.
During the PMSNC medical mission, held on 15-19 January 2024 in Bayambang, Pangasinan, 160 Filipino American and American medical doctors, nurses, students, and other volunteers traveled to the Philippines to deliver free hospital and outpatient medical services to the residents of Bayambang and nearby towns.
A total of 7,192 patient encounters were recorded during the five-day medical mission, including 6,838 outpatient screenings & procedures and 354 surgeries. One major surgery by a PMSNC volunteer, an abdominal tumor removal, lasted for about seven hours at a local hospital.
Consul General Ferrer reiterated his support to the projects and programs of the PMSNC, under the leadership of its President Dr. Mark Gonzalgo, adding that: “Through PMSNC’s contributions to Philippine nation-building, I am confident that, together, we can pass on a healthy and prosperous Bagong Pilipinas to future generations of Filipinos.”
The Consulate previously partnered with the PMSNC for the “Health Day sa Konsulado” in October 2021, where free medical screenings and consultations were given to Consulate personnel and clients.
Founded in 1972, the PMSNC is a 501c3 organization which aims to foster fellowship among Filipino and Filipino American physicians, and provide charitable assistance to underprivileged residents in the Bay Area. END