5 March 2019, MARAWI CITY—Following its annual board of directors meeting in Manila, the US-Philippines Society (USPS) recently visited Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) project sites in Marawi to witness the turnover of brand new medical equipment for a soon-to-open rural health center (RHC) in Brgy. Sagonsongan, the largest transitional shelter site in the city. Built by Makati Medical Center Foundation (MMCF) with the support of The Solid Group and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the RHC is the first medical facility in the area, designed to serve the physical and psycho-social health needs of some 3,000 internally displaced families. With the help of PDRF, the USPS will also be supporting the training of the medical professionals and health leaders who will be assigned to the RHC.
USPS—together with the Project Handclasp Foundation (PHF)—has been partnering with PDRF since 2017 to help families, especially women and children, recover from the effects of the five-month-long conflict. Throughout 2018, various projects have been launched, covering education, livelihood, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
The Makati Medical Center (MMC) Foundation is the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the Makati Medical Center hospital. From Makati to Marawi, the RHC is a gift of the MMCF and its partners in response to the health needs brought about by the Marawi conflict.