ICS board members are led by Tang Singson, president and Libet Virata, chair. Co-founders Kara Alikpala, Crisan Celdran and Bet Lazatin pose with members and supporters during their pledge of commitment.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated worldwide in October. Here, it and began very appropriately with two events connected to the ICanServe Foundation, an advocacy group of breast cancer survivors founded in 1999 by Kara Magsanoc Alikpala, Crisann Celdran, Bet Lazatin and Becky Fuentes. From this group of four young ladies reaching out to cancer survivors in need, it has now grown to approximately 400 women that consists of an e-group forum of over 300 members plus more than 100 ICS volunteers, advocates and supporters.
“When we started, we just wanted to help those undergoing treatment. As simple as accompanying the patient to the hospital for chemotherapy or lending wigs and bandannas,” recalls co-founder Kara, head of the Foundation’s Advocacy Committee.
For this year’s dual celebrations, I was invited by two dear friends who are breast cancer survivors, Bettina Osmeña and Libet Virata. The American Women’s Club of the Philippines (AWCP) chose ICanServe as the beneficiary of its 20th annual Great American Hoedown held at the Grand Marriott Hotel. Members and guests showed up in cowboy/girl gear complete with an electric bull for those who were brave enough to mount it.
A few evenings later, the Raffles and Fairmont Hotel Ballroom generously hosted the 15th anniversary celebration with over 300 members of the ICanServe community including volunteers, partners and beneficiaries in attendance. As an affirmation of the strong ties among advocates of early breast cancer detection nationwide, the Cebu chapter sent more than 40 delegates to the event.
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Arriving lateish for this event, I found the music provided by the 8-Track Band to be so contagious that I happily joined the enthusiastic crowd who were dancing away not only on the crowded dance floor but all over the ballroom. One could definitely feel the love in the air when ICS longtime supporter Bituin Escalante electrified the evening as she sung I Will Survive and elicited bringing a surge of emotion and energy. That night, all these women — and men — truly celebrated life and their battle with breast cancer.
Sadly, I learned that the Philippines has the highest incidence of breast cancer in Southeast Asia and ranks ninth in the world. ICanServe focuses on awareness and early detection with their community-based breast cancer screening program called “Ating Dibdibin” (“Take Your Breast Care To Heart”), which is the first of its kind in the country. Through “Ating Dibdibin,” ICS partners with the local government to provide affordable diagnostics by making the program permanent via the enactment of a city ordinance plus a permanent annual fund set aside to sustain the program and subsidize would-be patients. To date, the ICanServe Foundation has trained nearly 1,500 local government medical personnel, screened over 7,000 women and conducted forums for nearly 15,000 women.
Major sponsor Ever Bilena had a makeup booth for members and guests to enjoy this season’s latest colors. Other sponsors were SMEG (they displayed a pink fridge), Myphone, and Evolife. Donors were Pandora, Havaianas, Leslie, Brother, Rudy Project, Pureology, AWC, Star Billiard Foundation and Mundiphrama.
Should you wish to make tax deductible donations or for more information, call 636-5578, SMS 0917-5447742, email info@icanservefoundation.org or visit www.icanservefoundation.org.
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For comments and ideas, email the author at jacinto.fa@gmail.com.
