First Aid on the Ground: Serving Students at the HCA Mission Gathering February 28, 2026 | Metro Manila
When the Holy Childhood Association and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith held their Mission Gathering, the Order of Malta Philippines was there, not as guests, but as a working medical team.
The event brought together approximately 650 participants, mostly grade school and high school students from schools across multiple cities and provinces. The OMP provided first aid services throughout the day, with the initiative headed by Dame Lena Vera, OMP Hospitaller, and supported by retired infectious disease specialist Dr. Perla Alban, who also serves as the OMP’s HIV and AIDS Program Director.
The activity was carried out in collaboration with PHAPCares Foundation, represented by Dr. Rosarita Siasoco, and the Dominican College of Nursing, led by Dean Ms. Delia Manuel and Professor Ronald Allan T. Raymundo, with six nursing students joining OMP staff and volunteers in delivering healthcare services.
During the event, the team attended to cases that included abdominal pain among young participants, adults requiring blood pressure monitoring, a mild allergic reaction, and a fungal infection that was properly treated. Despite limited supplies, all cases were effectively managed. For the nursing students present, it was also hands-on learning in a real-world setting, the kind that cannot be replicated in a classroom.
