HAND-Philippines

🚨 URGENT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF APPEAL 🚨

A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Mindanao, Philippines, on Monday causing widespread damage to homes, healthcare facilities, schools, and critical infrastructure. Thousands of families are facing displacement, ongoing aftershocks, and limited access to essential services.

HAND-Philippines, together with the South Cotabato Medical Society and local humanitarian partners, is responding with urgently needed medical supplies, equipment, and humanitarian assistance for affected communities in South Cotabato, Glan (Sarangani Province), General Santos City, and surrounding areas.

This response is part of HAND-Philippines' Post-Calamity Humanitarian Aid Program, which rapidly mobilizes local staff, volunteers, medical professionals, and resources to support communities affected by natural disasters across the Philippines.

Your donation will help:
❤️ Provide emergency medical care and supplies
❤️ Support medical missions serving earthquake survivors
❤️ Assist displaced and vulnerable families
❤️ Strengthen local disaster response and recovery efforts
❤️ Deliver life-saving aid to communities in need

Every gift—large or small—helps bring relief, healing, and hope to families working to recover from this disaster.

🙏 Please donate today and share this post to help us reach more supporters.

Donate here:
https://donorbox.org/humanitarian-aid-for-mindanao-earthquake

Together, we can help communities rebuild lives and restore hope.

Our hearts are with the communities across Mindanao affected by the earthquake yesterday, June 8, 2026 (Philippine time).

Families have lost loved ones, thousands have been displaced from their homes, and communities are facing the difficult task of rebuilding and recovery in the days and weeks ahead.

At HAND-Philippines, we are in contact with our local partners and are closely monitoring the situation to better understand the needs of affected communities. Through our ongoing projects supporting Rural Health Units, delivering humanitarian aid, and helping rebuild after natural disasters, we remain committed to standing alongside communities when they need it most.

We will share updates as more information becomes available.

Please join us in keeping the people of Mindanao in your thoughts during this challenging time.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earthquake-southern-philippines-tsunami-warnings/

We're excited to welcome Clara to the HAND-Philippines team this summer!

Clara is a Filipina-American pre-medical undergraduate student at Brown University and a Laidlaw Scholar. As part of her six-week Leadership in Action Project, she will travel to Bohol, Philippines, to follow up our April 2026 medical mission.

During her time in Bohol, Clara will be studying the impact of the HAND-Philippines free cataract surgery program on our patient’s quality of life as well as conducting narrative interviews with community members to better understand the long-term effects of our work. Her research will help us learn from the people we serve and strengthen our programs for the future.

We are grateful for Clara's dedication to service, learning, and community engagement, and we look forward to sharing updates from her journey.

Please join us in wishing her safe travels and a meaningful experience in Bohol!

Our April 2026 Medical Mission was a powerful reminder of what compassionate and collaborative healthcare can accomplish.

Over the course of the mission, our teams:
• Served 2,800 patients at our community clinic outreach
• Performed 53 major elective surgeries
• Restored sight through 216 cataract surgeries

That's 3,069 lives touched all together this year!

This year also marked the debut of the educational arm of the HAND-Philippines Medical Mission — an initiative focused on building sustainable community health knowledge and empowering local healthcare providers and community members.

Training sessions included:
• Psychological First Aid
• Self Breast Examination Education
• Bystander CPR
• Neonatal Resuscitation
• And many other essential health and emergency response topics

Beyond the numbers, this mission was about partnership, service, and investing in long-term health outcomes for the communities we serve. We are deeply grateful to every volunteer, healthcare professional, educator, organizer, donor, and local partner who made this mission possible.

Together, we are not only providing care — we are rebuilding lives, restoring hope, and strengthening communities for the future.

We are incredibly touched by the kind words from the Talibon Municipal Health Unit in the Province of Bohol, Philippines!

It was an absolute honor for HAND-Philippines to conduct the FREE Neonatal Resuscitation Education Program for their dedicated team.

💡 Moving Forward:

✅Our mission to empower healthcare workers continues.
✅We are actively working to expand this program.
✅More communities will soon have access to this life-saving training!

Thank you, Talibon, for your dedication to saving newborn lives! 👶❤️

Today, April 9, we observe Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), a day to honor the immense courage and sacrifice of the Filipino🇵🇭 and American🇺🇸 heroes who defended the Bataan Peninsula during World War II.

At HAND-Philippines (Health Assistance and Network Development), we believe the spirit of "Kagitingan" lives on in our modern-day heroes—the medical professionals, volunteers, donors, and public servants who dedicate their lives to serving the underserved.

We recently had the honor of a courtesy visit to Governor Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado at the Provincial Capitol. This meeting highlights our collaborative partnership with the Provincial Government of Bohol to advance accessible, quality healthcare for all Boholanos.

Saluting the heroes of the past and the champions of today! 🇵🇭🇺🇸💚

Dedicated to the mission, whether on a mountain peak or in the operating room! 🏔️🩺

Meet Dr. Russel Alegarbes, one of our volunteer doctors here at HAND-Philippines. While he’s a board-certified pediatric surgeon and CEO of InstaMed, his heart for service truly shines through his volunteer work.

Since 2002, Dr. Russel has been using his expertise in minimally invasive surgery to help children in need. We are so grateful to have a surgeon of his caliber—who balances top-tier hospital practice with a passion for giving back to the community.

Thank you, Dr. Russel, for trekking the extra mile for our mission! 🇵🇭✨

Photo by: Dr. Russel Alegarbes