TACLOBAN CITY – The Tingog Centers, established by the Tingog party-list in various parts of the country, have been a significant source of aid for those in dire need.
This was highlighted by Center Managers interviewed during the Serbisyong Tingog Center talk on the first day of the three-day National Tingog Summit 2025 in Palo.
According to the managers, the centers provide essential services to people who struggle to meet their basic needs, particularly those with medical concerns.
“After being discharged from the hospital, we provide free medicine,” shared Bai Lorna Ayunan Ebrahim, the Tingog Center Manager in Cotabato City.
The Cotabato center is able to offer such services through partnerships with pharmacies, enabling quicker access to medicines, especially for emergency treatments such as dialysis and cancer medications.
“They are very grateful because the Tingog Partylist in Cotabato is truly helping them,” she added.
Aside from offering free medicines and assisting patients with medical needs during hospital stays, the Cotabato center has also partnered with a hospital to ensure the availability of blood during emergencies.
The center managers emphasized that they do not discriminate when providing assistance, helping anyone in need, regardless of their socio-economic status.
“Because of Tingog, even those who are employed can seek help. When people get sick, no one tells them, ‘You’re a teacher, you can’t get sick, you can’t ask for help.’ They wouldn’t ask for assistance unless it’s really necessary. Just because someone is a professional doesn’t mean they have enough funds to cover the costs of serious illnesses,” shared Jackie Maceda, Tingog Center Manager in Maasin City.
From its humble beginnings with 123 centers, the Tingog Partylist now operates 210 centers across the Philippines, providing not only medical assistance but also financial support and burial assistance to those in need.
“The Tingog Centers are more than just offices; they represent our care and compassion. Through our Tingog Centers, a mother with a sick child no longer has to borrow money for hospital bills. A student aspiring to graduate can receive educational assistance. A father struggling financially can now afford the medication he needs,” said Tingog Partylist Representative Jude Acidre during the opening of the summit.
The summit, which runs for three days, is attended by around 500 Tingog officials, staff, and volunteers from various regions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
