nEWSLETTER
Philos Health was honored that our most recent medical mission was made up almost entirely of volunteers from the Lick-Wilmerding High School community, including students, parents, and families. Their energy, compassion, and willingness to serve made a meaningful impact throughout the trip. We’re grateful to Lick-Wilmerding High School for highlighting the experience in their recent school newsletter, which we’re pleased to share below.
During the mid-winter holiday break, fifteen high school students, twelve of whom are from LWHS, traveled across the world to the island of Bohol in the Philippines to help provide medical and dental care to local children and families. Accompanied by an oral surgeon, nurses, physicians, and a handful of adult volunteers, including Christine Sebastian, Lick-Wilmerding’s Executive Assistant to the Head of School, these students enjoyed the opportunity to participate in this service trip organized by nonprofit organization Philos Health to help rural communities in the Philippines that generally have limited access to health care.
Forrest Malakoff, a retired Vice President of Mills Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame who founded Philos Health about twenty years ago, led the medical professionals to makeshift clinics set up at various community basketball courts daily while his wife, Annie, guided the group of eager high school students to elementary schools to provide dental fluoride treatments, conduct vision screenings, and measure heights and weights. Malakoff estimates about 1500 elementary school children received fluoride treatments while close to 2000 patients, much more than in the past, were seen in the medical clinics on this trip.
“Each child is expected to receive three fluoride treatments a year because all are at high risk for cavities,” Malakoff said. “In the US, most kids get two treatments per year. Before Philos opened its first dental clinic, no children in Jagna or Garcia Hernandez, two of the municipalities in Bohol, had ever received a fluoride treatment.”
When Philos Health was initially established, Malakoff’s intent was always to provide continuous care and follow up for patients. And now, Philos Health makes several trips a year, with the support of the local government in Bohol to partner with community groups and schools to provide much-needed health care and dental care.
“We knew they best understood the needs of their own community, and together we could meet local needs,” Malakoff reflected. “Our goal was not just to provide but also to develop new health care programs that would be lasting.”
The Philos mission was introduced to LWHS by Talia Bryant ‘27, who went on her first trip to Bohol last year with her parents, both doctors who are involved with this nonprofit organization. As a sophomore looking for PPP hours, Bryant began to get involved with this worthy cause before even leaving the country.
“I put together a flyer about diabetes – good foods versus bad foods, did a little research about malnutrition and fluoridated water, and also helped with packing medicine prior to the trip,” Bryant recollected.
Bryant was inspired to introduce Philos to the LWHS community because of the way it changed her outlook on life. The stark difference between our lives compared to the residents of places, like Jagna, highlights the luxuries we take for granted, such as basic health care.
“It was the first time I had done a service trip or seen a world that was so completely different from mine,” Bryant said. “Bonding with the kids there and seeing the extremely limited resources they had was such a reality check.”
Christine Sebastian, who was raised in the Philippines herself, was excited to see what Philos would be doing in Bohol. The impact of this mission resonated with her.
“I enjoyed seeing the joy of the kids at the schools we visited – how excited and happy and thankful they were for what we were doing for them,” remarked Sebastian.
Junior Caroline Chang signed up to join the Philos team because she had been looking to do a medical volunteer mission with her mother, a family practice physician in San Francisco.
“My favorite part of the trip was being able to learn from the doctors and to help the families,” Chang noted. “For me, it was really important to be able to help the people as much as I could.”
This rewarding experience was memorable not just for the care they were able to provide to thousands of people but also for the lifelong bonds and friendships made. The group stayed at the Domene Kaw Pension House in Jagna, where the welcoming staff greeted them daily with fresh cold drinks and breakfast made-to-order. Before returning to San Francisco, the group stayed at the Bohol Bee Farm and had the opportunity to go snorkeling and diving, relax at the beach, and visit the famous Chocolate Hills.
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Looking ahead toward the future, Forrest Malakoff is already planning for his next two missions in the summer, one departing on June 26th and another on July 3rd. The significance of what he has established is not lost on him.
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“I hope Philos will continue to work with local partners to improve the health of the people of Jagna and Garcia Hernandez and we will have measurable outcomes to demonstrate that lives are becoming healthier,” stated Malakoff.
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Many volunteers for Philos have traveled to the Philippines multiple times. Several of the LWHS students who participated this year have already expressed interest in going again.
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“Honestly, I think most kids from the U.S. would benefit from going on a trip like Philos, because so many of the people there have never left the island and never have access to even a fraction of the resources we take for granted here…not only access to healthcare, but also future careers and opportunities,” Talia Bryant commented. “The kids look up to American volunteers, and it was amazing to connect with them so closely. It truly warmed my heart.”
