LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – Around 10,000 residents in Santo Domingo and nearby towns in this province benefited from a free medical, surgical, optical, and dental mission conducted by a group of volunteer doctors from the United States and the Philippines.

DR. William Lagrada attends to a patient during a medical mission in Santo Domingo, Albay, on Thursday, February 15. (Niño N. Luces)
It started on Monday, February 12, and ends Thursday, February 15.
Santo Domingo Mayor Joseling “Jun” Aguas said that 181 doctors and volunteers provided free medical services to beneficiaries.
"We have visitors from the United States, although they are Filipinos but they are now busy in the US. We are very lucky that they have chosen Santo Domingo to be the recipient of this medical mission," Aguas said.
Aguas said the local government unit provided facilities and logistics for the four-day medical mission.
Dr. William Lagrada, head of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (BLD) Covenant Community in Newark, New Jersey, United States, said the activity is part of their program to hold medical missions annually in the Philippines.
Lagrada said they have been holding the medical mission for more than 20 years and they selected Santo Domingo for being one of the poorest communities in the country.
Children received slippers and toys and a mother from Santo Domingo thanked doctors for treating her one-year-old child who had been suffering from colds and fever, enabling her to save money that she will use to purchase rice.