In a powerful move toward innovation with compassion, CebuDoc Group officially signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines.
The eye bank retrieval program encourages families to see this not as something to fear, but as an act of generosity, a way to let their loved ones live on by restoring someone else’s vision.
DR. POTENCIANO LARRAZABAL
OPHTHALMOLOGIST & CHAIRMAN
CEBUDOC GROUP
This partnership enlivens the Eye and Tissue Retrieval Program in Cebu, also it puts the region on the map for accessible and life-changing eye care.
Bringing Vision and Meaning to Loss
For many Filipino families, death is a deeply sacred and emotional process. Culturally, there’s still a belief that loved ones should pass on “whole.” Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal, an ophthalmologist and chairman of CebuDoc Group, gently challenges this cultural notion.
“It is very important that we get the word out and explain to the population what eye bank is really about,” he said during the ribbon-cutting event. “The eye bank retrieval program encourages families to see this not as something to fear, but as an act of generosity, a way to let their loved ones live on by restoring someone else’s vision.”
The idea is simple but powerful, to turn the pain of losing someone into hope for another. Through corneal donation, individuals suffering from corneal blindness may regain their vision, a life-changing gift that often goes under the radar in many medical conversations.
Paving the Way for Eye Retrieval Program
Inside CebuDoc, efforts are already underway to build internal awareness, with nurses and doctors undergoing training to support the program and properly communicate options to patients and families.
“Filipinos in general are very superstitious,” Dr. Larrazabal added. “We want to spread the word to family members that they can save a life, they can help those who have vision impairments. Through education, we can make tissue retrieval a possibility here in the Visayas and Mindanao.”
The Eye Bank Foundation’s President and CEO, Dr. Ivo John Dualan, echoed this sentiment, describing the partnership as a sign of deep commitment. “It is a sign that typically the first to collaborate shows the greatest interest,” he said. “The strongest will to procure tissue is essentially utilized in the population it serves.”
Having celebrated its 30th year in 2024, the Eye Bank Foundation knows the uphill battle of tissue procurement all too well. “After 30 years, there is still a challenge to get tissue. Potential donors only know of the concept of donation at the point of death,” Dr. Dualan explained. “Our role is to constantly raise awareness even if there is a little need for tissue.”
But with CebuDoc stepping up, the foundation is confident the momentum will grow. “Cebu Doctors Hospital is at the forefront of all of these. We look forward to working with you now and always,” Dr. Dualan added.
This partnership is a step forward for Filipinos in Visayas and Mindanao to have access to quality eye care.
True to its core of compassionate care, CebuDoc continues to show that caring for others doesn’t end at the hospital doors. Sometimes, it begins at the end of one life and carries on through the light in someone else’s eyes.
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