Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko holds annual Pamaskong Handog, celebrates 49th anniversary

Every year, Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko (KKMK) Foundation celebrates two special activities in one remarkable day: its founding anniversary, and its annual Pamaskong Handog for 40 children who are currently battling acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The dual celebration held at the German Moreno Studio in GMA Network on December 7 highlighted 49 years of service and brought joy and holiday cheer to the community. Also present at the program were Sparkle stars Kim Perez and Gaea Mischa, who performed songs for the attendees.

To make this year’s celebration even more special, the foundation extended the fun and joy to 30 Batang K graduates.

According to KKMK Executive Director Margo Mercado, Batang K graduates are those who completed their hospital treatments.

“Before, when they graduated, we were done with the program. So we now have a BK Program, and then we also have the BK graduates Program because here, during this period, they are under the monitoring phase. They are monitored for five years,” she told GMA News Online.

Aside from the fun games, they also had a friendship bracelet-making activity where children were paired with donors, and they exchanged the bracelets with each other.

Margo, who became executive director in 2018, recalled one touching conversation she had with a patient, which helped remind her why holding such events is truly important for the kids.

She said that she asked a child why he enjoys coming to such activities, and the child said, “Kasi para lang kaming para lang magkaklase.”

Margo recalled that she did not understand the child’s answer because, outside of the activity, they already had classmates and other friends.

So she asked again: “What is it about that?”

“‘Kasi pare-pareho lang kami.’ And then it hit me: They're treated [here] as children lang, not as the child who’s sick, not a child with cancer. Kasi they're all the same eh. One, they’re all the same. Two, I let them play,” she said.

“It's meant to be for them eh, right? It’s meant to be for them. It's purely for them to be happy, that is the whole intention eh. So that remained with me, so every time whenever  we have Pamaskong Handog, I always keep that in mind that it is for them.”

Among the children patients helped by KKMK this year were Marco Mabras and Zildjian Gallardes.

Marco is a two-year-old boy born with a cleft lip and palate. He underwent surgery in July to address his condition.

But two days after the procedure, Marco accidentally ate bread, which lodged in the roof of his newly-operated mouth. This incident caused the wound to reopen, necessitating another repair operation.

Meanwhile, Zildjian is a three-year-old boy born with a hernia. He faced delays in receiving treatment due to financial constraints. With the support of the foundation, he was finally able to undergo a successful hernia operation.

Nearly five decades of service

Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko began its journey in 1975 with a mission to provide healthcare services to indigent patients. Established by compassionate pioneers, including Orly Mercado, who has been with the foundation since its inception, the organization started as a small initiative to address the growing medical needs of the less fortunate.

Mercado, who also served in the Senate for three terms, shared that he always gets asked why he continues to stay with the foundation.

“Bilib naman ako sa ‘yo. Bakit mo ginagawa ‘yan nang ganun kahaba?” his friends would ask him. They would even quip that it’s his payment for his sins.

But according to Mercado, he just believes in the mantra, “Galaw-galaw para ‘di pumanaw.”

“Kaming nasa baby boomers generation, it is very important for us to keep moving, and I mean not only physical movement but intellectually moving," he said.

Above all, what he has learned to be most important is the slogan, “Serve the People,” which he said he always tries to live up to.

“There are many ways to serve people, and you don’t have to be Mother Teresa, stay in the streets…I have no illusions of being anywhere close to that,” he said. “What we’re trying to do here is to just keep things moving. Let us address the basic issues that during emergencies, people need assistance.”

After almost 50 years of helping their countrymen, KKMK stays true to its mission of raising awareness about illnesses and how to prevent them and utilizing the opportunity provided by the media, which connects people who need help to the people who want to provide the assistance.

And should the time finally come when people no longer need help, Mercado said that he is willing to recommend the closure of the program.

“I would recommend the closure of the program if there are no more poor people coming to us and there’s no more lack of knowledge as regards medications and health and illnesses and how they can be prevented,” he said.

But for now, KKMK will continue to be of service to as many fellow Filipinos they could help as they continue to aim for their goal.

For donations and other forms of assistance, you may donate via these channels:

BDO

Account Name: Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko Foundation, Inc.

Account Number: 00-124-00-313-09

Metrobank

Account Name: Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko Foundation, Inc.

Account Number: 098-3-01192837-4

GCash

Scan the QR code at facebook.com/KapwaKo/photos/3918062228225773 using the GCash app

Shopee

Type 'kapwa ko mahal ko' on your Shopee mobile app and choose any donation voucher starting from P1. —JCB, GMA Integrated News