August 13, 2026
Easing suffering in their own humble way
By Joy Rojas
In the last 10 years that Charlie Centes and Armi Belita have been helping put together Tzu Chi Foundation’s large-scale medical missions, these longtime staffers are among the first persons in and the last to leave the venues where thousands of indigents flock for free consultations and specialized treatments for their various health concerns.
Their participation in Tzu Chi’s 292nd medical mission from August 6 to 8 in Dipolog City, was no different from previous outreaches. Assigned to the dental area, they turned a section of the Zamboanga del Norte Cultural and Sports Center into a clean and spacious clinic, complete with reclining chairs, adjustable lights, and trays with sterilized dental instruments.
That was just the beginning of a long day of disinfecting dental tools for check-ups and extractions. At the end of the mission, they were just as busy, clearing the area and packing equipment before heading home.
Some call it “dirty work,” but for Centes and Belita, each medical mission is a chance to heed Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s call to “do good things whenever the opportunity arises.”
“Especially to those who don’t have the means to have their teeth extracted,” says Centes. “We are among those who fulfill Master Cheng Yen’s mission to alleviate the suffering of the people.”
Belita concurs. “I’m happy to be able to help people who can’t afford to have their teeth pulled in a regular dental clinic.”
In their own humble way, Centes and Belita have contributed to easing the pains of Filipinos in medical missions organized by Tzu Chi in Leyte, Bohol, Davao, Sultan Kudarat, Mindoro, and even inside the heavily guarded Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City.
If neither finds traveling to far places and setting up a makeshift dental clinic tiring or routine, it’s because they’re fueled by the Tzu Chi founder’s unwavering commitment to extend compassion and relief to as many people as possible.
“We are just doing on our own jobs, but Master Cheng Yen has the whole world to think about,” says Centes. “Let’s focus on what she reminded us Filipinos: that we are among those who can help her help others.”
Armi Belita (left) and Charlie Centes say “thank you” Tzu Chi style at the dental area of Tzu Chi Foundation’s 292nd medical mission in Dipolog City.
Armi Belita (first from right) leads LGU staff in preparing assistance for the dental team on Day 1 of the medical mission.
Tzu Chi staffer Wilfredo Ortiz Jr. prepares the dental area sign to guide patients.
Preparations for the medical mission begin hours before the opening with the setup of dental essentials.
Preparations for the medical mission begin hours before the opening with the setup of dental essentials.
A volunteer steadies a patient’s head as a dentist administers lidocaine.
Tzu Chi volunteers calm a nervous little girl during her dental consultation.
Taiwan-based Tzu Chi Youth member Sofia (Hu Zih Syuan, right) assists a dentist at work on a patient.
This patient appears relaxed during his dental procedure!
Besides extractions, volunteer dentists also performed minor surgeries like the removal of a periapical cyst, a common growth that develops from a bacterial infection.
Among Charlie Centes’s and Armi Belita’s tasks at the dental area is the regular disinfection of dental instruments to ensure volunteer dentists have tools to work with when they accommodate patients.
After a nerve-wracking procedure is done, it’s all smiles for everyone from hereon.
Compassion is a big part of Tzu Chi’s medical care. Here, a volunteer holds a patient’s hand as she undergoes a dental treatment.