August 15, 2026
The transformative power of surgery
By Joy Rojas
It’s no exaggeration that the word “life-changing” has often been used to describe surgery. A medical procedure to remove a large goiter or fix a bulging hernia does more than improve one’s appearance. It frees a person from discomfort, shame, and limitations, and restores hope and self-confidence.
This was the shared sentiment of the patients who availed of the free surgery organized from August 6 to 8 by the Tzu Chi Foundation in its 292nd medical mission in Dipolog City. Surgeries were performed at the recently inaugurated Annex Building of the Zamboanga del Norte Medical Center. Through the hospital’s generous support of the medical mission, Tzu Chi was the first to use the annex’s brand-new surgical suite.
Anxious at first, the beneficiaries came out of their procedures with a palpable sense of relief and joy.
Coincidentally, each was moved to extend the kindness they experienced to others.
Teenager Laurence Sanchez has known about his inguinal hernia for as long as he could remember. But because his parents are separated and he was raised by relatives—first his grandfather, then his aunt—the bump in his groin was ignored and worsened over time. It got in the way of playing sports and was visible in his pants. Self-conscious and uncomfortable, he stuck to non-strenuous activities like baking, gardening, and household chores.
Chancing upon Tzu Chi’s free medical mission post on social media, he took advantage of the opportunity, and is now all the better for it. “When I heal, I will try dancing or volleyball,” he said.
An incoming college freshman majoring in elementary education, he is thinking of getting into a service-oriented field like nursing or social work. Clearly Tzu Chi’s mission to alleviate suffering has rubbed off on him. Said Sanchez, “I want to help other people.”
Saldi Ledesma Pantallano’s own hernia surgery was an awakening as well. Speaking before fellow patients and Tzu Chi volunteers, he said, “I was not only operated on for free, but I learned a lot about purpose from the Tzu Chi Foundation.
“I am inspired to help others. This, I realize, is my purpose in life. In this world, it’s not about acquiring wealth but to be of help to others.”
Pantallano has had his hernia since 2019. For seven years, he endured the pain of simply standing up. Afraid of undergoing surgery, he quickly overcame his fear when he saw Tzu Chi’s announcement online “because it was free,” he admitted with a chuckle.
Perhaps it was also the right time. Witnessing Tzu Chi’s compassion before, during, and after his surgery opened the businessman’s eyes to what really counts in life. “For me, true success is when you are able to help many.”
The transformative power of surgery, particularly in medical missions, impacts healthcare workers too. Warning first-time volunteer nurses of the volume of surgical patients, Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) nurse Charlene Concepcion later apologized to the team if the load left them exhausted.
“They enjoyed themselves,” said Concepcion, who has volunteered in over 10 Tzu Chi medical missions. “In a hospital setting, it can get really tiring, but here, even if they haven’t eaten, they keep on working. It gives them a good feeling.”
Christopher John Agustin, a TIMA nurse assigned to the post-anesthesia care unit, and a volunteer at Tzu Chi’s outreach in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, attributes this readiness to be there for others to the innate goodness in all.
“I like and look forward to community service,” he says. “Helping people, especially the oppressed, and expecting nothing in return, is our core value.”
Of the 5,417 patients who attended Tzu Chi’s three-day medical mission, 22 underwent herniorrhaphy, 54 had a thyroidectomy, 37 came for Jaipur foot prosthesis, and 56 had minor surgery.
The surgery team of Tzu Chi’s 292nd medical mission in Dipolog City consists of Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) healthcare workers and Tzu Chi volunteers from different Philippine chapters.
Face masks cannot hide the smiles of male patients awaiting their surgeries.
The lack of financial resources explains why many leave their goiters untreated for years.
A healthcare worker shows a patient’s companion the goiter that was removed from the patient’s neck.
Laurence Sanchez (center) is assisted by his companion and a Tzu Chi volunteer after his hernia surgery.
A Tzu Chi University student wipes Saldi Ledesma Pantallano’s face before his herniorrhaphy. It was this and other acts of kindness that made Pantallano realize that his life’s purpose is to help others.
An above-the-knee amputee stands still as he is measured for a Jaipur foot prosthesis.
All done! A TIMA doctor carries a child to the post-anesthesia care unit following a successful herniorrhaphy.
TIMA doctors also performed various minor surgeries, like the removal of benign growths.
Besides fond memories of a successful procedure, Tzu Chi’s surgery patients are each given ang pao and other auspicious tokens from Dharma Master Cheng Yen.