Friday, March 29, 2024

Maxicare Healthcare Corporation reached out to orphanages and non-profit organizations across the Philippines to give free flu vaccines

Maxicare Healthcare Corporation reached out to orphanages and non-profit organizations across the Philippines to give free flu vaccines

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True to its mission of serving Filipinos through quality healthcare, leading HMO provider Maxicare Healthcare Corporation reached out to orphanages and non-profit organizations across the Philippines to give free flu vaccines.

Vaccines against the common flu were donated to CRIBS Foundation, Virlanie Foundation Inc., Tahanan ng Pagmamahal, and several others, by Maxicare through its #MaxiCares program.

“Our current public health crisis underscored our commitment to provide the best possible healthcare services to Filipinos. This commitment isn’t limited to our members and stakeholders alone but likewise extends to the underprivileged and marginalized,” said Archie Rillo, Chief Marketing Officer of Maxicare Healthcare Corporation.

Aligning its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), specifically UNSDG 3: Health and Well-being, the company started #MaxiCares to ensure that more Filipinos live healthy lives and encourage well-being for all ages by supporting relevant organizations and communities across the Philippines.

 Gift of gratitude

At the height of the pandemic when mobility was limited and everyone was encouraged to stay at home, orphanages in the Philippines had a challenging time. They had to close their doors and set up bubbles to protect the children under their care. This proved to be a daunting task as most of the organizations relied on aid to sustain their services.

“The pandemic and lockdowns limited our movements in doing our face-to-face work especially in the street and community programs. We opted to stop the ongoing livelihood training, visitation, and other activities for the safety of everyone,” said Arlyne Fernandez,  Virlanie Foundation Executive Director.

Virlanie Foundation, Inc. is a private, non-profit and non-sectarian organization reaching out to marginalized children and communities in the Philippines. They provide the most disadvantaged children with a caring family environment, opportunities for their healing and development through a multi-disciplinary approach, and in collaboration with all stakeholders, so they can reach their full potential and mainstream to society.

Since its creation in 1992 by the French social worker Dominique Lemay, Virlanie has helped more than 17,000 children in need of special protection through its various programs and services.

During the lockdowns, one of the main concerns of the Virlanie Foundation administrators was to ensure the health and safety of those under their care.

“The biggest challenge for us is the impact of the pandemic on the children – physical, mental, and social. We had to make adjustments on the online and modular schooling, doctors’ check-up and therapy, socialization, and extracurricular activities. We had to adapt as an organization to transition everything online and implement health and safety protocols across our programs. It was a big adjustment, but thankfully our staff and partners were very supportive,” added Arlyn.

Through Maxicare’s flu vaccine donation, Virlanie Foundation was able to continue providing healthcare to children in need.

“Maxicare’s flu vaccine donation helped Virlanie in providing prevention and care to improve the general well-being of the children especially in the time of the pandemic. We hope this partnership will continue so we can help more children in need.”