An act of love comes full circle
For the past three years, Sea King Pharma Inc., a Filipino-owned pharmaceutical company, has been donating an important glaucoma medication to the Tzu Chi Eye Center, bringing relief to many underprivileged glaucoma patients. Recently, this act of goodwill comes full circle when an important member of the company also became one of the patients who received treatment from the Eye Center.
WRITTEN BY MARITHEL VALIENTE
When Sea King Pharma Vice President of Operations Andy Ongkeko extended a generous donation of medicine to Tzu Chi, his motivation was simple: “To give back to society and help underprivileged patients at the Tzu Chi Eye Center receive treatment.” Andy had no idea that decision would end up solving a two-year medical crisis inside his own family.
For years, Andy watched his mother, Nancy, live with glaucoma and cataracts.
“My mother was hesitant and terrified to see a doctor, so she kept delaying her checkups,” said Andy. “But when our pharmacy secretary, Ms. Karina, recommended the Tzu Chi Eye Center as one of the best eye centers, I asked my mom if she’d be willing to give it a try. Surprisingly, she agreed!”
Nancy knew that her son’s company had been donating medicines to the Foundation for the past three consecutive years. Seeing the selfless service and humanity Tzu Chi extended to every patient who walked through their doors gave her the courage to accept treatment.
On July 6, she bravely stepped into the operating room for her cataract surgery. Volunteer glaucoma specialist Dr. Marco Figueras performed the procedure with utmost care. The operation went smoothly, and the cataract in her left eye completely vanished.
“Performing a standard cataract surgery brings immense joy, but being able to help a patient who also supports our Foundation brings extra gratitude and happiness,” Dr. Figueras shared.
As Andy stood in the lobby that day, watching the crowds of people waiting for treatment, the impact of the Eye Center hit him all over again. Sea King Pharmacy’s donation on May 19 — a supply of Sitagliptin, Dapagliflozin, Febuxostat, and Acetazolamide — will provide vital relief for families struggling to afford medication. The contribution targets a wide range of metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and ocular conditions. Sitagliptin and Dapagliflozin both help improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, with Dapagliflozin offering additional therapeutic benefits for patients managing heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Meanwhile, Febuxostat keeps uric acid levels low for individuals suffering from gout, and Acetazolamide serves to lower elevated eye pressure in glaucoma patients.
“Seeing the sheer number of patients at Tzu Chi Eye Center was eye-opening. We genuinely want to support and extend our help — and I’m grateful to be able to do it,” Andy said happily.
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Andy set out to support the Foundation’s mission, but seeing his mother walk out of that operating room clear-eyed made him realize just how deeply Tzu Chi’s work touched his own life.
Lifting the struggle of underprivileged families
Among those who benefited from the donated medicine was 72-year-old Renato Salvana from Pasig City, who suffers from glaucoma in both eyes. Since 2021, Tzu Chi has provided his regular checkups, medications, and diagnostic tests completely free of charge.
For Renato’s 37-year-old daughter, Marlyn Eduarce, this assistance lifted an overwhelming burden. As the family’s sole breadwinner, Marlyn works tirelessly from dawn to dusk — taking on house cleaning, lawn care, laundry, and collecting recyclables. Despite her constant efforts, her income was never enough to cover basic household needs alongside medical expenses for both of her parents, as her mother also suffers from heart and kidney disease. When Renato developed glaucoma in 2021, the family’s financial strain reached a breaking point — until Tzu Chi stepped in.
“Your donations reach families who can’t afford eye treatment. What I would have spent on my father’s eye care, I can now use for my mother’s medicine instead,” shared Marlyn tearfully.
“If my father’s eyesight hadn’t been restored, we probably wouldn’t have food on the table because I wouldn’t be able to go back to work — since I have to take care of both of my parents. Now that my father has had his surgery, he is able to help me watch over my mother, allowing me to return to my livelihood,” she added.
Another beneficiary, Roberto Ellazer, 57, made the arduous trip from Southern Leyte to the Tzu Chi Eye Center in Sta. Mesa, Manila, alongside his wife Emily. The couple made the journey after losing hope in their province, where he was quoted ₱35,000 for glaucoma treatment — an impossible sum for a family relying on coconut harvesting and root crop farming. Luckily, a relative who had previously been treated at the Eye Center told them about Tzu Chi. Determined to get help, he borrowed money for their fare to the capital.
“I was so happy when we finally made it to Manila,” he shared. “I was able to get operated on at the Tzu Chi Eye Center, and they gave us medicines we couldn’t afford to buy.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Figueras expressed his gratitude to the kind donors behind every medicine that help Tzu Chi Eye Center’s glaucoma patients.“Our patient’s eyedrops are quite expensive when bought at a drugstore, so we are immensely grateful to all the donors who donate medicines to preserve our glaucoma patients’ vision,” he said.
The medicines donated by Sea King Pharma do not just sit on Eye Center’s shelves — they directly change the course of lives for underprivilege families in need of treatment.
