UAP Secretary General meets Doctors Without Borders Representative

QUEZON CITY – UAP Secretary General Architect Renato A. Heray met Mr. Romero David, Representative of the Medecins Sans Forntieres (Doctors Without Borders) French Section, Philippines Mission at the UAP National Headquarters to discuss possible CSR partnership between UAP and MSF.

Doctors Without Borders / MEdecins Sans FrontiEres (MSF) is an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, natural disasters, and exclusion from health care in nearly 70 countries. MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

Mr. David discussed with Arch. Heray that in the aftermath of the typhoon, MSF was able to provide emergency assistance to communities on three of the worst-affected islands: Guiuan and nearby towns on Eastern Samar; Tacloban, Tanauan, Palo, Ormoc, Santa Fe and Burauen on Leyte; and Estancia, Carles, and San Dionisio on mainland Panay, as well as several outlying islands. This included addressing acute and immediate medical trauma needs; restoring basic medical services and facilities; providing shelter, reconstruction kits, water and sanitation facilities; and offering psychosocial support to both children and adults. Today, in collaboration with the provincial health offices, MSF is providing maternal and neonatal care in Leyte Provincial Hospital (Palo, Leyte Island) and is involved in rendering another three hospitals fully functional again: Albino Memorial Hospital and General MacArthur Hospital, both in Eastern Samar; and Abuyog Municipal Hospital in Leyte.

UAP SecGen Heray on the other hand briefed Mr. David about the UAP as prime professional organization of architects, and UAP’s "Bayanihang Arkitektura“ which encourages all its members, and chapters to engage in providing pro bono services as part their contributions to the highest aspirations of the architecture profession and the organization in service to society. Under the program, SG Heray said that UAP chapters including their members offer their architectural expertise in an advisory capacity free of charge for several socio-civic projects.