WASAY-WASAY project:  

TAPAL is one of the many neighborhoods in Ubay. The Barangay captain approached FAFCC with a request for help to clean up a beach flooded with wasay wasay shells--a rare cousin of the oyster family found only in Ubay shores but MOSTLY in TAPAL.  Because the big, hard, sharp edged shells literally flooded the whole beach the children could not use it for their recreation. They are deprived of their favorite healthy pastime: swimming. We sponsored:
        50 sacks to put the shells in
        100 pairs of rubber gloves 
        Snacks and lunch for youth and their parents

Reproductive Health Education:
​
FAFCC talked to 30 women from the age of 19 to 42, who left the forum with a greater understanding of how their reproductive system works. FAFCC brought in a young doctor and nurse to support education of family planning and women's health. ​

How did that happen? I ask myself.  How did I turn 70 when not too long ago I couldn't even imagine I would reach this age? It's only a number they say and I would believe that except as I am writing this my gout is flaring up, my arthritic hands and knees are aching as the climate in Reno is starting to get cold, I can't see clearly with the glasses that I've only worn for six months, I can't drive at night and I just made an appointment at the Hearing Aid Center in Costco!

Be that as it may all these ailments that come with age ain't gonna stop me from traveling to the rural areas of Bohol that are medically underserved. Being 70 is not going to deter me from seeking couples from the depressed barrios who, because of their woeful lack of knowledge about how babies are made, keep producing them like rabbits.

Consequently the babies grow up malnourished for how can $5.00 a day (if the father is lucky enough to have a job) feed 5 to 10 mouths with nutritious food? Rice with soy sauce. That's the staple. As can be expected malnourishment leads to a depressed immune system which means lots of kids are sick, born with internal and physical abnormalities, several die from mere starvation.

I cannot and must not give up the little help that my team and I can  lend to this children. For every Free Clinic and/or Feeding Event we hold we invariably find children who need surgery, who need medicines their parents can't afford to buy, children whose lifeless eyes light up at the sight of a piece of cake, a popsicle, or an apple. We encounter children whose diseases require sophisticated diagnostic tests that the hospitals in Bohol are not equipped with. The FAFCC pays for the child and parents' transportation, food, lodging, diagnostic tests and everything else surrounding the treatment of the child in the neighboring island of Cebu where hospitals are better equipped to diagnose and treat rare kinds of diseases and anomalies.

Despite opposition from the Catholic Church my team and I will focus on conducting Reproductive Health workshops one barrio at a time. The workshop entails a 4 hour course attended by couples for the purpose of learning the basics of the human reproductive system. By using audio-visual aids and 4 dimensional models the couples learn about the male and female anatomy, the process of conception and fertilization onto the birth process, Of utmost importance and emphasis the couples learn about the various methods of contraception which, to be completely honest, is the core of why I am so passionate about doing this Herculean project. Globally the Philippines remain poor because of the poor producing large numbers of children born into poverty.

The FAFCC's mission though relatively small still cost money. We are appealing to your benevolence to help us carry on our labor of love. Through donations from many of you we have been able to deliver health care to the indigents for 19 years!  With your continued support we hope we can do this for 19 more. We are aware that everyone is inundated with numerous charitable organizations asking for.financial support. We don't ask much.....the price of a Latte' at Starbuck's or a Meal Deal at McDonald's can conceivably buy a 7day course of antibiotics for a child suffering from respiratory, ear, skin infections to name a few. And those couples who attend the Reproductive Health workshops? We pay the equivalent of the husband's wage just so he can attend the class.

Thank you for reading this lengthy message. I wanted you to get a glimpse of what the FAFCC does.and where your donation goes. Please check out the donate button on the left side of the website for details on how to contribute.

God bless!!

Celina Crisologo, FAFCC Founder and Director

By Cristopher Crisologo

At the Flora Apalisok Free Children’s Clinic, or mission is clear, to improve the lives of the most undernourished and the medically and surgically needy indigent children of Bohol, Philippines. Our mission has deep spiritual foundations, rooted in our strong and proud Catholic heritage and tradition. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ We at the FAFCC take this commandment to heart, and it motivates us to help children and families need.

With that said, through careful searching of our moral conscience, as well as through research and experience, we found a traditionally complex issue that we could no longer ignore, and have decided to add to our mission. This multifaceted issue pertains to overpopulation, family planning and the strong tradition with the Catholic Church, in the context of our beloved homeland (The Philippine Islands). We feel these factors are intertwined, therefore requiring multiple levels of thought and prayer, before presenting a solution that we feel fits our mission, and worthy of our organization’s, as well as valued donor’s, investments of time, money and effort. But before we dive into the solution, let’s look at the issue.

In an article published by The Philippine Star titled, AS A MATTER OF FACT, journalist Sara Soliven De Guzman stated, “The root of our problems in this country stems from overpopulation.” (www.philstar.com) In 2016, the Philippines hit a population of 104 Million people. To put that into perspective, as far as population density is concerned, in 1990, there were an estimated 202 persons per square kilometer, compared to today’s number of 347.6 persons per square kilometer (Today the United States has 32.45 persons per square kilometer). With such an aggressive rise in population density, combined with limited available resources, there are a myriad of problems that arise as a result. The most obvious is that it contributes to the seemingly never ending issue of POVERTY in the Philippines.
In a 2014, the United Nations Population Fund released an article stating that investments in Family Planning are effective means by which we can curb the seemingly out of control trend towards overpopulation. They stated, “improved reproductive health also helps individuals, particularly young women, break out of intergenerational cycles of poverty.” As well as, “When women and couples are empowered to plan whether and when to have children, women are better enabled to complete their education; women’s autonomy within their households is increased; and their earning power is improved.” (www.unfpa.org)

However, despite such knowledge, the Philippines has traditionally had a difficult time legislatively, promoting and passing laws involving family planning. There are many factors which contribute to this roadblock, but what seems to be the most consistent argument is that family planning does not adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Being the Philippines is approximately 80% Roman Catholic, this is a tremendous roadblock.

​The common assumption is that the Catholic Church is against family planning. The cynics’ story has always been that good Catholics reproduce aggressively to ensure that church pews stay full, therefore the Church would never support any form of population control. Well, this is simply not the truth. Per the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “The Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because they respect God's design for married love.”

They further clarify by saying:
Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the woman's cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy. NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23)

Ironically enough, during a visit to the Philippines, His Holiness, Pope Francis, said the following: "But God gives you methods to be responsible. Some think that, and excuse the word, in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits. No, responsible parenthood!"

​So, what is it that the Flora Apalisok Free Children’s Clinic is proposing as a solution to combat this complex issue? First of all, we do not pretend to have the “end all” solution for such a complex and diverse problem. But we realize the supreme value in taking action. In response to the blaring issue of overpopulation in our beloved Philippines, as well as the degradation of the quality of life it creates, and in accordance with the teachings of the leaders of the Church, we’ve added Natural Family Planning Awareness and Education to our mission. Pope Francis said, "The key word ... and the one the Church always uses, and I do too, is 'responsible parenthood.' How do we do this? With dialogue." And we will take this dialogue to the needy and indigent families of Bohol, Philippines. This includes Natural Family Planning education, including, but not limited to, the distribution of Cycle Beads, a natural family planning option that can be used as an effective tool with Natural Family Planning.

The Flora Apalisok Free Children’s Clinic is committed as ever to taking the necessary steps towards a bright and healthy future for the children and families of Bohol, Philippines. We are passionate about our mission, and use spirituality as our guide. The great Mother Theresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Her wisdom guides us, and we pray that you too will join us on our mission to make life better for those in need. 

​Note: the FAFCC will be introducing a series of Reproductive Health workshops this February in Dampas, Bohol, Philippines. Stay tuned for more updates.