Firms Tie Up With Operation Smile To Fund Cleft Surgeries

Colgate-Palmolive Philippines and Puregold Price Club, Inc. forged an agreement with Operation Smile Philippines, Inc. (OSP) to raise fund for oral cleft surgeries, dental check-up, and fluoride treatment.

Under the partnership, for every participating Colgate products being purchased in any Puregold stores from February 15 to April 17, an amount of PHP5.00 will be donated to OSP.

“This collaboration with Operation Smile is only one of several activities that Colgate-Palmolive Philippines will implement on its 90th year. We have allocated significant resources for this year-long campaign of giving back to the Filipinos,” said Colgate-Palmolive Philippines General Manager Stephen Lau.

Operation Smile is a volunteer-based international medical charity dedicated to providing free surgery and related healthcare to children afflicted with oral cleft.

For his part, Operation Smile Asia Region Country Director of Development – Philippines Roberto Manzano said the organization aims to expand its partnership with big conglomerates in the country to support dental operations of OSP.

According to Manzano, about 150,000 Filipinos were born with oral cleft between 1982 and 2015.

Some 58,000 cases were treated by Operation Smile and other organizations. However, there are 92,000 individuals with oral cleft remain untreated.

“There’s a backlog we are trying to address now,” he said.

He mentioned that cleft surgery costs around Php15,000 excluding post-operation medicines and check-ups.

Operation Smile holds an average of 10 to 12 cleft surgery missions nationwide particularly in poor communities with high oral cleft cases. (PNA) BNB/KMC