BATARAZA, Palawan — “People used to say my child was not normal. As a mother, that worried me day and night.”
This was Dhevina Tutuh’s sentiment as she recalled the long journey she and her daughter made from Mapun, Tawi-Tawi, to the municipality of Bataraza in Palawan. Tutuh and her daughter traveled about 15 hours by sea to reach Bataraza after seeing a social media post about the RTN Foundation Inc.’s (RTNFI) medical and surgical mission.
Dhevina’s daughter, Marina, suffered from a cleft lip, and was among the 289 individuals who were served during the latest medical and surgical mission conducted by Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC) through RTNFI, in partnership with Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC).
“When I saw the post about the free surgery, I immediately asked if my child could be treated. Even though we came from far away in Mapun, Tawi-Tawi, and it was just the two of us traveling in the rain, I did everything I could to get here. I only want my child to grow up without being looked down on by others.” Tutuh said in the Mapun dialect.
Mapun is an island municipality closer to Sabah, Malaysia, than mainland Palawan. From Tawi-Tawi, the trip to Bataraza required hours aboard a lansta, a small boat used for inter-island travel. Rough waves between island provinces in the southern Philippines often make the trip difficult.
Volunteer doctors from Medical Mission to Heaven and Adventist Medical Center Manila led consultations and surgical procedures during the outreach.
“It is gratifying both spiritually and professionally. When I see my patients—especially those with cleft lip and cleft palate—and witness the gratitude of their parents, I feel deeply thankful to God. Through this mission and the support of Nickel Asia, we have been able to help people in Rio Tuba, across Palawan, and even beyond,” said Dr. Mendelssohn Manalaysay, a volunteer oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Aside from cleft lip and palate, among the cases treated during the mission were goiter, hernia, gallstones, hemorrhoids, myoma, ovarian cyst, uterine bleeding, lipoma, sebaceous cysts, ganglion cysts, and other surgical conditions.
“This is my first time volunteering in the RTN Foundation medical mission, and it is inspiring to see patients coming from different villages just to receive free medical care. Many of the children are excited because they know they will finally get the treatment they need,” said Maria Julia Cabusao Villanueva, a volunteer nurse.
Organizers said the mission often draws patients from remote areas across Palawan and nearby island provinces, some of whom travel for hours by land or sea to reach the site.
Now on its 23rd year, the medical mission continues to provide specialized medical care in communities where access to hospitals and specialists remains limited.
“We are grateful to the volunteers from Medical Mission to Heaven who continue to bring this mission to the southernmost part of Palawan. We would not have been able to do this without them,” said Reynaldo Dela Rosa, Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) Assistant Vice President for Community Relations and Executive Director of RTNFI.
The outreach began in 1990, when RTNMC began conducting medical missions to support communities near its operations in southern Palawan. The program is carried out with the support of RTNFI and CBNC.
RTNMC and RTN Foundation are part of Nickel Asia Corporation, the country’s largest producer of lateritic nickel ore and a natural resource development company.
The medical mission, held from March 2 to 6, 2026, involved 63 volunteers, including doctors, nurses, and medical interns.
After the procedure, Tutuh said she hopes her child can now grow up without facing the same ridicule that once kept her awake at night.
“Thank you very much to the doctors and to everyone at RTNFI and CBNC. My heart is truly happy now; it will no longer be painful for me to see my child in that condition because she has finally undergone surgery,” she said.
