17/05/2025
Apatot Medical Missions was founded in 2000 by Dra. Corazon Vergara Soares and Roy Soares, FASE, in San Esteban, Ilocos Sur.
When the church hospital in Maryland, USA—where Dra. Soares was affiliated—closed its doors, she couldn’t bear to see its still-functional equipment go unused. With compassion and purpose, she sought permission to ship nearly everything to the Philippines. A full container van of hospital beds, ECG machines, wheelchairs, and other vital equipment was sent to San Esteban and neighboring towns—all out of her own pocket and from the generosity of her heart. Fittingly, her name—Corazon—means "heart."
After distributing the equipment, Dra. Cora still had medical supplies left. She then organized a 3-day medical mission in Brgy. Poblacion, San Esteban, supported by town doctor Florence Ramirez and nearby physicians. The mission’s success inspired her to return the following year with her family and hold another one—this time in Brgy. Apatot, a coastal community close to their hearts, where the family has a small beach rest house. That was when Apatot Medical Missions was born.
From that humble beginning, the group has expanded its service to places like Tagaytay, Quezon City, Cagayan de Oro, Bicol, Marikina, and many more. Now retired, Dra. Cora has passed the torch to her nephew, Dr. George Angeles, a dentist who shares her passion for service.
To this day, Apatot Medical Missions continues its annual outreach, honoring Dra. Cora’s legacy of wholehearted care, community, and compassion.