07/10/2025
Partners for Vision: Renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines and the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center
In a continuing commitment to restore sight and strengthen eye donation advocacy in Northern Luzon, the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) and the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines (EBFP) renewed their Memorandum of Agreement through the event titled “Partners for Vision” held at the HOPPS Conference Room on October 6, 2025.
The ceremony was graced by distinguished leaders from both institutions, including Dr. Ivo John S. Dualan, President and CEO of the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines; Dr. Eduardo M. Badua III, Medical Center Chief of ITRMC; Dr. Unity H. Cortez, Chief of Medical Professional Staff; Dr. Charisse Ann S. Tanlapco, Head of the ITRMC Department of Ophthalmology; and Dr. Richmond R. Siazon, Head of the ITRMC Cornea Retrieval Unit.
In his message, Dr. Dualan emphasized the importance of partnerships with government institutions like ITRMC in sustaining the advocacy for eye donation and expanding the reach of sight-saving services.
The renewal of the partnership reaffirms both institutions’ shared vision of promoting eye health, facilitating timely corneal tissue retrieval, and providing life-changing opportunities for those suffering from corneal blindness. It also underscores the vital role of regional hospitals like ITRMC in advancing eye banking and transplantation services across the country.
Following the signing ceremony, participants engaged in a simultaneous tissue harvesting wetlab and donor coordination workshop facilitated by the team from the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines. The hands-on sessions aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of healthcare professionals in donor coordination and corneal tissue retrieval—further strengthening ITRMC’s role as a committed satellite retrieval unit.
Through initiatives like Partners for Vision, the collaboration between EBFP and ITRMC continues to serve as a model partnership dedicated to sight restoration and compassionate service to the Filipino people.