Over 1,000 public school teachers all over Valenzuela City were given free medical services with the launch of “Salamat, Teacher” medical program that was held at the New Valenzuela City Astrodome last October 4.

Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian and Alay-Buhay party-list Rep. Wesley “Wes” Gatchalian delivered free medical services in ear, nose, throat, ob-gyne, pediatrics, ophthalmology, internal medicine, minor surgery, and medicine to public school teachers.

The congressman of Valenzuela City’s first district said the event was done in celebration of the National Teacher’s Month in order to show appreciation to Valenzuela City teachers who serves as second parents to the children.

“Our teachers are the second parents of our children. Conducting an activity such as this is just proper not only to say thank you to them but more importantly, to look after their welfare,” Gatchalian said.

For his part, the party-list lawmaker emphasized the need to support teachers through a medical program, saying that it is a gesture to repay their sacrifice in delivering quality education to students of Valenzuela City.

“We are all indebted to our teachers. They have sacrificed their lives to teach us, they have the noblest profession so in giving back to them, this medical mission is appropriate because we know how our educators forego their needs because they are thinking of their students instead of themselves,” the party-list Solon said.

The local government of Valenzuela City and Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH) also helped make the event possible to extend medical assistance to public school teachers like Jasmin Austria.

Austria is a teacher of Rincon Elementary School who has been suffering with a thyroid disorder for more than three years. (Camille Nepomuceno)