My Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity Brod, Paul Perez nominated me to the Geny Lopez Bayaning Pilipino Awards on April 20,2020, after he appreciated what I am contributing in the fight against COVID19. See attached file.
Nomination for Geny Lopez Bayaning Pilipino Awards
See attached file for complete contents with pictures.
April 20, 2020
Good day!
I am writing to nominate Reynaldo O. Joson, MD for the Geny Lopez Bayaning
Pilipino Awards. At the age of 71, Dr. Joson was still serving in the frontlines when the
COVID pandemic erupted in the Philippines. He is both a teacher and a surgeon
working in the Philippine General Hospital and Manila Doctors Hospital. His last hospital
exposure was on March 14 in the latter hospital where he did a minor operation at 6am
followed by his usual clinic from 9am to 12nn. At this time he was already keeping
updated on the present body of knowledge about the disease. On March 15, the City of
Makati issued an ordinance mandating senior citizens to stay at home, so he
immediately complied with home quarantine but did not let his service end there. He is a
man of integrity with a deeply ingrained sense of social responsibility. Aside from
keeping himself informed, he actively sought out multiple avenues through which he
could help his kababayans in this time of fear and uncertainty. These I will attempt to
summarize below, but I will also provide the relevant links for more detailed references.
On March 13, he posted on his Facebook account regarding his goals and planned
contributions to the fight against COVID-19. He later reposted this on his online Google
Sites page:
“I am 71 years old.
I am a senior citizen. I am a health worker.
In the midst of COVID-19, Makati Government has an order that senior citizens should
stay home. With the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, I am also ordered to
stay home because of my age. I am also not allowed to volunteer in the emergency
room because of my age.
What will I do? I want to be useful for others in the midst of COVID-19.
Here are what I intend to do and have started a few days ago and have done today:
1. I have launched ROJoson Telemedical Consultation with the following objectives
related to COVID-19: a) To protect the Filipino patients from being put at risk of
COVID-19 infection when they go to ROJoson Medical Clinic for consultation because
of the COVID-19 epidemic.b) To offer online medical consultation services to the
Filipino people who cannot or have difficulty going to clinics and hospitals because of
the community quarantine and who have no physicians to consult because of closure of
clinics during the COVID-19 epidemic. I have several patients today and have
appointments for tomorrow (March 19. 2020)
2. I will develop my TPORs on COVID-19 to help the government and the people fight
against COVID-19.
3 I will set an example of following the orders of the government on COVID-19. I have
been staying home. I have been practicing social distancing even within my house (with
3 people - wife, daughter and me). Tonight, I obeyed to the letter the rule of no walking
exercise outside the house. I did an hour and a half of walking within my house going
back and forth using the 15 meter-length of my sala,and dining area.
4. I facilitated the food donations of my Xavier classmate to PGH frontliners.
5. I facilitated the P170 K donation of my Xavier 66 classmates to HelpThru.Ph to buy
alcohol and masks for 35 government hospitals.
6. I facilitated the donation of Rey Go of 160 N95 masks and 1000 surgical masks to the
PGH Department of Surgery.
7. I facilitated the donation of Rey Go (P100K) to HelpThru.Ph to buy alcohol and masks
for another 20 government hospitals.
8. I will continue to do my Online Collaborative and Interactive Learning on various
topics during the COVID-19 crisis - medical education, intentional living, hospital
administration, disaster preparedness, etc.
PAHABOL (ADDENDUM):
March 15, 2020, I facilitated the donations of Jen Legaspi of Bactidol mouthwash to Mu
Relief for PGH Frontliners.
Will continue the above while at home during the enhanced community quarantine
period.”
ROJoson's Online Collaborative and Interactive Learning and Online Learning
Evaluation Test Exercise (ROJ-OCIL-OLETE)
As one of his earliest interventions, Dr. Joson initiated the ROJ-OCIL-OLETE on
the novel coronavirus last February with the goal of equipping all Filipinos with the
adequate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to equip them with knowledge that
would hopefully reduce the spread of the disease should it become prevalent in the
Philippines. The online course explains the fast facts about the virus in order to advise
its readers how one can primarily minimize the risk of getting infected as well as how to
manage oneself when suspected to be infected.
DONATIONS OF FOOD AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
In order to make a significant impact, Dr. Joson knew that he needed to join
hands with other charitable institutions. He earlier partnered with HelpThru and
established a system for processing and accounting for donations. In the heat of the
outbreak, he realized a need to shift his focus beyond monetary donations and towards
actively procuring Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontliners. For this, he
decided to partner also with Mu Relief, the service-oriented arm of his Fraternity, the Mu
Sigma Phi. His role was instrumental not only in increasing the procurement of PPE, but
in coordinating the disbursement of aid especially to the far-flung areas and LGUs who
were not getting adequate supplies of PPE to protect themselves. Through his
dedication, he was able to establish a network of doctors from over 70 different
provinces across Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao with whom he would coordinate distribution
of PPE. He did this by coordinating with the Doctors to the Barrios (DTTBs) as well as
other Municipal Health Officers who had expressed the needs of their communities.
Excellent Practice Awards
One thing Dr. Joson realized by studying the data available on COVID-19 was
that there weren’t many studies being done in various local settings with regards to
which social practices are effective in reducing the incidence and prevalence of the
disease in the community setting. With his network of doctor-coordinators in the various
provinces, he instituted a the Excellent Practice Awards with the following goal in mind;
“To promote concretizing the impact of donating PPEs and to assist the Mu
Relief Coordinators further, specifically, with sharing of best practices among the
Coordinators and with giving of additional PPEs especially if their control programs have
documented evidence of good implementation, granting of awards or recognition was
thought of by ROJoson .” Simply put, he created a paper-writing project and contest in
order to share the best practices of controlling COVID-19 in the community setting in
order to eventually propose effective medical and public health measures to the
government and scientific community. In order to incentivize research, he offered prize
money to the RHUs with the best documented implemented measures as follows: P75K
- 1st place; P50K - 2nd place; P25K - 3rd place [P150K total] at least, or if there are a
lot of entries - 2 categories – RHU and PrGH [P300K total]) . The criteria for judging
would be based on the published Asian Hospital Management Awards and his current
research on COVID-19. He truly believes that aside from physical protection, what the
nation needs is evidence-based protocols to follow at the grassroots - sharing of
knowledge and best practices.
ROJoson Telemedical Consultation
Amid all his relief efforts, Dr. Joson did not abandon his patients. He devised a
way in which they could reach him while complying with the Enhanced Community
Quarantine - through Telemedicine. Here, he was able to address patient queries as
well as advise his post-operation patients on proper home care and observation. This
program provided an alternative avenue for Filipinos to meet their health needs virtually
face-to-face with a doctor.
PH Healthcare Providers Against COVID-19
In order to inspire mutual collaboration, Dr. Joson created a Facebook group with
both colleagues and allied medical professionals with two main objectives:
1. Exchange of thoughts, perceptions, opinions, and recommendations on how
Philippine healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, and paramedical staff) can
avoid being infected with COVID19 while managing patients
2. Registry of Philippine healthcare providers being infected and dying of COVID19
The group was envisioned to be a platform for discussion and information sharing
among frontliners to aid in optimal patient management. Aside from this group, he also
utilizes his website and email threads with target coordinators to both foster
communication and active participation in common plans. Although a senior citizen, Dr.
Joson really takes it upon himself to learn how to use technology to make knowledge
and relief efforts accessible and convenient to the Filipino people.
Posted below are several links to detailed documentation of Dr. Joson’s contributions to
the nations efforts against this pandemic:
1. ROJoson’s Thoughts, Perceptions, Opinions, and Recommendations on COVID
( https://sites.google.com/site/rojosontporsoncovid19/home )
2. Mu Relief x COVID Excellent Practice Awards
( https://sites.google.com/site/mureliefxcovid19awards/mu-relief-xcovid19-excelle
nt-practice-awards )
3. ROJoson Telemedical Consultation
( https://sites.google.com/site/rojosontelemedicalconsultation/home )
4. Reynaldo Joson’s Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/rjoson2001 )
5. PH Healthcare Providers Against COVID-19
( https://www.facebook.com/groups/217564576184343/?ref=bookmarks )
ABS-CBN is requesting for video clips and other related materials regarding your journey as medical frontliners amidst the pandemic. Please be guided by the following:
A) GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR THE NOMINEE (1-MINUTE VIDEO ONLY)
1. When did it start?
2. Who are the other people behind your drive to help?
3. What are the means or campaign drive you made (be specific) in helping others amidst the pandemic?
4. Where are your beneficiaries coming from (be specific)?
5. Why did you do this?
Include also the following:
1. Significant photos or videos (of you have)
2. Facebook page, Facebook account, or website link (if you have)
Additionally, we request for you to submit a 1-minute video clip of the recipient/s of your services/donations. Please be guided by this question:
B) GUIDE QUESTION FOR THE RECIPIENT/S (1-MINUTE VIDEO ONLY)
· His/her thoughts, emotions, and/or experience in line with your help in the midst of the pandemic [Required language: English, Taglish, or Tagalog – choose only one]
Once done, please send the files to bayaningpilipinoawards@yahoo.com at the soonest possible time.
RAMIL
BAYANING PILIPINO AWARDS
2F ISO ANNEX BLDG.,
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMPLEX
ATENDEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY
QUEZON CITY 1108
PHILIPPINES
Telephone No.: +63 2 426 6496 / +63 2 426 6001 loc. 4873 / Fax: +63 2 426 6497
APPENDIX: CLARIFICATIONS WE ASKED
1) Does providing video clip already ensure that I will be included in the TV special or still part of the screening process?
A: It is still part of screening process.
2) Will the video clips submitted be the ones used on the TV special if ever selected or will I be required to submit again? (in other words, are these videos just for the director's private viewing or can they possibly be released on TV?)
A: It might be used but if the production team thinks that they need more, they will contact you.
3) Will there be a live filming or will everything done exclusively online?
A: There will be no live filming in compliance with ECQ.
4) Any other details you can give regarding the TV special (e.g projected date/time, length, how many interviews shall be selected, etc.)
A: We have yet to receive details regarding this but will keep you posted.
Abridged Version - 1'50"
I am Dr. Reynaldo Joson, 71 years old, medical teacher and surgeon connected with the Philippine General Hospital.
My contribution against COVID19 pandemic officially started on January 29, 2020 when I developed an online learning module on COVID19 to create a milestone on my birthday on January 31.
I chose this topic because I anticipated COVID19 coming to the Philippines and I wanted my Facebook followers to have the essential learning - enough not to panic; to prevent it; and to know how to manage oneself.
On March 29, 2020, I officially closed the online learning module with 43 mentees. I decided to go into other anti-COVID19 projects.
Overall, my contributions consisted of 1) public health education; 2) facilitating donations from friends and patients to provide personal protective equipment to health care institutions in practically all provinces in the Philippines; 3) telemedical consultation; and 4) advocacies on best practices to avoid death among health care workers.
With the help of the Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity and Sorority network and HelpThru, I was able to reach out to 79 doctors to the barrios, municipal health officers, and provincial hospital doctors to coordinate the reception of donations for their communities.
All these, I did out of a sense of social responsibility to the Filipino people and still wanting to support the medical frontliners at age 71.
See longer versions in attached file.
ROJ@20may7