Donation to Children in Prison

April 2006

Through the courtesy of Ditas Cadiz, ACE-International Florida Vice President, a $1,000
donation from Lila Lee and the Luxmi Cruz Family Trust of Arizona was handed to Dr. Chee
Garcia, President of ACE-International Philippines. On April 29, 2006, ACE International
Philippines President Chee Garcia,Tess Gomez and Dr. Andy Tan went to Camp Bagong
Diwa in Taguig to deliver the following supplies to the children who have been transferred
there from different jails in Metro Manila, where the number rapidly increased: from 184 to
250+ children in just a matter of 3 weeks.

a. 10 138-liter plastic containers for water storage
b. 22 dozens of short pants (walking shorts)
c. 250 bars of laundry soap
d. 250 bars of bath soap
e. 24 bars of sulfur soap (for scabies)
f. various drugs
  1) 5 boxes of 500 mg paracetamol tabs (100 tabs/box)
  2) 5 boxes of 500 mg amoxicillin caps (100 caps/box)
  3) 3 boxes of 500 mg erythromycin caps (100 caps/box)
  4) 3 boxes of 500 mg cephalexin caps (100 caps/box)
  5) 1 box of 500 mg cloxacillin caps (100 caps/box)
  6) 2 boxes of 500 mg ciprofloxacin caps (100 caps/box)
  7) 3 boxes of 500 mg carbocisteine (SCMC) caps (100 caps/box)
  8) 2 boxes of 2 mg loperamide HCl caps (100 caps/box)
  9) 1 box of 10 mg hyoscine-N-butylbromide tabs (100 tabs/box)
  10) 1 box of oral rehydration salts (50 tabs/box)
  11) 10 120-ml bottles of 25% benzyl benzoate lotion (for scabies)
g. cottonballs for applying 25% benzyl benzoate lotion

The bars of bath soap and walking shorts were distributed to the children, while the rest of
the items were endorsed to the warden, Ms. Amy Talento, together with a notebook to jot
down the names of the children who will be given the medicine, the ailment and the number
of tablets/capsules consumed for each course of therapy (this was to be countersigned by
the physician who will be prescribing the medicine).

Most of the cases we encountered were upper respiratory tract infections, scabies and
fungal infection. An almost equal number of cases were due to fungal infection but were
attributed by the jail staff to scabies! Drs. Garcia and Tan conducted a short lecture on how
to use the sulfur soap and some basic principles of hygiene. They were also brought to an
"isolation" cell whose only occupant was a 17-year old boy who's suspected of having TB
(his condition still has to be confirmed by xrays).

In a separate cell beside his, another cell was populated by "newbies," one of whom was the
teenager who attempted to escape during their transfer to Camp Bagong Diwa and was thus
shot on the foot by one of the guards. The bullet has been removed BUT it was clear that
the wound had not been cleaned daily. Consequently, the adjacent area was slightly
swollen and erythematous (may be the start of cellulitis --- although the affected area has
been debrided). The doctors advised the warden to have the wound cleaned daily and for
the patient to start oral antibiotics (starting with 100 capsules of cloxacillin.

A volunteer who lives near the area has been assigned to help monitor consumption of the
items (including the drugs) given to the children. ACE International will shoulder the
volunteer's transportation expense and a snack.