GOLD FOR GOOD: Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo Feted for Life-Saving Mission

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The faint thump of a heart monitor filled the recovery room as a little girl from Iloilo opened her eyes for the first time after surgery.

For months, her family lived with the fear that her congenital heart defect – patent ductus arteriosus – could suddenly take a turn for the worse.

For a child born with Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), every breath is a labor.

The condition, a congenital heart defect where a critical blood vessel fails to close after birth, is a ticking clock.

For wealthy families, it is a manageable surgery. For indigent families, it is often a death sentence as the price of corrective surgery often makes survival a matter of luck rather than access.

The cost of the procedure creates a wall between a sick child and a future.

Since 2006, the Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo (RCMI) has been breaking that wall down.

On November 28, 2025, that 19-year persistence was recognized on the global stage.

RCMI’s flagship project, “Mend a Broken Heart,” bagged First Place at the Genting Rotary Institute Project Showcase Competition in Malaysia. Competing against 18 top-tier entries from across Southeast Asia, the Iloilo-based initiative was honored not just for its longevity, but for its replicable model of saving lives.

THE MECHANICS OF A MIRACLE

“Mend a Broken Heart” is not a typical medical mission where doctors fly in for a weekend and leave. It is a sustained surgical ecosystem.

The program’s strength lies in its straightforward, replicable model. It works by bridging the gap between medical providers and patients who have zero capacity to pay. RCMI acts as the vital connector. They identify the patients—screening children not just from Iloilo, but as far as Dumaguete and Leyte.

The club then leverages a massive network of partners to subsidize the costs.

Local hospitals, including The Medical City and Western Visayas Medical Center, provide the facilities and surgical expertise. Funding and logistical support are bolstered by international partners like the Rotary Club of Jung Ulsan (District 3721, South Korea), private benefactors, and Rotary Global Grants.

It is a logistical puzzle that RCMI has solved repeatedly for nearly two decades.

THE IMPACT: 300 LIVES

The data speaks louder than the trophy. As of 2024, the project has successfully facilitated procedures for over 300 children.

That is 300 hearts fixed. It is 300 families who no longer have to watch their children struggle for air.

“This is not just a project but a movement, one beating heart at a time,” said Past District Governor Ramon Cua Locsin.

Locsin, a driving force behind the initiative, noted that the international recognition validates nearly two decades of work.

“We have been working on this project for the past 19 years,” Locsin said. “We aimed to have our project recognized on an international stage because we want the world to know the impact it has on underprivileged children.”

The victory at the Genting Rotary Institute serves a dual purpose. It honors the past, but more importantly, it secures the future.

The exposure allows the club to attract more global partners, which translates to more surgeries.

RCMI President Patrick John Locsin views the award as a mandate to expand.

“The Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo’s Mend a Broken Heart project has provided life-changing surgery to over 300 underprivileged children through the years,” he said. “As President, I am proud to help give these children healing, hope, and a renewed chance at life.”

The club’s message to the public is simple: The work continues.

RCMI is currently inviting more partners and benefactors to join the cause. As they move forward from their win in Malaysia, their goal remains grounded in Iloilo—to ensure that no child’s life is cut short simply because their family cannot afford to mend a broken heart. (Photos courtesy of RCMI and District Governor Victor Federico “Pip” Acepcion)