- EVF and IPAO launches Marawi 2020 to provide free eye check-ups and prescription glasses
- It is a campaign to assist in rebuilding Marawi as well as to assist local optometrists to recover from their losses
- The campaign aims to provide a 20:20 eyesight until the year 2020
Essilor Vision Foundation and the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists. Inc. are hand-in-hand to provide visual-care and free eyeglasses to the victims of the Marawi siege.
The limited supply of healthcare, such as optometrists, is one of the big problems of the government in rebuilding Marawi. The government needs all the help they can get, and Essilor and IPAO have just the right advocacy to help the people in Marawi get the attention they deserve.
Marawi 2020 aims to provide eye care to the people in need, and ultimately to give them hope for a brighter, clearer tomorrow.
This is not the only project Essilor has in the Philippines. They also spearheaded the Eye Can Succeed which helped over 10,000 senior high school students to perform better at school by providing free eye check-ups and prescription glasses to those in need.
This time, EVF will be donating free eye check-ups and 20,000 eyeglasses with the help of IPAO volunteer optometrists. The campaign is expected to last for 2 years starting now, thus the name Marawi 2020.
They believe that people, especially children, mostly learn through visuals. And it would be sad if they continue to survive with poor eyesight.
“In our own little way, we aim to help the people of Marawi find hope despite everything that happened. Through this advocacy campaign, we wish to boost people’s confidence in seeing life more clearly. Better vision in life lets them know that it is never too late to start anew, to brush off the ashes and hope for a brighter future,” shared Dr. Emelita Roleda, general manager of Essilor Philippines.
EVF and IPAO also aim to create sustainable access to vision care services by creating an Eye & Vision Clinic at the Department of Health (DOH) Hospital in Marawi City.it is also the campaign’s aim to help local optometrists re-establish their practices by providing them livelihood, and ultimately help them stand back on their feet.
Learn more about the Marawi 2020 campaign by visiting Essilor’s official website.
