June 11, 2026
Hope, help, and healing for Tzu Chi’s medical beneficiaries
By Thania Florendo
The journey to healing often begins with one simple step—asking for help. When relief feels within reach, would you take the chance to get better? For many, it is love for their families and hope for a brighter future that keeps them holding on.
Illness often arrives without warning, bringing not only physical pain but also emotional, mental, and financial burdens that can weigh heavily on an entire family. For beneficiaries like Mechel Banga and Ansel Belino, that journey became less daunting through the compassion of Tzu Chi. By extending help when it was needed most, the foundation allowed them not only to heal but also to rebuild their lives with renewed hope and confidence.
Restoring more than a smile
For 40-year-old Mechel Banga, life taught him resilience at an early age. Growing up in a broken family in North Cotabato, he learned that survival required wisdom, determination, and hard work. When he was in high school, his father brought him to Antipolo to train as a mechanic and driver. Driven by the dream of building a better future, Mechel worked tirelessly, hoping that one day he could provide the stable family life he never had.
Today, as a father to a 2-month-old child, he dreams of giving his son the guidance, security, and opportunities he longed for growing up.
In May 2019, Mechel noticed a small lump on the left side of his jaw. Believing it was nothing serious, he took antibiotics and carried on with his daily routine. Over time, however, the lump continued to grow. In 2022, he attempted to schedule an online consultation at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), but it took nearly eight months before he secured an appointment.
“Even though it was painful, I had to endure it because I knew surgery was not an option for me financially. I was more worried about the expenses than the pain,” Mechel recalled.
In May 2023, he finally had his first consultation at PGH's Dental Department. After undergoing a panoramic X-ray and biopsy, doctors diagnosed him with ameloblastoma, a benign tumor that develops in the jawbone.
From then on, Mechel faithfully attended monthly consultations and monitoring sessions at PGH. Some visits required him to line up as early as six in the morning and stay until six in the evening.
“I had no choice but to wait because I wanted to get better,” he shared.
In March 2024, doctors recommended a hemimandibulectomy—a major surgical procedure that would remove the affected portion of his jaw and reconstruct it. However, the operation required specialized implants and equipment worth ₱230,000, an amount far beyond his means. Mechel felt hopeless as he faced overwhelming costs. Fortunately, a PGH staff member referred him to the Tzu Chi Foundation for possible assistance.
At the time, Mechel knew nothing about Tzu Chi.
“I didn't know who Tzu Chi was. I had no idea about the organization,” he said.
On May 28, 2024, Tzu Chi volunteers conducted a home visit to better understand his circumstances. After assessing his condition and medical needs, the team recommended assistance for the remaining balance needed for the implant device required for his surgery.
Throughout the process, Mechel remained cooperative with his treatment and held on to the hope that his operation would eventually happen. Several surgery schedules were postponed throughout 2024, but he continued to wait patiently, trusting that the right time would come.
After years of consultations, preparations, and delays, his long-awaited surgery was finally performed on August 22, 2025. The procedure was lengthy and challenging, involving significant blood loss, but it was declared successful. The following month, Mechel reached out to Tzu Chi to share the good news. After years of living with pain and uncertainty, he was finally on the road to recovery.
“It was really a big help from Tzu Chi. I regained my confidence. I can now eat properly, speak properly, and work without constantly worrying about the pain. Tzu Chi helped me without hesitation,” he said.
When Tzu Chi volunteers and staff visited him at his workplace on June 6, they were greeted by Mechel, now smiling with relief and renewed confidence. Aside from relief, the surgery gave Mechel the courage to move forward with life and provide for his growing family.
Anchored by a mother’s love
Thirty-six-year-old Ansel Belino from Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City, once had a life that seemed full of promise, until life changed in an instant. In 2006, he was preparing to enter college and looked forward to a future filled with possibilities. But while spending time with friends involved in their barangay church, he was allegedly stabbed by a drug addict.
He was rushed to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRMMC), where he underwent emergency surgery. The traumatic incident not only changed the course of his life but was also followed by a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It eventually prevented him from continuing higher education and the future he and his family envisioned. Despite the hard times, his family, especially his mother Angelina, never left his side.
Years later, in 2014, the family noticed a small bulge in Ansel's abdomen. Since it caused little discomfort at the time, they did not immediately seek medical attention. Over the years, however, the swelling gradually increased in size. By 2024, it had become impossible to ignore.
Ansel returned to JRMMC, where doctors diagnosed him with a loss of domain incisional hernia—a long-term complication from his previous abdominal surgery, further aggravated by weight gain, medication side effects, and physical strain.
“Through our neighbor, we were referred toTzu Chi Foundation. We were encouraged to visit the campus, and I was so happy to learn that the foundation has a lot of medical beneficiaries,” Angelina said.
On April 3, 2025, Ansel and Angelina sought a second opinion at the Chinese General Hospital (CGH) under the care of Dr. Josefino Qua. At first, he was advised to undergo a one-month regimen of dietary changes and regular exercise to prepare his body for surgery. By February 2026, doctors determined that he was ready for surgery.
As the operation approached, fear and uncertainty began to overwhelm Ansel. Angelina recalled that her son experienced nervous breakdowns and hesitated to proceed with the procedure. Yet she remained steadfast in encouraging him.
“I told Ansel that help and opportunity were already being extended to us. This chance does not come to everyone,” Angelina said as she remembered holding the approved guarantee letter from the foundation to support the surgical procedure. With his mother's reassurance and support, Ansel agreed to move forward. On April 22, 2026, he successfully underwent surgery at CGH.
“I am happy that I took the chance to have the operation. This is a big relief for me,” Ansel said.
For Angelina, securing the surgery gave her hope of securing Ansel’s future. She and her husband are now senior citizens, relying on a small sari-sari store to meet their daily needs. As parents, they worry about what lies ahead for their son and hope he will gain the strength and independence needed to live a better life.
“I encouraged him to pray all the time. Every day, I brought him with me to church at 3 p.m. I always pray for him to stay strong and maintain a positive outlook. I want him to fully recover, get a job, and have a better future ahead of him,” Angelina said.
In May 2023, Mechel was diagnosed with ameloblastoma, a benign tumor in the jawbone that significantly affected his daily life, impacting his confidence, speech, eating, and overall functioning due to persistent pain.
During a home visit on May 28, 2024, Tzu Chi representatives learned that his monthly living expenses exceed his salary, leaving him without sufficient savings to cover the remaining costs of his surgery.
On June 6, Tzu Chi volunteers and staff conducted a care visit for medical beneficiary Mechel Banga (first from left) at his workplace in San Juan.
Mechel Banga was accommodating during the visit, sharing that after his jaw surgery, he can now smile and converse with others more confidently.
Tzu Chi volunteer Violeta Chua presented Mechel Banga with a coin can and a lamp commemorating Tzu Chi's years of compassion. Mechel said he follows the organization on social media, is deeply inspired by its missions, and shares its good deeds with his workmates.
Tzu Chi representatives and Mechel Banga (fourth from left) gather for a group photo, celebrating the end of his long medical journey and the hope of a brighter future as a new father.
Ansel Belino remains hopeful and committed to his recovery, following surgery for a loss of domain incisional hernia, a long-term complication from his previous abdominal surgery in 2006.
After Ansel’s surgery in April 2026, Tzu Chi volunteers and staff observed that he had lost some weight and took time to check on his overall well-being.
Their home in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan, is a compact space accessible by a narrow, winding staircase to the second floor.
Tzu Chi volunteer Amy Chan presented the family with a commemorative lamp frame and coin cans as a reminder to nurture a culture of giving and compassion.
Angelina and Ansel Belino (third and fourth from left) join Tzu Chi volunteers and staff for a photo during their care visit on June 6.