From the Island to the Clinic: Tebow CURE’s partnership with Bongao, Tawi-Tawi

 

 

Sitting in the Sulu Archipelago, Bongao is the capital of the province and the main center of trade and commerce for the island province of Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines. As part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the municipality has 35 barangays that serve over 131,000 people. Due to its geography, Bonago faces many challenges, including distance from major urban centers, transportation difficulties, and limited access to healthcare.

Specialist doctors, advanced diagnostics, and major hospitals are more limited. Serious and specialized cases may require travel to Zamboanga, the closest city, or elsewhere. For many years, parts of the Sulu Archipelago experienced armed conflict and other security problems. These conditions have affected investment, tourism, transportation, and the willingness of some professionals and businesses to operate in the area. However, Bongao has worked to enhance security and promote the island as one of the country’s must-visit places.

Through the hospital’s mission of reaching the most vulnerable communities and building intentional relationships, Tebow CURE reached the Bongao to serve children with treatable conditions. In collaboration with the local government unit (LGU) of Bongao, the hospital held a mobile clinic on August 12, 2026. The event hosted 80 registered participants, of whom 54 qualified for a clinic appointment. “Years ago, we thought that going to Bongao was not a possibility for us. But we have been blessed with this opportunity to serve the children of Bongao and give them the attention and care they deserve,” shared Tebow CURE Executive Director, Peter Cowles.

 

During the clinic, we met the energetic Kyla, a five-year-old girl born with a cleft lip and palate. Due to her condition, Kyla faced a lot of cleft-related problems while growing up. Alnaida shared that she had difficulty feeding her daughter.  Kyla was also a sickly child; she would often get coughs or colds. She also had nutritional problems, like being underweight, because she could not eat properly. Alnaida and her husband’s fears and worries did not stop as their little girl grew up. At five years old, Kyla would have started pre-school, but Alnaida’s husband advised against it. “She’s not in school because of her cleft. People can understand her speech, but her father opted not to send her to school because he was afraid she would get bullied at school,” Alnaida shared. Even with all these difficulties, Kyla grew up to be a happy and sociable girl. Alnaida encouraged her not to be shy, to talk to people, and to be a happy child despite her condition.

 

 

On August 24, 2026, the first batch of qualified patients from Bongao arrived in Davao City with their Municipal Mayor, Jasper Que, leading the group. Among the patients was Kyla. She excitedly shared her first flight experience and how even more excited she is to have her surgery. During the same week, Kyla underwent cleft lip repair surgery.

During the same visit, Mayor Que also signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) formalizing the LGU’s agreement to help transport qualified patients to the hospital. “On behalf of the local government unit of Bongao, Tawi-tawi, and its people, we would like to extend our thanks to Tebow CURE Children’s Hospital. This partnership is a blessing to us because we worked hard to help a few, and then this partnership came,” Mayor Jasper happily shared during the signing.  Through this MOA, the hospital has served 47 patients from Bongao.

 

 

The strength of Tebow CURE’s commitment to serving more underprivileged children lies in the hospital’s staff, who tirelessly travel to meet with every local government unit and conduct mobile screenings in far-flung areas. It also lies in the trust of public officials and their shared vision with the hospital’s goal. We are blessed with a community that also entrusts us with the care of their children. We are excited to meet new patients and continue to go the extra mile to bridge gaps in access to world-class healthcare.

You too can help with the mission by supporting a child today!