ZAMBOANGA CITY – A teenager here has sought and received help from Good Samaritans for his hospitalization after he suffered severe burns in an accident while working as a painter in a local school last September.
Jonjon Ansilan, 17, is a resident of Sitio Latap, Barangay Limpapa here. He lives with his father, Sampul Ansilan.
Jonjon’s mother died while giving birth to his younger brother when he was two years. A neighbor adopted his other younger brother because his father lacked the financial means to raise the infant.
At a young age, he was already helping his father who is a farmer. His father can barely read and write while Jonjon managed to reach only sixth grade, mainly because the school was considerably far from their residence.
In late 2018, fire razed the family's house while father and son were on the farm. This prompted Jonjon, who was 16 at the time, to work as a construction worker to augment their income.
Despite his meager income, he managed to save money to buy materials that enabled them to rebuild their house.
An engineer hired Jonjon as a painter in a school project where he met the tragic accident on Sept. 13 last year.
He suffered severe burns when a can of thinner exploded while he was boiling water at the worksite. He was rushed to the government-owned Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC).
The hospital's Medical Social Services Department (MSSD) took care of Jonjon’s medication as he was not a registered member of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
His employer disappeared and stopped helping with his medical expenses after a month.
Alma Ramos, a member of the Zamboanga Caregivers Association (ZCA), along with Rowena Daimba and Lorna Tolentino, the association’s secretary and board member, respectively, visited Jonjon at the Labuan Public Hospital when they saw a post on Facebook narrating his plight.
He was surprised but very thankful when the three visited and offered whatever they could, especially because they were strangers to him.
“We buy food and other things he needs through the cash contribution of our members,” Ramos said.
She said Jonjon’s plight has reached the attention of Good Samaritans abroad like Jane Soutere, who referred his condition to Olga Briton Famorcan, MRRD-NECC Europe coordinator.
“On April 12, due to the lockdown in Paris, Famorcan called me to inquire about the condition of Jonjon and I told her that he was discharged from the hospital and sent home,” Ramos said.
She recounted that she never thought Famorcan would find a way to bring Jonjon’s predicament to the attention of Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.
“I was surprised to receive a text message from Jonjon telling me that he was fetched by soldiers (and brought) to the Brent Hospital,” Ramos said.
“It was then I learned that Ma’am Olga requested the help of the mayor’s office to bring Jonjon back to the hospital since it is dangerous for him, with his condition, to remain at home.”
Salazar, it was learned, paid Jonjon's PHP103,000 hospital bill from her own pocket before the patient was transferred to the ZCMC.
City Social Welfare and Development Officer Ma. Socorro Rojas said relief aid has been provided to Jonjon and his father.
“I have also advised the village chief to see what are the other needs of Jonjon and his father,” Rojas said.
“I am very thankful to Mayor Beng (Maria Isabelle Cliamco-Salazar), Ma’am Olga (Famorcan), Ma’am Jane (Soutere), Ma’am Alma, Rowena, and Lorna of the Zamboanga Caregivers Association, and Ma’am Pamela of the MSSD of ZCMC and all the other Good Samaritans for helping me in my trying times. God bless all of you,” Jonjon said.
“I hope I will continue to receive help from the good and kind-hearted Samaritans for my full recovery. I will never forget you.” (PNA)
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