- The Renal Gift Allowing Life for Others (REGALO) has launched a documentary film contest to encourage more Filipinos to give the gift of life by becoming organ donors.
- The contest challenges participants, whether groups or individuals, to create a short documentary on how organ donation and kidney transplantation benefit many Filipinos.
Quezon City, June 20, 2019 – The Renal Gift Allowing Life for Others (REGALO), a multi-stakeholder alliance advocating for organ donation and kidney transplantation, has launched a documentary film contest to encourage more Filipinos to give the gift of life by becoming organ donors.
REGALO: A Gift of Life Documentary Film Contest was launched during the National Kidney Month media briefing held today at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), with the theme “Make It Your Mission, Share Your Decision.”
For patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a kidney transplant is often the only hope for survival, explained NKTI Executive Director Dr. Rose Marie R. Liquete. “The number of patients with ESRD in the country is increasing. Unfortunately, the number of kidneys from living and deceased donors remains dismally low.”
“The docufilm contest is part of our continuing advocacy to promote awareness on the nobility and life-saving benefits of organ donation, and encourage more Filipinos to be organ donors,” said Dr. Romina Danguilan, NKTI Deputy Director for Medical Education and Research, and REGALO Organizing Committee Head.
According to Mr. Ben “M7” Yalung, Founder of Asia Pacific Film Institute, character-driven documentaries focused on the stories of real people put a human face on issues that might otherwise seem distant or unrelatable. “Documentaries are powerful tools that can educate and motivate people to do good.”
The docufilm contest challenges participants, whether groups or individuals, to create a short documentary on how organ donation and kidney transplantation benefit many Filipinos. It is open to film makers, videographers, students and film enthusiasts. Registration is free. The documentary could be a testimonial or story of a person who is either (1) a recipient of a donated organ; or (2) an organ donor. Only one entry per participant/team is allowed. The documentary should be in digital format (minimum resolution size 720 x 480) and not more than 5 minutes in length. Entries should include written scripts in English, Filipino or Visaya. The criteria for judging are: Composition (30%); Relevance to the Theme (30%); Creativity (20%); and Originality (20%). The grand winner will receive P50,000; second prize is P30,000 and third prize is P15,000. Deadline for submission of entries is October 04, 2019, 5PM. For the complete contest rules, log on to the REGALO Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RegaloOrganDonationAdvocacy/.
“Addressing the acute lack of living and deceased organ donors is a daunting challenge that requires long-term multi-stakeholder collaboration. Kudos to REGALO for its sustained advocacy on organ donation,” said Dr. Susan Pineda Mercado, Special Envoy of the President for Global Health Initiatives.
Dr. Enrique Ona, President & Chairman of the Maria Corazon Torres Y Javier Foundation and Kidney Foundation of the Philippines, called on Filipinos to give of themselves so that others may live. “Organ donors are modern-day heroes who have literally given the gift of life.”
Ms. Christine Fajardo, Corporate Affairs and Patient Access Head, Novartis Healthcare Philippines, believes that public education plays a crucial role in promoting organ donation. “We invite all concerned stakeholders to join REGALO in increasing awareness on organ donation in the country.”
REGALO is calling on Filipinos to sign their Organ Donor Card and keep the card with them at all times. Click on http://nkti.gov.ph/images/HOPE/Organ-Donor-Card.pdf to download and print the Organ Donor Card or visit the REGALO Facebook page. Persons with a valid driver’s license may also tick the “Organ Donor Option” at the back of the license to express their willingness to donate all their organs or just a specific organ.
About Maria Corazon Torres Y Javier (MCTJ) Foundation
Established in 1991, the MCTJ Foundation serves as a coordinating body for organ donors and recipients who will undergo organ transplantation. It also secures and manages donations from kind-hearted individuals and organizations in order to provide financial support to underprivileged beneficiaries.
About the Kidney Foundation of the Philippines (KFP)
The KFP was established more than 40 years ago with the primary mandate of delivering specialized health services to patients suffering form kidney and other related diseases. It established the first dialysis facility in the country and works in partnership with other hospital facilities in catering the medical needs of patients who qualify for kidney transplantation operation. It has the Kidney Care Assistance Program (KidCAP), sustained by the institution’s fund-raising activities, to support dialysis and transplant patients in need of financial subsidy.
About the Kidney Transplant Association of the Philippines (KITAP)
Founded in 1985, KITAP is dedicated to uplifting the lives and protecting the rights of kidney transplant recipients, donors, and the immediate family of recipients. It currently has 1,400 members.
About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com.