Ten student nurses, guided by faculty representatives, worked in different service areas throughout the day. They assisted in patient registration, checked vital signs, helped dispense medicines, organized records, and guided residents through the process. 

The Baybay City site was part of the nationwide Operation Bigay Lunas program led by the Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc. (MDFI), with the local Mercury Drug Baybay City Central Mall Store hosting the event. 

Residents were able to consult with doctors and receive free medicines to ease some of the immediate health concerns faced by families in the area.

For VSU-FON, participation in this medical mission was both service and learning. Students were given the chance to move beyond classroom instruction and apply their skills directly to the needs of the community. 

This involvement allowed the nursing community of VSU to contribute to a program that has reached millions across the country since its inception in 1999, while at the same time preparing future nurses for the kind of work that connects medical practice with everyday lives.

This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being; SDG 4: Quality Education, and; SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.