AdvocatingSocial Progress with Victory Multipurpose Cooperative

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be part of a network that spans industries, from the fertile fields of agribusiness to the bustling skies of aviation? Picture a community where teamwork reigns, where talents converge, and where meaningful connections create ripples of change. Step into the world of Victory, where dreams take flight and aspirations find their purpose.

Victory, a cooperative based in Cebu and founded in 1999, provides marginalized members of our community in the Visayas region with access to job opportunities. It operates in a diverse range of industries, including Agribusiness, Aviation, Construction, Field Sales and Marketing, Independent Sales Service Provider, Toll Manufacturing, Retail Merchandising, and more. Victory takes pride in being a member of the tipón Federation, where Asiapro, the largest and pioneering worker cooperative, has 23 years of experience in handling both small and large engagements.

As of 2023, Victory has expanded its operations to Bacolod and other parts of Visayas. Together with other member cooperatives, it now has over 50,000 members nationwide. With specialists possessing a variety of talents and specialties, Victory has successfully completed significant and complicated engagements for domestic and multinational clients over the past 20 years.

Victory, along with other cooperatives under the TipohFederation, provides D.O 174 Government Compliant labor services, Toll Manufacturing-Operate-Manage and Maintain Agreements, and Field Sales Force Deployment and Demand Generation Activities for mainstream industries nationwide.

To date, Victory continues to cater to the manpower needs of valued clients nationwide. Recognizing that finding the right people is crucial for business success, Victory understands the challenges and time-consuming nature of the recruitment process. That's where Victory can help. By finding the right people for your projects, Victory allows you to focus on your core business priorities. The cooperative takes pride in working with clients to promote social progress.

At Victory, we inspire meaningful and fulfilled lives for our members. "Kada usa, nato importante." To partner with Victory Multipurpose Cooperative, you can contact us at marketing@asiapro.coop.

Smile Train and Lifebox Distribute Pulse Oximeters to Partner Hospitals, Organizations

Under the global Smile Train-Lifebox Safe Surgery and Anesthesia Initiative, 24 treatment centers in the Philippines receive pulse oximeters for safer surgeries

7 JUNE 2023, MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, and Lifebox, a global nonprofit that saves lives through safer surgery and anesthesia, are distributing 40 pulse oximeters to 24 healthcare facilities in the Philippines, ultimately contributing to 52,000 safer surgeries in the Philippines over the next year.

“Smile Train has worked with Lifebox for over a decade to equip hospitals with essential monitoring tools that are not only necessary for cleft surgery but can be used for other medical procedures and in treating COVID-19. While Smile Train is working toward expanding our reach in more communities, we are also looking for more ways to support and invest in our local healthcare partners,” says Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano, Smile Train’s Vice President, South East Asia.

In 2020, Smile Train and Lifebox launched the global Smile Train-Lifebox Safe Surgery and Anesthesia Initiative and together provided 8,800 pulse oximeters to support healthcare providers worldwide in responding to COVID-19. In 2022, the two organizations launched the Lifebox-Smile Train Pulse Oximeter to scale up access to anesthesia monitoring - to make 14 million surgeries safer. Pulse oximeters are needed to measure the blood's oxygen level and are essential for patient monitoring during anesthesia and in intensive care.

A recent report released by Smile Train and Lifebox, “A Critical Gap: Pulse Oximetry in Low- and Middle-Income Countries,” highlighted that 15% of operating beds in low- and lower-middle-income countries lack a pulse oximeter, with 42% of recovery beds unable to provide vital monitoring after surgery.

In the Philippines, Lifebox-Smile Train Pulse Oximeters have been distributed to Marikina St. Vincent General Hospital, San Fernando Hospital in Pampanga, Allegiant Regional Care Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City, and Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City. More partner hospitals and organizations are expected to receive the pulse oximeters in the coming months. This work is part of 1,000 pulse oximeters currently being distributed to Smile Train partner hospitals worldwide for safer anesthesia care as part of the global Smile Train-Lifebox Safe Surgery and Anesthesia Initiative.

This 2023, Smile Train Philippines celebrates a landmark of more than 75,000 cleft surgeries performed. This remarkable feat is made possible by its dedicated network of partners including Lifebox, helping improve children’s access to surgery and providing comprehensive care to cleft-affected patients nationwide.

“By partnering with Lifebox to support the medical communities that our local partners operate in, Smile Train is ensuring safer surgery for every child with a cleft across the globe,” said Flaviano. Aside from the Philippines, countries including Kenya, Somalia, and Honduras have also received these pulse oximeters.

About Smile Train

Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children’s lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.ph. For more information about Smile Train’s work in the Philippines, please contact philippines@smiletrain.org.

About Lifebox

Lifebox is a global nonprofit that saves lives through safer surgery and anesthesia. Through tools, training, and partnerships, Lifebox strengthens surgical systems in low- and middle-income countries. Co-founded by Dr. Atul Gawande, Lifebox has worked in over 116 countries and trained more than 12,000 healthcare providers. To learn more about Lifebox, visit www.lifebox.org.