MANILA, Philippines – A patient with leukemia, Henry “Hedel” Dela Cruz was forced to walk from Marikina to Quezon City to get his chemo medicine amid the ‘lockdown’ imposed in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.
The previous night, Hedel prepared a signboard that says, “Papuntang Q.C Para Sa Aking Chemo Medicines. Makikisakay po! Salamat.” While he was able to find help at some points of his journey, with people offering him a ride, everyone had other places to go to and could only bring him a short way closer to where he was heading.
Walking from Marikina to QC
“Walked from MASINAG TO Sta Lucia. Marcos Highway on a stand still,” Hedel wrote, sharing a picture of the deserted street.
Later, he posted another photo of an empty street.
“Umabot na ako sa Santolan. Maraming salamat sa mga nagpaabot nang kagustuhang tumulong. Pero na trapik at di rin nila ako mapuntahan dahil barado ang Marcos Highway. Wala pa din nagpapasakay sa akin. Mukhang lakad hanggang QC talaga ito,” Hedel narrated.
Someone finally gave him a ride from Santolan but when he finally reached PCSO Lung Center, Hedel was shocked to find that the office was closed. The guard turned him away, telling him that others before him were also told to go home because there’s no one to help them out in the office.
But after everything that he had gone through just to reach the office, Hedel was not about to give up so easily. He insisted that the PCSO help him out because they were the ones who scheduled him on that day and there were no announcements that the office will be closed that day; thus, he went there.
‘Standoff’ at PCSO
He refused to go home until someone would help him. Here’s what happened next, as Hedel posted on his Facebook account:
After more or less 15 mins. May lumabas na manager.
Nakangiti. Masaya. Pinipiktyuran yung bakanteng sila. Nagpose ang mga guards.
Manager: Oh may pasyente pa ba?
Mula sa malayo, iwinagayway ko ang mga kamay. Napansin niya ako at pinapasok. Ipinasa ko ang mga papel sa window, kinuha ng isang babae, medyo may edad na. Dinig ko doktor siya.
Dok: Ano yan?
Me: For GL po, schedule ko po ngayon.
Dok: Ay wala na yan. Walang mag aasikaso niyan.
Me: Paano po yun? Wala na ako gamot. Saka 2 buwan bago po ako pinabalik ng sched. Paano po yan.
Bigla siyang tumalikod at lumabas ng window, sabay senyas sa akin. Sa labas, lumapit ako sa kanya, sa pagaakalang pinapasunod niya ako. Dahil usual process ay interview. Papunta siya sa interview room.
Dok: Ano ba, wag kang lapit nang lapit sa akin!
Me: Tinawag niyo po ako diba?
Pumasok siya sa kwarto. This is me Waiting Again.
More minutes later, the doctor went out and told him that they can’t process his request because there’s no social worker. He insisted that they help him out because he waited 2 months for the PCSO to give him that schedule but was told that it was already “cut-off”.
“Ganun na lang po iyon? Para niyo pong sinasabi na tanggapin ko na lang na hindi uminom ng gamot, at mamatay na lang,” Hedel told the doctor.
Winning the standoff
He also argued with the manager who told him the same thing. The ‘standoff’ went on for some hours as Hedel refused to go home. Finally, he was able to talk to the manager again, but had to walk up the third floor to reach the office.
They finally relented and processed his papers. But by then, it was past 2PM – and he had to reach Globo Asiatico before its closing time at 4PM. So, he walked from East Ave to Maginhawa.
There were a lot of people there and he had to wait. After a long and very tiresome day, Hedel was finally able to get his chemo medicine. The box shows that it contains 28 tablets. He is likely to go through a similar situation again the next time he needs to get his medicines… Many netizens are hoping that he will find help next time so he wouldn’t have to go through all that just to get a box of much-needed medicines.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
The previous night, Hedel prepared a signboard that says, “Papuntang Q.C Para Sa Aking Chemo Medicines. Makikisakay po! Salamat.” While he was able to find help at some points of his journey, with people offering him a ride, everyone had other places to go to and could only bring him a short way closer to where he was heading.
 |
| Photo credit: Henry “Hedel” Dela Cruz / Facebook |
Walking from Marikina to QC
“Walked from MASINAG TO Sta Lucia. Marcos Highway on a stand still,” Hedel wrote, sharing a picture of the deserted street.
Later, he posted another photo of an empty street.
 |
| Photo credit: Henry “Hedel” Dela Cruz / Facebook |
“Umabot na ako sa Santolan. Maraming salamat sa mga nagpaabot nang kagustuhang tumulong. Pero na trapik at di rin nila ako mapuntahan dahil barado ang Marcos Highway. Wala pa din nagpapasakay sa akin. Mukhang lakad hanggang QC talaga ito,” Hedel narrated.
Someone finally gave him a ride from Santolan but when he finally reached PCSO Lung Center, Hedel was shocked to find that the office was closed. The guard turned him away, telling him that others before him were also told to go home because there’s no one to help them out in the office.
But after everything that he had gone through just to reach the office, Hedel was not about to give up so easily. He insisted that the PCSO help him out because they were the ones who scheduled him on that day and there were no announcements that the office will be closed that day; thus, he went there.
 |
| Photo credit: Henry “Hedel” Dela Cruz / Facebook |
‘Standoff’ at PCSO
He refused to go home until someone would help him. Here’s what happened next, as Hedel posted on his Facebook account:
After more or less 15 mins. May lumabas na manager.
Nakangiti. Masaya. Pinipiktyuran yung bakanteng sila. Nagpose ang mga guards.
Manager: Oh may pasyente pa ba?
Mula sa malayo, iwinagayway ko ang mga kamay. Napansin niya ako at pinapasok. Ipinasa ko ang mga papel sa window, kinuha ng isang babae, medyo may edad na. Dinig ko doktor siya.
Dok: Ano yan?
Me: For GL po, schedule ko po ngayon.
Dok: Ay wala na yan. Walang mag aasikaso niyan.
Me: Paano po yun? Wala na ako gamot. Saka 2 buwan bago po ako pinabalik ng sched. Paano po yan.
Bigla siyang tumalikod at lumabas ng window, sabay senyas sa akin. Sa labas, lumapit ako sa kanya, sa pagaakalang pinapasunod niya ako. Dahil usual process ay interview. Papunta siya sa interview room.
Dok: Ano ba, wag kang lapit nang lapit sa akin!
Me: Tinawag niyo po ako diba?
Pumasok siya sa kwarto. This is me Waiting Again.
More minutes later, the doctor went out and told him that they can’t process his request because there’s no social worker. He insisted that they help him out because he waited 2 months for the PCSO to give him that schedule but was told that it was already “cut-off”.
 |
| Photo credit: Henry “Hedel” Dela Cruz / Facebook |
“Ganun na lang po iyon? Para niyo pong sinasabi na tanggapin ko na lang na hindi uminom ng gamot, at mamatay na lang,” Hedel told the doctor.
Winning the standoff
He also argued with the manager who told him the same thing. The ‘standoff’ went on for some hours as Hedel refused to go home. Finally, he was able to talk to the manager again, but had to walk up the third floor to reach the office.
They finally relented and processed his papers. But by then, it was past 2PM – and he had to reach Globo Asiatico before its closing time at 4PM. So, he walked from East Ave to Maginhawa.
 |
| Photo credit: Henry “Hedel” Dela Cruz / Facebook |
There were a lot of people there and he had to wait. After a long and very tiresome day, Hedel was finally able to get his chemo medicine. The box shows that it contains 28 tablets. He is likely to go through a similar situation again the next time he needs to get his medicines… Many netizens are hoping that he will find help next time so he wouldn’t have to go through all that just to get a box of much-needed medicines.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
