Essilor Vision Foundation and the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists. Inc. Bringing vision care programmes to Marawi

Marawi 2020 campaign is one of the many programs spearheaded by EVF, the philanthropic arm of Essilor, a world leader in ophthalmic optics. EVF is committed to eliminating poor vision and its lifelong consequences, and to providing underprivileged people the opportunity to live a better life through better sight. Last year, EVF ASEAN also launched the Eye Can Succeed campaign in the Philippines, which helped over 10,000 senior high school students to perform better at school by providing free eye check-ups and prescription glasses to those in need. The foundation established in Singapore in 2014 also organizes charity events in neighboring ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. 

Rehabilitating Marawi will take months and maybe even years. In an effort to help restore the once beautiful and diversified communities, Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) and The Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists, Inc. (IPAO), created an advocacy campaign entitled, Marawi 2020 with the aim of bringing eye care to the people in need, and ultimately to give them hope for a brighter, clearer tomorrow.

When the armed conflict in Marawi erupted last year, the residents were forced to leave their homes and livelihood to avoid being involved in the chaos; many of them were wounded and lost loved ones during the escape. Now that the battle has finally ceased, the citizens are faced with another concern: how will they start their new lives when all that remains are rumbles and ashes?

With the help of volunteer optometrists from IPAO, the campaign will provide all residents with free eye checks and corrective glasses, if needed. EVF and IPAO also aim to create sustainable access to vision care services by creating an Eye & Vision Clinic at the Department of Health (DOH) Hospital in Marawi City. Furthermore, the program aims to help local optometrists re-establish their practices by providing them livelihood to recover from their losses. 

 “In our own little way, we aim to help the people of Marawi find hope despite everything that happened.  Through this advocacy campaign, we wish to boost people’s confidence in seeing life more clearly. Better vision in life lets them know that it is never too late to start anew, to brush off the ashes and hope for a brighter future,” shared Dr. Emelita Roleda, general manager of Essilor Philippines.

For more information about the Marawi 2020 advocacy campaign, visit Essilor’s website at www.essilor.com.ph, and follow @EssilorPH on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Essilor Vision Foundation

The Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) is committed to eliminating poor vision and its lifelong consequences, and to providing underprivileged people the opportunity to live a better life through better sight. Its outreach programs aim to bring a healthy vision to the most marginalized populations throughout the world, focusing in particular on children and women. 

EVF in Singapore was established in 2014 with the objective to unify Essilor’s philanthropic activities in Southeast Asia in order to help address the global issue of uncorrected poor vision which affects over 2.5 billion people around the world. EVF in Southeast Asia has since provided eye screenings to over 355,000 people and given more than 100,000 a pair of spectacles. EVF in Singapore has collaborated with many like-minded organizations in Southeast Asia and has the mandate to:

• educate the general public about healthy vision and the critical role it plays in improving the quality of life;
• provide screenings, eye exams and spectacles to those who cannot afford them otherwise;
• support capacity-building initiatives to create sustainable vision care infrastructure

For more information visit: http://seasia.essilorvisionfoundation.org/     

About Essilor 

The world's leading ophthalmic optics company, Essilor designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of lenses to improve and protect eyesight. Its mission is to improve lives by improving sight. To support this mission, Essilor allocates more than €200 million to research and innovation every year, in a commitment to continuously bring new, more effective products to market. Its flagship brands are Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, EyezenTM, Xperio®, Foster Grant®, BolonTM and Costa®. It also develops and markets equipment, instruments and services for eyecare professionals. Essilor reported consolidated revenue of around €7.5 billion in 2017 and employs approximately 67,000 people worldwide. It markets its products in more than 100 countries and has 34 plants, 481 prescription laboratories, and edging facilities, as well as 4 research and development centers around the world. For more information, please visit www.essilor.com. The Essilor share trades on the Euronext Paris market and is included in the Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 indices. Codes and symbols: ISIN: FR0000121667; Reuters: ESSI.PA; Bloomberg: EI:FP. create strategic partnerships in order to ensure we reach the right populations in need;

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