BOHOL, Philippines — While much of the world celebrated Valentine’s Day with flowers and sweet gestures, a dedicated medical team from the Tzu Chi Eye Center chose to spend the day spreading a different kind of love — compassion in action.
Flying in from Manila, Optometrists Dr. Adriene Lim and Dr. Siu Yu Lam, and Nurse Brian Lopez marked Hearts Day by serving communities across Bohol, turning February 14,2026 into a meaningful mission of happiness for those they’ve visited and served that day.
“A lot has happened today, and we are here wholeheartedly to share to the people here of Bohol, Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s love for humanity. We are grateful for the opportunity to be an instrument to give Tzu Chi’s blessings and we will strive to do better to bring help to more people in our next missions here in Bohol.”, Nurse Brian Lopez
gleefully reflected.
The team’s first stop was at Kabasacan, Sagbayan, where they joined the culminating program of the six-month “𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲” initiative. The program provided the Jing-Si multi-grain supplement powder to 29 undernourished children in the community, helping improve their nutritional status and overall health.
First time to join an activity for the children, Dr. Siu Yu Lam shared, “We all see that these children are our future, and we know that they are now in good health. It’s so happy to see that Tzu Chi Foundation is able to help these children improved from their undernourished state up to this day.”
The Valentine’s gathering became a celebration not only of love, but of physical and spiritual growth and development. Parents and volunteers witnessed the visible progress of the children who had faithfully received the supplement over the past 6 months.
𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝟑𝟎𝟐
Still in Sagbayan, a few kilometers ahead, the team returned to honor a promise made less than a month ago during the turnover of Happy Home 302 to its beneficiary.
It was during that visit that Dr. Adriene Lim saw that the 89-year-old Regina Amotan, wife of the homeowner, Crisologo had lost an eye due to an infection several years ago. Quietly moved, Dr. Lim promised to return.
On Valentine’s Day, in a touching surprise visit, Regina was fitted and given with a custom artificial eye which instantly changed her appearance and brought back her beautiful smile. The gift was made even more special as it came on a day that celebrates love and thoughtfulness.
When asked what she wished for, Regina shyly mentioned that she longed for a bigger mirror to replace the small, old one hanging beside her window — “so I can see my whole body,” she said with a gentle smile.
The Tzu Chi Bohol team did not disappoint. Along with the artificial eye, they brought a brand-new full-sized mirror and a bouquet of flowers, completing a Valentine’s surprise that filled the home tears of gratitude from the couple.
“Spending Valentine’s Day with the family can be done after, and with Nanay (Regina), it’s a promise that I have to come back to make her happy. Getting her eyes checked would require her to travel far and spend a lot, so if we can give it, we don’t have to delay it. It’s special location (to spend Valentine’s Day) for a special person.”, said Dr. Adriene Lim.
𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐬
As if the day had not already been full, the team returned to the city for one final mission. They proceeded to the Bohol District Jail to distribute prescription eyeglasses to 46 inmates.
These inmates were among the 540 Persons-Deprived-of-Liberty (PDL) who had undergone eye screening held last January 24,2026, when the Tzu Chi Eye Center team conducted an extensive vision screening mission inside the facility.
SJ03 Efren Tadena, Officer-in-Charge of Bohol District Jail extends his gratitude to Tzu Chi Founder, Dharma Master Cheng Yen and to the Tzu Chi Eye Center team for returning on Valentine’s Day, a blessing he calls for alleviating the eye problems of the PDLs.
For many of the recipients, receiving proper eyeglasses meant regaining the ability to read, write, and perform daily tasks more clearly.
From nourishing children to bringing back the smile and happiness to an elderly, and improving vision for inmates seeking a second chance, Valentine’s Day in Bohol became a living expression of Tzu Chi’s mission of compassion.
On a day devoted to love, the Tzu Chi Eye Center team showed that the greatest gifts are not merely given — they are lived.
