[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16628-16629]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      CONGRATULATING DR. RAMON SY

 Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I congratulate and extend my warmest 
aloha to Dr. Ramon Sy, who was selected as Hawaii's national recipient 
of the Jefferson Award. The Jefferson Award is a prestigious award 
recognizing and honoring individuals for their contributions to 
community and public service. Dr. Sy, through his Aloha Medical 
Mission, has helped to provide medical treatment to thousands of 
individuals in the Pacific and Asia, who are unable to access modern 
medical care due to cost or availability.
  A native of the Philippines, Dr. Sy and seven other members of the 
Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii established the Aloha Medical 
Mission in 1983. The Aloha Medical Mission provides voluntary medical, 
surgical, and other health-related services, which include the donation 
of supplies and equipment, to medically indigent areas of Southeast 
Asia and the Pacific. In addition to providing access to health 
services, the Aloha Medical Mission also provides training to 
physicians overseas and through an exchange fellowship program in 
Honolulu, HI.
  Dr. Sy is responsible for furthering the development of the Aloha 
Medical Mission from a small group of doctors to an organization well 
known within the international community. Since the establishment of 
the Aloha Medical Mission, Dr. Sy and his colleagues have served in 11 
countries, treated 200,000

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patients, and performed over 9,000 operations. His commitment to 
ensuring that medical care is accessible in both Hawaii and abroad 
demonstrates his compassion and undying concern for others. He is an 
inspiration to all because of his willingness to embrace the problems 
of those less fortunate. I hope that many will aspire to follow Dr. 
Sy's example by making a commitment to making a difference.
  I thank Dr. Sy for his dedication and quality efforts and extend the 
same gratitude to all the members of the Aloha Medical Mission. I wish 
Dr. Sy and his family the best in their future endeavors.

                          ____________________