Inspiring Person Of The Week: Dra. Luisa Ticzon Puyat

Having one type of profession already requires arduous work that could drain so much of your time and energy. What more if you’re pursuing three jobs at once? It’s easy to think it’s far from possible, but Dra. Luisa Ticzon Puyat is living proof that such can be done as long as you live from the heart.

The multihyphenate is a dermatologist at Prime Skincare Asia on most days, a TV and radio anchor every Wednesday and Thursday, and a public service consultant in between all that. Apart from reporting the recent activities of the Taal Volcano on DZMM, she has also been at the forefront of relief efforts for the communities affected by the eruption under ABS-CBN’s campaign Tulong-Tulong sa Taal. “I help in getting medical teams, donations, and services that are needed. I personally participate when DZMM is assigned to a certain evacuation center for the day,” she tells Metro.Style. “At present, we have three teams every day, 7 days a week in Batangas starting this week.”

A big challenge she encountered in the relief operations was having to deal with the daily changing conditions of evacuation centers. “For example, when we went to one evacuation center, we prepared food for 1,500 but when we got there, there were more so we had to buy food outside to augment what we bought,” she explains.

She’s greatly in awe of the strong spirit of Filipinos she gets to witness each day. “Kahit ano'ng sakuna, kaya lagpasan ng ating mga Kapamilya,” adds Dok Luisa, recalling one of her memorable experiences in the aid thus far. “When we were distributing our Sagip Kapamilya relief goods to them, they were so happy. They pretended like it was a graduation ceremony. They were marching and humming the usual music we play during graduation rites,” she muses.

Since the status of the volcano has been lowered to Alert Level 3, they can now start carrying out their rehabilitation plans for the area. “On the medical side, we can work on their mental health especially the children—helping them get over the trauma they experienced,” she shares. However, disaster preparedness is still of paramount importance. “We should still prepare everyone should Taal Volcano erupt. They should know what to have ready and where and when to exit.”

There’s always a way to provide essential support and assistance to others, and for her, you can start with three things: time, talent, and treasure. “I’m so amazed to see some volunteers going to evacuation centers just to bring entertainment and happiness (to the Taal victims). Others go to pray the rosary with the people, giving hope and light,” she says, stressing that even little acts of kindness can go a long way. “First, you just really have to be passionate with helping people then you will end up inspiring everyone you meet to reach out to those who are in need.”

Lead photo from @dokluisa