The NSVI Philippines Mission Program is the oldest of the NSVI mission programs (it dates back to 2002) and still serves as the gold standard to be emulated by present (Haiti and Kenya) and future mission programs. The NSVI Philippines Domestic Program, begun in 2014, is also the gold standard of NSVI’s 3 domestic programs, the other 2 being Haiti and Kenya.

The main reason why the Philippines Mission and Domestic Programs work so well is Frohnie Cagalitan who, along with Myrna Danuco, coordinates both programs. A dedicated doctor/vasectomist is directly critical to the existence of a domestic program, as her or she performs the vasectomies; and indirectly critical to a mission program by serving as the “host” doctor for licensing purposes. We have excellent doctor-vasectomists in Haiti and Kenya, but as we endeavor to expand and energize the mission and domestic programs in those countries, we become ever more aware of how important is the “Program Coordinator”. The limitations of that title or expression is evident when one considers the many qualities needed to make the mission and domestic programs successful. Frohnie embodies so many of those qualities that we have begun to describe the perfect program coordinator as a “frohnie”, since no other word seems to suffice. The table below lists the qualities of the perfect program coordinator. The intent is not to point out the shortcomings of those who are striving to fill the role or elements of it, but rather to (1) show why Frohnie is so effective, and (2) list the qualities of hers that we would like to duplicate or “clone” in other countries.

Our domestic doctors can fulfill some of the roles of the Program Coordinator, but they cannot witness their own consents, they usually have many other duties, and they feel less alone in their promotion of vasectomy if it is a team effort. We hope this list may serve as a guide for doctors looking for a frohnie and as a “job description” that can be presented to interested volunteers.