Saudi Arabia is set to finance the separation surgery of another pair of Filipino conjoined twins, the Saudi Embassy said Tuesday.
The embassy said the twins, Olivia and Gianna Manuel, will soon depart for Saudi Arabia, where they will undergo routine medical check-ups leading to the eventual separation procedure.
Saudi Ambassador to the Philippines Faisal Ebraheem Alghamdi on Monday received the twins and their parents, and conveyed King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s “unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes.”
In a statement, the embassy said the Saudi-funded operation also ”exemplifies the Kingdom’s leading role on the international stage, while embodying the deep-rooted and distinguished friendship between the governments and peoples of the two countries.”
The twins’ parents, for their part, extended their gratitude to the Saudi Arabian government.
Olivia and Gianna are the fourth pair of Filipino twins to undergo this life-changing operation, following the third and most recent surgery of Klea Ann and Maurice Ann Misa of Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro.
Since 1990, the Kingdom’s Saudi Conjoined Twins Separation Program has facilitated the successful separation of over 140 children from 27 different countries. (PNA)
