Taichung, Feb. 4 (CNA) A Philippine official on Thursday thanked Taiwan following the recovery of a Filipino migrant worker who was discharged from a local hospital that day after recovering from an operation to remove a brain tumor earlier this year.

Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Vice Chairman Gilberto Lauengco extended his thanks to Taiwan and the medical team during an event held at Asia University Hospital (AUH), where Frolian Tagara was successfully operated on to remove a medial sphenoid wing meningioma, according to a statement issued by the hospital.

Speaking at the event, AUH Superintendent Hsu Yung-hsin (許永信) said Tagara first suffered a diminution of vision, headaches and epilepsy before being diagnosed in October with the brain tumor, which had to be removed with a highly complex operation.

After the diagnosis, he also fainted and was rushed to the emergency room suffering from stress, he said.

The eight-hour surgery in January was a success, with no complications for the patient, he said.

Hsu said after learning of the situation, he contacted MECO, which quickly arranged for Tagara's wife to visit Taiwan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After 14 days of quarantine and a week of self-health management, she was able to accompany her husband during post-op treatment at the hospital, he said.

Aware that the cost of the medical treatment would be a huge financial burden on Tagara, husband and wife employers Liao Fu-shan (廖福山) and Wu Li-hua (吳麗華) volunteered to cover the cost.

"We have worked many years together, and he is like a member of our family," Liao said at the event.

"If I didn't help him, who else would?" Liao asked while praising Tagara as hard working and reliable.

During the nine years Tagara worked in Taiwan, he only returned to the Philippines once over three years ago in a bid to save money, his wife said on the same occasion.

source: https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202102040019