Cover Dr Vicki Belo presents the Belo Scar Project (Photo: courtesy of Belo Medical Group)
Dr Vicki Belo presents the Belo Scar Project (Photo: courtesy of Belo Medical Group)
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Belo
Within the Belo Scar Project, seven patients undergo complex reconstructive journeys involving surgery, rehabilitation and advanced medical technology—including the Philippines’ first facial bone reconstruction using a custom-made, 3D-printed implant
At a clinic in Metro Manila, an eight-year-old girl shares her dream of dancing someday. Nearby, doctors talk about scar contractures, rehabilitation strategies and surgeries that could take years. The girl, Sophia Abalon, survived a house fire that caused severe burns, restricting her movement. Her dream is simple, but her treatment will be complex.
Meanwhile, another patient prepares for surgery. Twenty-year-old Kirsten Sofia Barin was born with multiple facial clefts affecting her cheekbones, lips and surrounding facial structures. Earlier childhood procedures improved some aspects of the condition, although asymmetry remained. The operation involves a custom-made, 3D-printed implant designed specifically for her face.
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Above Scarlet Snow Belo with Sophia Abalon (Photo: courtesy of Belo Medical Group)
Above Donny Pangilinan with Christinelle Nato (Photo: courtesy of Belo Medical Group)
Scarlet Snow Belo with Sophia Abalon (Photo: courtesy of Belo Medical Group)
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These cases are part of the Belo Scar Project, an initiative launched by Belo Medical Group that selected seven patients from nearly 800 nationwide submissions. The entries came from people living with burns, congenital conditions, trauma and severe scarring that affected movement, appearance and daily life. Belo refers to the group as “The First Seven”.
Since the project launch in May 2025, the medical team has carried out most of the key procedures for patients, with rehabilitation and ongoing care still ongoing. The programme integrates surgery, laser treatments, regenerative therapies, rehabilitation and psychological support. Every case is managed with a long-term plan instead of a single intervention.
Barin’s surgery, in particular, marked a first in the Philippines: facial bone reconstruction using a custom-fabricated high-density polyethylene implant produced by 3D printing. According to maxillofacial surgeon Dr Dax Pascasio, standard implants could not accommodate the irregular contours of her condition. “Because of the asymmetry and the irregular contour of the defect, there is no pre-fabricated implant that could give a satisfactory result for Barin’s case,” he said.
The procedure presented further challenges because of her previous surgeries. “We had to work around scarred tissue and limited soft tissue available for reconstruction, which makes reshaping the face much more challenging,” Pascasio added.
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You begin to realise that scars are truly never just physical. They shape how people live, what they avoid and what they believe they deserve
Medical advances seldom arrive with fanfare. More often, they emerge through specialist coordination, technical planning and gradual developments in operating rooms. In this case, the use of customised 3D-printed implants points to what reconstructive care in the Philippines may soon handle more regularly within the local medical system.
The Belo name has long held a place in Philippine culture, closely associated with cosmetic medicine and aesthetics. The Scar Project shifts attention to another side of the field. Reconstructive care concerns structure and the physical consequences of trauma or congenital conditions. Appearance is also part of the discussion, though rarely the central issue.
Dr Vicki Belo said the volume of submissions changed the team's understanding of what many patients continue to carry long after an injury has healed physically. “You begin to realise the scars are truly never just physical,” she said. “They shape how people live, what they avoid and what they believe they deserve.”
Above Gina Lorenzana, Dr Vicki Belo, Dr Hayden Kho and Dr Dax Pascasio
Gina Lorenzana, Dr Vicki Belo, Dr Hayden Kho and Dr Dax Pascasio
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That idea underpins the project’s approach. Abalon’s treatment involved staged contracture-release surgeries alongside rehabilitation to restore mobility and improve quality of life over time. Recovery in cases like these unfolds gradually, as muscles adapt and damaged skin changes through repeated procedures and therapy.
“This project represents a different level of responsibility,” said Gina Lorenzana, CEO of Belo Medical Group. “We are not treating isolated concerns. We are committing to full journeys.”
The statement carries weight because scar treatment often remains outside public conversation. Cosmetic procedures dominate the headlines, while reconstructive care tends to stay within hospitals and recovery rooms. Yet scars can shape employment opportunities, social confidence and the ability to move through daily life with ease.
Above Alden Richards with Kirsten Barin (Photo: courtesy of Belo Medical Group)
Alden Richards with Kirsten Barin (Photo: courtesy of Belo Medical Group)
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For the surgeons involved, the project also signals wider possibilities within Philippine medicine. Pascasio described the work as “a glimpse of what is possible for future reconstructive cases in the country”, particularly when advanced technology and multiple specialties collaborate. The Belo Scar Project will track patients’ progress in the months ahead. Outcomes will vary from person to person, as recovery rarely follows a straight line. At a minimum, the project brings visibility to a topic often overlooked: the long process of rebuilding movement and everyday life after trauma. At best, it may help expand what reconstructive care in the Philippines can achieve locally. “This is only the beginning,” says Dr Hayden Kho. “Our hope is that their stories encourage others to come forward and remind people that healing is always worth pursuing.”
For further information and updates, visit beloscarproject.com.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
