November 30, 2021 —PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi and Public Affairs Coordinator and spokesperson Dr. Jose Jonas Del Rosario were among the public servants conferred the 2021 Outstanding Government Workers Award by the Civil Service Commission in virtual ceremonies held on Nov. 15.
Dr. Legaspi was one of the seven individual recipients of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award for 2021 while Dr. Del Rosario was among the 10 bestowed the Dangal ng Bayan Award for 2021.
The PGH director was recognized “for charting and carrying out a visionary course for the PGH as a premier institution for medical service, training, and research and his unparalleled leadership and response to the pandemic. He remained in the frontlines with the PGH Crisis Team in protecting the welfare of the medical and non-medical staff, delivering the highest level of service to reassure the public and the hospital’s unwavering commitment to quality care and to increase public confidence in vaccines”.
He introduced innovations and implemented advancements to fulfill the mandate of UP-PGH as the national university hospital through a stronger computerization of hospital data and services; a governance with inclusive participation and authenticity; infrastructure development conducive for healing, training, and working; prioritizing research through generating and allocating more funds; developing policies and programs that advocate a community-oriented medical education; and leading the way to an integrated, comprehensive health network and referral system with local government units and community hospitals.
As an esteemed neurosurgeon, Dr. Legaspi espoused innovative lifesaving neurosurgical techniques and promoted scientific advances such as the minimally invasive “keyhole” neurosurgery, introduced microvascular decompression, and modified skull base approaches in the Philippines. He is among the first to perform auditory brainstem implantation in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Del Rosario was cited for being “a quintessential servant leader, cardiologist, researcher and teacher who revolutionized the practice and training of pediatric cardiology with pioneering interventional cardiac procedures that became a standard of care in the country.”
He introduced ingenious and life-saving interventions such as transcatheter closure techniques as alternative options to repair certain types of congenital heart defects which are safe and can be done with low mortality and morbidity results.
The renowned pediatric cardiologist served as a volunteer physician for Rotary International’s Operation Braveheart funded by the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society. The project aimed to repair congenital heart defects of children from poor families with over 140 children of market vendors, fishermen, janitors, messengers, clerks, and unemployed parents as its beneficiaries.
The ceremony was streamed via Malacañan’s Radio Television and Facebook page and YouTube channel and the Civil Service Commission’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The annual Search for Outstanding Government Workers is administered by the CSC’s Honor Awards Program.
Cynthia M. Villamor
Published in the UP Manila Healthscape (Special COVID-19 Issue No. 34, December 2021)
