Text by Jennifer F. Manongdo
Photos by Ehcel Hurna

During this year’s University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) Recognition Rites, officials reflected on the hardships the graduates overcame throughout their five-year journey in medical school.  

“You did not know what those five years would bring, but you came anyway…you learned to examine a patient, read a laboratory result, interpret an image, make a diagnosis, and prescribe treatment…somewhere along the way, you also learned something far more complex: you learned what it means to be a physician,“ Chancellor Michael Tee told the graduates on Aug. 13, 2026, at the University Theater in Diliman, Quezon City. 

Under the theme “Layag,” UPCM Dean Charlotte Chiong echoed the same message: “You studied medicine at a time of uncertainty. You witnessed illnesses, loss, and vulnerability. You saw healthcare workers at risk, your classrooms moved online…yet you persevered, and that perseverance has brought you to this threshold.”

This year, UPCM awarded 242 degrees, including 154 Doctor of Medicine degrees and 37 Bachelor of Science in Basic Medical Sciences degrees. The other graduates received their diplomas in Bioethics, Clinical Epidemiology, Physiology, and master’s degrees in Medical Anthropology, Clinical Medicine (Medical Oncology), Biochemistry, Epidemiology (Clinical Epidemiology), Genetic Health Counselling, Health Informatics (Medical Informatics), Pharmacology, and doctorate degrees in Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry, Health Sciences (by research and by publication). There were 78 graduates with Latin Honors.

Core Values

The Chancellor reminded the new doctors to hold on to three values to serve patients well. “Listen to them, but when it is time to make a medical decision, return to science. Ask what the evidence tells you,” he said. “Your second guide is culture. If you do not understand the person, you may understand the disease and still fail the patient. Third: Empathy. Of the three, this is the one that will matter most when you are exhausted,” he warned. 

“Being a good physician is not only about how much you know. It is about what you do with what you know—and how you make another human being feel while you do it,” he emphasized.

Family first

This year’s ceremony carried a distinctly different tone. Beyond the usual call of duty was a petition to prioritize what is usually sacrificed in the demanding profession. 

“Medicine will always ask for more of you. There will always be another patient, another duty, another conference, another paper, another call. Do not let medicine take everything,” Chancellor Tee emphasized. 

Elaborating on the topic, he added:  “Make time to rest. And when you eventually build families of your own, make them a priority.”

“I hope you become excellent physicians. But I also hope you become present parents, loving spouses, good sons and daughters, loyal friends, and whole human beings,” he said.

When the detour becomes the destination

In his commencement address, Rep. Ciriaco B. Gato, Jr. of the lone congressional district of Batanes recalled the journey that brought him to UPCM. The Ivatan physician and public servant entered UPCM through the regionalization program and later, received a slot in the Otolaryngology residency program of the Philippine General Hospital after one candidate gave up his slot. He said that what initially seemed like setbacks—failing to secure a residency slot in OB-GYN and losing an opportunity to work abroad—ultimately became timely redirections when an ENT residency program opened.

“Sometimes, the detour becomes the destination. Sometimes, the opportunity you never imagined becomes the one that changes your life. I hope you remember this as you begin this journey. Not every closed door means you’re on the wrong path,” he said. 

 “Doktor kasama ng bayan”

The month’s heavy rains inspired UPCM Class 2026 President Dr. Matthew Aldren S. Ora to draw a powerful parallel between the country’s flooding and persistent inequalities in healthcare and society.

 “Sana dumating ang panahon na wala nang batang kailangang lumusong sa baha para lang makapasok sa paaralan; wala nang pasyenteng hindi makarating sa ospital dahil sa baha at wala nang pamilyang kailangang matakot na baka mawalan sila ng tahanan sa bawat pagdating ng ulan,” he said onstage as he delivered the message of gratitude on behalf of the graduates. 

At the end of his speech, Dr. Ora enjoined his batchmates to listen to patients and serve with compassion. 

“Sa ating paglalayag, nawa’y maging karapat-dapat tayo sa tiwalang ibinigay sa atin ng ating bayan at kung magagawa natin ‘yon nasa tamang direksyon, ang ating paglalayag: doktor ng bayan, doktor para sa bayan, doktor kasama ng bayan,” he said.  

Time for healing

Meanwhile, Dr. Gerardo O. Legaspi, director of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the training ground where medical students put their classroom learning into practice, offered this advice: “Do whatever you need to reset…take time to rekindle connections, reconnect with your families. Take time to heal because we all need to heal from all the challenges that we face in our daily lives.”

#f1 #f6 #AcademicExcellence #UPManila

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