‘When Heroes Rise’: Stories of Dedicated Service and Hope Amid the Pandemic Tackled in New Book

October 20, 2025

Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas
Photos by Sarah Hazel Moces S. Pulumbarit

*Former UP Manila Chancellor and National Scientist Dr. Carmencita D. Padilla (third from left) hands over a copy of the book* ***‘When Heroes Rise: UP Manila Responds to COVID-19’*** to Chancellor Michael Tee (fourth from left) in a ceremony on Oct. 20, 2025. They were joined by (from left) Dr. Orlando Ocampo, former head of the PGH COVID-19 Response Task Force, Dr. Olympia Q. Malanyaon, Former IPPAO Director and co-author of the book, and Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi, Director of the Philippine General Hospital.

UP Manila launched the book ‘When Heroes Rise: UP Manila Responds to COVID-19’ on October 20, 2025, during the opening ceremony of the 43rd Foundation Day and the 46th Anniversary of the Health Sciences Center Autonomy held at the Sports Science and Wellness Center (SSWC).

Co-authored by Dr. Olympia Q. Malanyaon, the 152-page volume chronicles UP Manila’s collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most difficult and defining moments in the university’s history.

In her message, Dr. Malanyaon explained that the project was born out of a shared conviction to record the university’s story of courage and resilience. “May kasabihan: if it is not written, it did not happen,” she said, emphasizing that documenting the experiences of the UP Manila community was both an act of remembrance and a moral obligation to future generations.

She added, “This is an idea that prompted us to buckle down to work—to chronicle in as much detail as we can the massive undertaking of UP Manila in tackling COVID-19. The depth and breadth of the university constituents’ response to this crisis was unprecedented. It was a story of heroism, ingenuity, and the true bayanihan spirit, and this had to be recorded for posterity.”

Dr. Malanyaon described the book as both a testament to human resilience and a prayer of thanksgiving. “Looking back, it is now very evident that the reason UP Manila triumphed over COVID-19 was because the Almighty kept us in the palm of His hand,” she said. “He illuminated our minds, filled our hearts with compassion, and engraved in our bodies inexhaustible strength—especially in those unbelievably challenging days.”

She concluded, “It is our hope that this 152-page volume, filled with pictures and stories, will stand as a testament to the fortitude, perseverance, and heroism of the UP Manila community in overcoming COVID-19. May it serve as a beacon of service and inspiration for future generations of UP faculty, students, and staff.”

Former Chancellor and National Scientist Dr. Carmencita D. Padilla, who led UP Manila during the pandemic, joined the symbolic turnover of the book together with Chancellor Dr. Michael L. Tee, PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, and members of the Crisis Management Team.

Chancellor Tee commended the authors and contributors for memorializing the experiences of UP Manila and PGH, calling the book “a chronicle of courage and compassion” that reflects the heart of the university’s mission as the country’s Health Sciences Center.#