What's New

The 24th Annual Reunion and Scientific Convention of the FEU-DNR School of Medicine Alumni Foundation July 16-20, 2003 in Norfolk, Virginia, was a huge success, breaking the record of the 2001 reunion in Las Vegas, which was the highest, reported Philip S. Chua, M.D., Chairman of the Board and Amante G. Legaspi, Sr., M.D., President, and Jane P. Legaspi, M.D., over-all convention Chairperson.

The venue of this year convention, whose theme was Update in Medicine and Surgery, was the Waterside Marriott, and because of the significant number of registrants, nearby Sheraton was contracted by the Foundation for the overflow. The scientific seminar was jointly sponsored with the Philippine Medical Association in Chicago for CME credits.

The welcome reception/seafood dinner, which was held at the Waterside Convention Center, was packed with alumni and their family. The Filipiniana Night was a sold out affair, and due to late registrants and extreme demand, the Chairman of the Board and the President, and their wives, Farida and Jane, had to voluntarily give up their seats for the late comers. Other officers were likewise prepared to volunteer their seats and dinner. The four had to order hamburgers and eat outside, by the door of the ballroom, after the rest had their formal dinner.

Foursome eating "Lipitor-treated" hamburger and fries

The 3-day scientific convention covered topics from Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Andropause, to Cardiology and Hypertension issues, Epilepsy, Smallpox Bioterrorism, Infectious Diseases, to CO2 Laser Transmyocardial Revascularization for End-Stage Coronary Artery Disease. The attendees hailed this seminar as the best in the history of the alumni foundation, for the quality of the papers and the presentation.

This year's reunion-convention saw the largest, a record-breaking, attendance at all functions, from the welcome reception, the Scientific Meetings, to the Filipiniana Night, the Membership Luncheon, and most especially the Grand Ball Dinner Dance. All these affairs were graced by the presence of Dr. Josephine C. Reyes, Chairman, FEU-DNR Medical Foundation in the Philippines, Dean Flordeliza Baltazar, Dean, Institute of Medicine, both of whom traveled at their own expenses to join these festivities, and Dr. and Mrs. Jesus B. Nolasco, of Jacksonville, Florida, UP Class 40 and former Secretary, FEU Institute of Medicine, and one of the founders and pillars of the alumni foundation.

Dr. Nolasco delivered this year’s Dr. Nicanor Reyes Memorial Lecture. The Roster of DNR Memorial Lecturers include Renato Ramos, M.D., 1996; Ronald Baker,M.D., 1997; Emelie H. Ongcapin, M.D., 1998; Denton A. Cooley, M.D., 1999; Philip S. Chua, M.D., 2000; Emmanuel Balcos, M.D., 2001; none in 2002; and, Jesus B. Nolasco, M.D., 2003.

Because of the function room occupancy law and the fire code, there were more than a dozen, who at the last minute wanted to buy tickets for the Grand Reunion Dinner Dance on Saturday, July 20th, who had to be turned down. Convention Chairperson, Jane Legaspi, predicted a good net proceeds for the Foundation from this year’s reunion. The host was the Virginia FEU Chapter, who did an excellent job.

This year’s silver jubilarian celebrant was the Class of ’78, and the other celebrating classes included Class ’58 (Sapphire), Class 63 (Ruby), Class ’68 (Coral), Class ’73 (Pearl), Class ’83 (20th), Class ’88 (15th), and Class ’93 (10th Anniversary). These class celebrants will likewise be honored at the January 14-17, 2004 Grand Alumni Reunion at the Westin Philippine Plaza in Manila, jointly sponsored by this Alumni Foundation in the USA and the FEU-DNR Alumni Medical Society in the Philippines. Dr. Generosa Lazur was chosen the 2003 Most Outstanding Alumna of the Jubilarian Class of '78. There were 33 Silver Jubilarians in attendance at the traditional and very touching Candlelight Ceremonies, where the "torch was passed on to the Class of 79." Class '78 donated $32,000 to the Foundation, officially presented to Drs. Josephine C. Reyes, Philip S. Chua and Amante G. Legaspi, Sr., during the grand ball.

The gala event in Virginia witnessed all the four (Norfolk 3 thru 6) large connecting function rooms at the Waterside Marriott opened to accommodate the ticketed alumni, their spouses and guests, a total of 470. The ambiance of the ballroom was a sight to behold. The only thing that surpassed this was the sumptuous dinner and the lively and fun-filled dancing that followed which lasted past midnight. The alumni truly enjoyed this fabulous reunion and scientific convention, and each went his or her own way home to the various states, some to the Philippines, with nostalgic and happy memories that they will cherish to provide added warmth in the winter of their life.

Dr. and Mrs. Jesus B. Nolasco with some of his former students,
including Farida Isip-Chua '61, wife of our Chairman of the Board.

Both the Chairman and President stated that "overattendance is a good and positive problem to have, but regretfully this has caused seating dilemma, and the last minute requests for tickets had to be sadly turned down." They suggested early registration for next year to have assured accommodation in all functions.

Next Year's Annual Reunion and Convention

The 25th Annual Reunion and Scientific Convention will be held on July 14-18, 2004 in Troy, Michigan. Please mark this down on your calendar.

Please pre-register early, enjoy the discounted fees, and be assured of social function tickets and dinner seats.

The Alumni Foundation is not happy rejecting any of our alumni, but when the absolute top limit (which includes the allowed percentage of last minute add-ons for seats and dinner) has agreed upon and closed by the hotel, we have no choice but to abide by the contract, the city fire code and seating occupancy law.

2003 Election Results Bared

The results of the Norfolk 2003 elections for the Alumni Foundation Board of Trustees to replace those eight trustees whose 3-year term expired July 2003, were reported by Election Chairperson Melinda Fabito, and Secretary Grace Rabadam. The winners (in their order) are: Philip S. Chua, Edmundo Relucio, Rolando Casis, Pepito Rivera, Arturo Basa, Abraham Perez, Renato Estrella, and Frederico Jimenez. Their term expires July 2006.

Passage of Absentee Voting Rights and Dual Citizenship

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is flanked on the left by FEU-DNR School of Medicine Alumni Foundation Chairman Philip S. Chua, M.D., and on the right by Philippine News Editor and Founding Chairman of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, Alex Esclamado who led the US delegation to lobby for the passage of the Absentee Voting Rights for the 7 million Filipinos all over the world. The NAFFAA group met with the President in Malacañang Palace January 15, 2003 to lobby for the passage of the bill, and again of February 13th at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall, when they witness the approval and signing of the bill, which was a historical and landmark event in the Philippines, a legislative feat attempted by the various congresses the past fifty years without success. The signing was witnessed by key leaders and members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and numerous leaders from various organizations around the world. Other members of the delegation who had left for the States earlier were: NAFFAA Chair Loida Nicolas Lewis, Vice-Chair Greg Macabenta and Rodil Rodis, a NAFFAA pillar.

The Philippine House of Representatives and the Senate have each passed its own version of the Dual Citizenship Bill, which now guarantees enactment of this into law very soon. The same community leaders from the United States who lobbied for, and witnessed, the signing of the Absentee Voting Rights bill, lobbied for the passage of the Dual Citizenship Bill. The two Houses are holding a bicameral session sometime the last week of July 2003 to consolidate the two versions into one, which President Arroyo promised to sign immediately when the final bill reaches her desk.

Alumni Foundation Elects Officers at Frisco Confab

The FEU-DNR School of Medicine Alumni Foundation (U.S.A.) elected its new set of officers during its 23rd Annual Reunion and Convention at the Grand Hyatt-Union Square in San Francisco, California, July 3-7, 2002.

Philip S. Chua, M.D., Class '61, a cardiac surgeon emeritus in Munster, Indiana, and who was president of the Foundation two years ago, was elected Chairman of the Board. Amante Legaspi, M.D., Class 68, an anesthesiologist from Norfolk, Virginia, and previously executive vice-president, was voted president.

Dr. Chua is currently Chairman of the Cardiovascular Surgery of the Cebu Cardiovascular Center at the Cebu Doctors' Hospital, Cebu, Philippines. He is past president of the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA), the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America (SPSA), the PMA of Chicago, and the American Heart Association NWI chapter. Dr. Chua is married to his classmate, Farida Isip-Chua, and they have five children, all of whom are physicians, four of them married to physicians also.

Dr. Legaspi was president of the PMA of Eastern Virginia, the Virginia Association of Philippine Physicians, and the Chesapeake Medical Society. Dr. Legaspi is also past president of the APPA, which is the umbrella organization of all Philippine medical associations in the United States. Dr. Legaspi is married to Jane Peralta-Legaspi (Class '69) and they have two children, a son who is a lawyer in New York and a daughter, a global marketing manager of Unilever.

The other elected officers include: Cesar R. Candari, M.D., executive vice-president; Arsenio Martin, M.D., Rolando Buan, M.D., and Manuel Malicay, M.D., vice-presidents; Grace Rabadam, M.D., secretary; A.C.B. Lastimosa, M.D., treasurer; Cesar Jimenez, M.D., auditor. Cesar V. Reyes, M.D., is the executive director and editor of the foundation.

The eight newly elected Trustees-at-Large are Doctors Rolando Buan, Arsenio Martin, Amante Legaspi, Emelie Ongcapin, Grace Rabadam, Cora Carr, Oscar Tuason, and Manuel Malicay. The other incumbent trustees are Doctors Avila Arcala, Roger Bautista, Roger Cave, Rolando Casis, Melinda Fabito, Sam Lardizabal, Virgilio Jonson, R. Limosnero, Abraham Perez, Edmundo Relucio, Pepito Rivera, and Pascual Sales.

The chapter presidents who are on the board representing their respective state are Peter K. H. Go (Arkansas), Ric de Leon (North California), Fe L. Aragon (South California), Honorato Nicodemus (District of Columbia), Rey Daco (Florida), Edgar R. Borda (North Illinois), Vic Zata (South Illinois), J.R.M.Mendoza (Indiana), Nita Labayen (Kansas), Regulo Tobias (Kentucky), N. Guinigundo (Louisiana), Alex Enrique (Maryland), H. Tansuche (Michigan), Gene Siruno (Minnesota), Daniel Fabito (Missouri), Ray Sandoval (Nevada), Miguel Hugo (New Jersey), Emy Magpantay (New York), Y. Ganchorre (Ohio), Manny Rivero (Texas), Jane Legaspi (Virginia) R. Estrella (Wisconsin) and Andres Rago (West Virgina).

FEU-DNR Medical Foundation Medical Alumni Society, Inc. (Philippines)

Secretariat: Room 316, Institute of Medicine, FEU-NRMF Medical Complex, Regalado Avenue, West Fairview, Quezon City.Cely T. Ocampo, Office Manager Email: celyfeualumni@yahoo.comTelephone: 935-0025 Telefax: 930917-478-16406-7175 Cell: 0917-478-1640

OFFICERS (2002-2004)

President - Fernando G. Ayuyao, M.D.
Vice President - Sonny Matias E. Habacon, M.D.
Secretary - Linda D. Tamesis, M.D.
Assistant Secretary - Anna Belen C. Ignacio-Alensuela, M.D.
Treasurer - Ramon Edgardo C. Rono, M.D.
Assistant Treasurer - Lucila V. Micu, M.D.
Auditor - Wilfredo Y. Tayag, M.D.
Public Relations Officer - Maximo B. Axibal, M.D.
Immediate Past President - Liberato C. dela Rosa, M.D.
Liaison Officer - Joey U. Uranza, M.D.
Board Directors - Vic Fileto T. Chua, M.D.
Ernesto F. dela Cerna, M.D.
Reynaldo B. de Vega, M.D.
Edgardo D. Mendoza, M.D.
Noe P. San Jose, M.D.
Efren R. Vicaldo, M.D.