Sunday, August 6, 2023

Fe Primitiva del Mundo Dies

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 2):

AUGUST 6, 2011

Fe Primitiva del Mundo y Villanueva, OLD ONS OGH (November 27, 1911 – August 6, 2011), a pediatrician and the first woman admitted in Harvard Medical School, passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest. 

Del Mundo was born in Intramuros, Manila. She earned her medical degree in 1933 at the University of the Philippines and graduated as class valedictorian. She passed the medical board exams and placed third place. 

President Manuel L. Quezon offered her a full scholarship to any school in the U.S. and was admitted at Harvard Medical School in 1936. 

She founded the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines, the Children Medical Center, and now known as Fe Del Mundo Medical Center. 

Fe del Mundo received the Elizabeth Blackwell Award for Outstanding Service to Mankind, given by Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1966, Outstanding Pediatrician and Humanitarian by the International Pediatric Association in 1977. Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1977, and the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award of the AY Foundation in 2008. 

On April 22, 2010, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo awarded her the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Bayani at the Malacañan Palace. 

After her death, she was conferred the Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden Heart Award in 2011, by President Benigno Aquino III. 

In 1980, President Ferdinand Marcos named del Mundo as National Scientist of the Philippines, and the first woman to be given the recognition.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

No comments:

Post a Comment