Kapampangans mourn death of prov’l health chief due to Covid-19

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Residents of this province are mourning the passing of their provincial health chief, one of the pioneers in the Doctor to the Barrios program, who succumbed due to new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital (JBLMRH).
Dr. Marcelo Jaochico died around 6:37 p.m. Tuesday at JBLMRH after several days of confinement.
Jaochico’s daughter, Cielo, in her Facebook post, said her dad died of the “pandemic,” referring to Covid-19.
“Please do not remember him as someone who just died because of Covid-19. Sobrang dami niyang ginawa para sa bayan (He did a lot of things for the nation). Please pray for his soul. Please pray for the souls of those who are still fighting,” Cielo said in her post.
Cielo, in her latest post, said she is now confined in an isolation room, also at the JBLMRH, after showing Covid-19 symptoms.
Meanwhile, Governor Dennis Pineda, in a statement, expressed deep sorrow on the passing of Jaochico, who, he said, played a big role in the delivery of health and medical services to the Kapampangans.
“Hindi ka man nagwagi sa paglaban mo sa sakit na Covid-19, makakaasa ka na ipagpapatuloy namin ang iyong misyong naiwanan (Even if you did not win in your battle against Covid-19, rest assured that we will continue your mission), Pineda said.
The Pampanga Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) headed by Angie Blanco said the province lost one great man who exemplified utmost dedication to public service by being a devoted official of the provincial government.
“We are grateful for being able to work with him, being one of the core group members of the PDRRMC. Doc, you are one of our modern-day heroes and your well-lived life will truly be a legacy,” the PDRRMO said in a statement.
Provincial board member Rosve Henson described Dr. Jaochico as hardworking and humble.
“He served the people with utmost dedication. Our heads are bowed and our hearts bleed. ‘Thank you’ will never be enough. You are a hero,” Henson said.
The Angeles University Foundation Alumni Affairs lauded Jaochico’s efforts in the delivery of public health services, especially to the poor.
“We will forever remember him as an Angelenean—a dedicated public servant, a doctor to the barrio and a brave, compassionate healthcare worker who risked his life so that others may live,” it said.
Cielo, in an earlier post, said that her father was first admitted at the Rosario Memorial Hospital in Guagua, this province last March 15 after experiencing loss of appetite, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
On March 18, she said her father was transferred to the intensive care unit.
Jaochico, who served as provincial health officer of Pampanga starting in 2013, finished B.S. Zoology from the University of Sto. Tomas. He then studied medicine at the Angeles University Foundation.
He also worked under the Doctor to the Barrios (DTTB) program of the government during the 1990s and was assigned in Calanasan, Apayao for almost 16 years.
He finished his master’s degree in hospital administration at the University of the Philippines-Manila’s College of Public Health as cum laude.
He also became a resident at the Manila Medical Center and a substitute instructor at the Emilio Aguinaldo College where he met his wife, who is also in the medical field and currently working as an overseas Filipino worker. (PNA)