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Our Grand History
Makati Medical Center was founded by physicians who were, in their time, the best of the best, the cream of the crop, of their respective fields.
But in the eyes of the founders themselves, the story of Makati Med is a story that must be told—not because it is the story of an exceptional group of men, fired by their ideals, who decided to band together to give substance to their dreams. But in their eyes, the story of Makati Med is providential:
“A story woven in the mind of God, whose love is more real than any dream and whose Providence extends to all, regardless of color or creed.” Those are words of Dr. Mariano Alimurung, world-famous cardiologist and founder of Makati Med who goes on to say that: “The story of Makati Medical Center must be told, because the glory of God must be served.”
And indeed, in a country as deeply spiritual as the Philippines, and in a field where men are often called upon to play God, these words are only fitting.
- Self Contained Community
- God Works In Strange Ways
- The Dream Comes True
- Premier Hospital
- Founder’s Circle
Self Contained Community
The backdrop was 1969. As Alimurung himself recalls:
“Young folks then danced to the rock music of the Beatles, while the whole country was electrified by the successful launching of Apollo 11 which put the first man on the moon. Then, the prestigious Asian Institute of Management was being put up by the joint effort of the Ateneo University, De La Salle University and the Harvard Business School. The favorite pizza joint—then the only one in the country—was the Plaza Restaurant at the Makati Shopping Center, owned by the owners of the Aristocrat chain.”
It was about this time when Enrique Zobel, the top man of the Ayala conglomerate who is widely credited for establishing Makati City as the country’s financial center, asked three prominent physicians to compose the core group of what was to become the country’s leading hospital.
Dr. Constantino P. Manahan, a famous OB-Gyne specialist, Dr. Jose Y. Fores, an equally distinguished surgeon, and Dr. Alimurung, answered Zobel’s call.
The Makati Medical Center was conceived to be one of the necessary features in the developer’s plan for a total self-contained community in a suburb that was still slowly taking shape south of Manila, in the 1960s.
At that time, the price of real estate in the now plush Forbes Park subdivision hovered around P100.00 per sqm, compared to Tondo’s P500.00 per sqm and Sampaloc’s P400.00 per sqm. Vast tracts of land that were to make up the sprawling community were covered with the tall “talahib” grass.
God Works In Strange Ways
“The motivation then was perhaps predominantly business,” Alimurung goes on to recall. “But Divine Providence works His way in the midst of human decisions and human motivations. He writes straight even with crooked lines and works His will into the mazes of human struggles.
“And so it came to pass that the three doctors accepted the challenge and the formation of the initial core group of incorporators was set into motion.”
Dr. Carlos L. Sevilla, who later joined the group of founders and went on to become the Vice-Chairman of the Board and Treasurer, then Chairman of the hospital’s Ophthalmology Department speaks warmly about the time when Makati Med was just a dream in the minds of its founders:
“The dream took root years before its inauguration. Frustrated by the dearth of facilities and technology for modern medical procedures and advanced training in the country, a group of idealist physicians got together to pursue a common goal – the establishment of a hospital equipped with the best and the latest in medical facilities and technology, to be manned by the most competent and well-trained medical staff; a hospital that would approximate those found abroad so that Filipino medical graduates would not need to leave the country to pursue advanced training and specialization.
The Dream Comes True
“That group of medical professional—composed of the country’s more respected medical practitioners—formed Makati Med’s founding group.
“We met once or twice a week to brainstorm, to update one another on the progress of our project studies and negotiations for the purchase of the hospital lot—which we got from the Ayalas at the best possible price that time.
“We scored initial victory when Architect Luis Araneta agreed to design the building and join us in the venture.
“To raise more funds for the building construction, we sought more doctors, even non-doctors, who shared our dream.
“When our local prospects ran dry, we sent Atty. Artemio Delfino to the U.S. to scout for more investors.
“We had rough times; lots of them, in fact. But finally, on that bright, sunny day in late May 1969, the Makati Medical Center stood proud and tall before us—the hospital we had dreamed of.
“On May 31, 1969, the Makati Medical Center formally opened its doors to the public. To us founders, that day marked the fulfillment of a dream and the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifices.”
Premier Hospital
TODAY, Makati Med has earned the distinction of being one of the best-equipped hospitals in the country, and in Asia. It is known to have the most capable staff, and to extend the best quality medical care to our patients, both affluent and indigent alike.
At Makati Med, there has never been a divide in the provision of health services: We treat our charity cases in the same way that we treat our wealthy patients: with respect, courtesy and the best treatment possible.
Even before our tie-up with the Makati Municipal government for the Makati Health Program (MHP), we had our own charity program for the indigents of Makati as well as for other cities, municipalities and provinces.
In time, our training program grew to be what it is today: a magnet for the country’s best and brightest medical graduates.
We also put up a school of nursing so that our patients could be assured of high quality care from well-trained professionals.
Our 39 years of innovation and service to our patients, their families and our community show our deep commitment to providing outstanding patient care, pioneering significant research initiatives, and training new generations of health care providers who can proudly carry on our tradition of excellent health service with a heart.
Founder’s Circle
- Dr. Jose Y. Fores
- Dr. Raul G. Fores
- Dr. Constantino P. Manahan
- Dr. Mariano M. Alimurung
- Dr. Manuel C. Fernandez Sr.
- Dr. Romeo H. Gustilo
- Dr. Carlos L. Sevilla
- Luis Ma. Araneta, Architect
- Jorge L. Araneta
- Julieta Ledesma
- Daniel Go
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