ANG HALIGI, DINGDING , KISAME AT BUBONG.....

Dr. Veronica F. Chan, PhD









One of my unfulfilled dreams was to be a doctor. I say was because I have let it go. Though I harbored this dream for quite sometime, the realization that I shall never be one hit me when I started to work as a nurse in PGH years ago. I learned a lot of things about myself at that time and I realized that I was not that vested in pursuing Medicine. I could not see myself perusing thick medical textbooks for another four years when I was already earning. My job gave me a sense of independence and freedom to do as I pleased and I was not about to give it up. But a big part of this dream was influenced by a close relative; an aunt who turns out to be a rare breed; a doctor whose exploits and opinions has shaped the country in the field of Public Health, my godmother, Dr. Veronica F. Chan, who has stuck with all of us her anaks through thick and thin.

Today is my Aunty Veron's birthday! And it is about time that I honor her. Of all my ninangs that my parents assigned to me, she is the one to whom I have the closest relationship with. My family and Tita Veron's family used to live in a modest apartment in Sampaloc, Manila. They lived on the third floor while we were underneath them on the second floor. Hence the closeness of our ties.

When I was a little girl, Christmas was Christmas because of her. Yes, my parents would give my brothers and I, our presents but hers would be the highly anticipated one. There would be a guessing game among the little kids, as we discussed just what her surprise would be. Another memory from my distant childhood was her way of teaching us her little nephews and nieces the importance of Jesus Christ in our lives. One Black Saturday night, she gathered all of us, my cousins, brothers and I; to watch a film. It was "Jesus Christ, Superstar", a film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical and starred Ted Neeley as Jesus. We all watched the film, admired and sang the songs as my aunt expounded on the teachings in the film. When the film showing was over, she opened her turntable and played the soundtrack! And when the theme of the movie with the same title was being played, we danced to it just like how the actors did in the movie! As I write this down, I start to wonder, what kind of equipment did Aunty Veron used to show the film prior to the existence of DVD players? That, I cannot recall! Perhaps I should ask her about this.

I can say though that this simple gesture shaped my preference for musical plays and classical music. Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"? I heard it first from her collection of classical music LP's. Long playing records, those 10-12 inches in diameter black, vinyl discs that were the antecedent of dvd's of today. My aunt has a fantastic collection of classical music albums that it was off limits to us, little munchkins. LP's are just like dvd's in that both should be handled with care. A deep scratch will make the album jump when the turntable's stylus hits it thereby ruining the album completely. Too bad! I haven't even seen just how vast her collection is. I know she has Mozart but does she have Chopin's "Nocturne OP.9 No. 2," Bach's "Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major" or even Handel's "Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus" too?

There were times in my past that I would fail to see Tita Veron for long periods that lasted years whenever I came up to play or should I say gossip with my cousins. Her sister, Aunty Trining would explain, "Nasa Amerika si Ninang mo, nag-aaral." I would swoon with pride! Going to the States to study at that time through a grant was unheard of and she was one of a chosen few. Aunty Trining further mentioned that Tita Veron had to study to be a better teacher. Right!

I grew up knowing that she is a professor at UP Manila. The subject? Microbiology! She is a strict professor, well known to push students to their limits. Stories of her exploits in the classroom are legendary inside the UP College of Medicine. And why not? "These students will be future doctors; how will they be able to cure a patient if they do not know what is causing the illness?", she once said to me. Her dedication to teaching has led her to be the dean of the department at one time. At present, she is a Professor Emeritus of the said college and perhaps shall be teaching until she is unable to physically do so. "Si Dr. Chan, hindi mo malilimutan ang mga ginawa para sa UPCM. Hindi lang siya haligi nito, siya ay dingding, kisame at bubong pa nito," quipped one of the doctors I worked with who obviously was one of my aunt's students before.

I knew she is a medical scientist but I had no idea how big. During one of my trips to Ilocos, I went to the Chan's ancestral home to pay my cousin, Manang Verna (one of my cousins who I used to hang out often with and who now looks after the house) a visit. I was surprised to see an old newspaper clipping mounted in a frame about a very young Tita Veron with a photo to boot. In the photo, she stood beside a man, who turned out to be Dr. Jonas Salk! The guy has been mentioned a lot in medical textbooks as the founder of the polio vaccine and I didn't know that my aunt actually knew him! Apparently they both belong to the same science, that of studying viruses or Virology. The article about Tita Veron delved on her vital participation in the development of a test for dengue hemorrhagic fever for suspected patients. How cool is that? I am not sure just how many virologists our country has but Tita Veron tops the list. Who can forget SARS, Bird Flu and more recently H1N1? These are all diseases of viral in origin. My cousin once told me that the government usually consults a team of experts whenever such a fearful disease breaks out that can cause a pandemic and she is one of those whose opinion they value highly.

Now in her twilight years but still a bit strong, I do not know how old my Tita is. I hope she is at home so I can call her or even pay her a visit. I now recall why she wanted me to take up medicine, "Para may tagapagmana ng corona ko!", she often says in jest to me. I do have cousins who are doctors right now. Let them be the ones to take her place. But one thing for sure, she will always be my favorite godmother!

In behalf of everyone:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TITA VERON! WE LOVE YOU! GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!