NOTABLES: Doctors of Calamba; Dr. J.P. Rizal Memorial District Hospital
Doctors of Calamba
The first known doctors in Calamba, or maybe the only doctors; during the late 19th century were of course Dr. Jose P. Rizal, his brother in law Dr. Silvestre Ubaldo and Dr. Candido Habaña.
During the turn of the 20th Century which marked a new era in Philippine history, changes in politics, ideology, economics, social culture, science and technology, caused a major shift in the lives of a vast number of people. The American liberal policies in education, sent many young Filipinos to school and in the early 1900s, inspired by Rizal’s heroism, popularity and dedication to the medical profession, many Calambeños became doctors. Among them were: Arcadio Ochoa, Agapito Alzona, Manuel Arambulo Sr., Maximo Alcasid, Sesinando Rizal, Sr., Mercedes Uichangco Florencia Chipeco Alano, Maria Villanueva Resurecion, Eriiberto aguilar, Leonardo Banaybanay, Lorenzo Habacon, Eusebio Panganiban and wife Pacita Panganiban, Juan Cardenas, Florencio Alcasid, Jose Flores, Florentino Elazaegui, and wife Remedios Estaniel Elazegui.
These early Calamba physicians were legends. Their dedication to their profession and duty were overwhelming. Even when the Calamba Emergency Hospital had already been built at the back of the town's municipal building in 1952, they still responded even to unceremonious house calls, braving the darkness of the night and the creepy barrio roads on the old fashioned calesa. Foremost is Dr. Leonardo C. Banaybanay who had saved many children's lives and had been more than once robbed while answering a house call, deprived of his doctor's kit and left stark naked in a dark barrio side road.
Others made remarkable achievements in medicine, occupied responsible positions in government hospitals and private sponsored health programs like Dr. Eriberto Aguilar, Dr. Florencia Chipeco Alano, and Dr. Eusebio Panganiban. Some even entered public service via politics like Dr. Agapito Alzona, a former Calamba municipal councilor who during his incumbency proposed the construction of the historic Banga at Calamba's Town Plaza. Dr. Sesinando V. Rizal, Sr. became mayor of Calamba in 1948 until his death in 1954.
The Calamba Emergency Hospital-
The first hospital in Calamba was the Calamba Emergency Hospital. It was a two-bed hospital housed in a two level building made of timber on a 700 square meter lot donated by the Llamas family in 1952. Dr. Agapito Alzona was the Oficer-in-Charge. He was assisted by Ms. Aniana Surbano, the Supervising Nurse. The hospital was a project of former Laguna governor Dominador Chipeco and was an extension of the Laguna Provincial Hospital in Sta. Cruz.
The national government on July 1, 1957, took over the operation, finance and maintenance of the hospital under the General Appropriation Act and RA 1939 otherwise known a Financing Act or popularly called Provincial or Municipal Aid. This transformed the medical care center into a 25-bed hospital. Dr. Juan C. Cardenas became the the Chief of Hospital, Mr. Florencio Nevalga, the Administrator and Ms. Luz P. Belarmino the Chief Nurse.
Dr. Lourse Panaligan replaced Dr. Juan C. Cardenas in 1975. During the term of Dr. Panaligan the hospital was upgraded into a 50-bed capacity hospital. Dr Lourse Panaligan died in 1978 and was replaced by Dr. Nestorio E. Tiu, Jr. on May of the same year. On the following year, March 31, 1979, fire gutted the hospital down to the ground. A temporary hospital was immediately organized the following day. The whole Calamba community came to help with cash, used beddings, basic medical instruments and whatever they can give that a hospital may need. Then Secretary Clemente Gatmaitan of the Department of Health, with the help of Regional Director Dr. Edilberto Fernando, immediately released funds for the beds, equipment, and instruments. The temporary hospital stood and operated for two months.
The temporary hospital was then transferred into a private building near the Public Market. At the opening of the school year, then Governor Felicisimo San Luis initiated an indigency fund with unlimited amount for the hospital .On the other hand, Dr. Nestorio E. Tiu made representation to former First Lady Imelda Marcos, then Governor of Metro Manila and Chairman of the Ministry of Human Settlement for the construction of a new hospital building. A pre-fabricated building provided by Governor Felicisimo San Luis and Assemblyman Jose Yulo began to rise on a 8,000 sq. meter lot donated by the Dominican Order at Brgy. Bucal, It was followed by the construction of a two-storey main building, supervised by the Ministry of Public Works with funds provided by the Ministry of Human Settlements.
This is the beginning of the present day Dr.Jose Rizal Memorial District Hospital which was inaugurated in 1981.
