The country has lost another doctor, a frontliner mainly attending to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients from the "poorest sections" of Quezon City, after his fight against the disease.
Dr. Hilario "Larry" Mangoba, a pediatrician of at least five hospitals in Quezon City, passed away on Tuesday, his cousin’s husband, Noel Alba Pantoja, said in a Facebook post.
“Our family grieves the death of my wife's cousin, Dr. Larry Mangoba, a COVID-19 medical frontliner. Dr. Larry cared for COVID-19 patients many from the poorest sections of Quezon City, NCR, Philippines,” Pantoja said.
“Our hearts are filled with sorrow as COVID-19 reached our family today. His labour is not in vain. He is a medical hero and finished his race well to the end,” he added.
His sister, Jeanette Mangoba, said he is a "perfect brother."
"Lahat kaya niya ibigay sa amin kahit yung mga pamangkin niya pinapag-aral niya (He could give everything. He's even sending his nephews and nieces to school)," she said over GMA’s 24 Oras interview.
Mangoba used to make their stressful work in the hospital feel light, his friends added.
"Si Larry yung (is a) type of person that is very jolly and would make everything so light," Dr. Hermie Maglaya-Ang said in the same 24 Oras report, "Magiging magaan ang trabaho pagka duty sya. Pag may problema, gagaan yun at masosolusyunan yun kasi (Your work will get light and easy if he's on duty. If there's a problem, it will become light and be given solution because) he is a type of person that he would always think positive and will inspire other people."
"Si Doc Larry, sumasagot. Lahat ng pasyenteng magtetext, sasagutin nya as if walang nangyayari (Dr. Larry would respond to his patients whenever they would send him text messages, as if nothing was happening)," Maglaya-Ang added.
Mangoba was so dedicated in his profession that even the threats of COVID-19 could not stop him from serving his patients, Dr. Jess Acantilado, another friend, said.
"Sasabihin yan ni Larry... nag-hohome service pa 'ko... Bata pa naman ako, yan ang palaging sabi nya... I think matatakot sakin si COVID. 'Yan yung joke nya parati, so ganyan sya kadedicated (Larry would say, he's still doing home service. He would say in jest that he was still young and that COVID-19 would be afraid of him. That's how dedicated he was)," he said.