The Senate recognised on Monday, Dec. 5 the contribution of the University of Santo Tomas – Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (UST-FMS) to the medical and health care education in the country.

In a unanimous vote, the Senate adopted Proposed Senate Resolution 336 (Adopted Resolution 31) citing UST-FMS' considerable contribution to the development of medical and health care educational institutions in the country. The adoption of the measure coincides with the UST-FMS celebration of its 150 founding anniversary this year.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri extolled UST-FMS for training and instilling in medical learners the values of compassion and service, especially to the underprivileged Filipinos who need medical attention.

“They’ve produced a number of fine doctors and nurses that have gone all over the world to help the suffering humanity... and not only that, we consider UST as one of the top four universities. Whenever you talk about the top university of the Philippines, UST is always included in the top four,” Zubiri said.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, who is an alumnus and athletic scholar of UST from high school to college, thanked Zubiri for initiating the resolution citing the contributions of the UST-FMS.

“I muse on the thought of how long 150 years is... reaching this milestone must have been ecstatic, not only for the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery but to the entire Thomasian community worldwide,” Villanueva said.

Senators Jose ‘’Jinggoy’’ Ejercito Estrada, Christopher “Bong” T. Go, and Grace Poe hailed the milestones of UST-FMS through decades. Villanueva moved that all members of the Senate be made co-sponsor of the resolution.

According to SR 336, UST-FMS was founded on May 28, 1872 making it the oldest existing Catholic medical school in the country.

Since its establishment, UST- FMS has been considered one of the five top performing medical schools in the country, contributing more than 400 physicians annually and consistently topping the medical board examinations.

In 2021, the UST emerged as the second top performing school in physician licensure examination administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.

The UST-FMS also produced several Secretaries of Health of the Philippines and several Presidents of the Philippine Medical Association, and has produced countless hospital administrators, medical directors, clinical specialists, and medical professors in the country

The UST-FMS was the only Asian school to be in the top 10 list of foreign medical institutions by the U.S. Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates in 2007. The faculty’s Research Center for the Health Sciences is also involved in multiple research projects addressing immediate national and global health problems.

In preparing for its 150th Founding Anniversary, with the theme "Continue, Challenge, and Conquer,” the resolution said: “the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery has renewed its commitment to the development and formation of competent, compassionate, and committed Thomasian physicians in the delivery of health care services of global standards and in accord with the needs of the nation.”