Pampanga's provincial health officer dies from COVID-19
Published Mar 25, 2020 12:00 am
By Franco Regala
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — A former doctor-to-the-barrios who served as the provincial health officer of the province died Tuesday evening due to COVID-19.
The death of Dr, Marcelo Jaochico was posted on Facebook by his daughter Cielo. It was also confirmed by the Pampanga Public Information Office ((PIO) head Joel Mapiles.
Dr. Marcelo “Mar” Jaochico
(Cielo Jaochico / MANILA BULLETIN) In her post, Cielo appealed to readers to remember her father not as someone who succumbed to the dreaded disease but one who had done so much for the province and for the country. “When you speak of him, please speak only of good words. Please do not remember him as someone who just died because of COVID-19. Sobrang dami niyang ginawa para sa bayan. Please pray for his soul. Please pray for the souls of those who are still fighting,” she said. She honored her father’s dedication to serve the province risking even his life in the battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). “Dad, we didn’t even get to hug each other for the final time. Uuwi ka ritong nasa kabaong na. Ang sakit, daddy. Deserve mo magkaroon ng lamay at ng libing where all of your loved ones are there. Daddy, mahal na mahal ka namin,” she said. With his demise, Dr. Jaochico becomes the first doctor in the province to succumb to COVID19. He was also the fifth doctor to have died from the dreaded disease following the passing of Drs. Raul Jara and Israel Bactol, both cardiologist of the Philippine Heart Center, and Drs. Rose Pulido, Oncologist at San Juan De Dios Hospital and Greg Macasaet, Anaesthesiologist at Manila Doctors Hospital. Jaochico was the first ever doctor-to-the barrios assigned in Calanasan, Apayao. He tirelessly served the residents there for 16 years, according to comments on Cielo’s post. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippine as of Tuesday rose to 552 with 36 deaths. With the addition of Jaochico, Pampanga now has four confirmed COVID-19 cases with two deaths.
Dr. Marcelo “Mar” Jaochico(Cielo Jaochico / MANILA BULLETIN) In her post, Cielo appealed to readers to remember her father not as someone who succumbed to the dreaded disease but one who had done so much for the province and for the country. “When you speak of him, please speak only of good words. Please do not remember him as someone who just died because of COVID-19. Sobrang dami niyang ginawa para sa bayan. Please pray for his soul. Please pray for the souls of those who are still fighting,” she said. She honored her father’s dedication to serve the province risking even his life in the battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). “Dad, we didn’t even get to hug each other for the final time. Uuwi ka ritong nasa kabaong na. Ang sakit, daddy. Deserve mo magkaroon ng lamay at ng libing where all of your loved ones are there. Daddy, mahal na mahal ka namin,” she said. With his demise, Dr. Jaochico becomes the first doctor in the province to succumb to COVID19. He was also the fifth doctor to have died from the dreaded disease following the passing of Drs. Raul Jara and Israel Bactol, both cardiologist of the Philippine Heart Center, and Drs. Rose Pulido, Oncologist at San Juan De Dios Hospital and Greg Macasaet, Anaesthesiologist at Manila Doctors Hospital. Jaochico was the first ever doctor-to-the barrios assigned in Calanasan, Apayao. He tirelessly served the residents there for 16 years, according to comments on Cielo’s post. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippine as of Tuesday rose to 552 with 36 deaths. With the addition of Jaochico, Pampanga now has four confirmed COVID-19 cases with two deaths.