UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Never did I imagine I would have the privilege and honor to have a classmate who surpassed the expectations of not just myself but the University of the Philippines as well.
I have known Francisco Sy since our pre-med days as an affable, mild-mannered scholarly type. We went on to become classmates again in the UP College of Medicine. Francis was known for his lecture notes as he had nice handwriting so many in the class would ask him to lend his notes to photocopy.
We formed a well-knit group with myself, Ruffy Co, Francis and Ricky Gallaga with the moniker LoCo Sy Gallaga since Ricky was the comedian of the group. After graduation, we went off to train in our respective field. Francis chose to go into public health, teaching in the UP Institute of Hygiene, now the College of Public Health. He then went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Tropical Public Health at Harvard University, and on to the Johns Hopkins University for his Doctor of Public Health in Immunology and Infectious Diseases.
At the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, he was a senior program director and AIDS coordinator in the division of extramural scientific programs at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. He went on to hold many leadership positions during his 12 years at the NIH. At the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Francis was a senior health scientist in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. In 2003, he led the CDC SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) Community Outreach Team in Asian communities in the US to mitigate the fear and stigma associated with SARS.
Asserting his leadership once again, he founded and was first president of the Asian Pacific Islander Employees of CDC, then he taught and conducted research in infectious disease epidemiology for 15 years at the University of South Carolina School of Public Health. As the editor of the AIDS Education and Prevention Journal-an Interdisciplinary Journal for 28 years, during which he gave me a free subscription of the journal which I shared with colleagues and trainees.
Dr. Francisco Sy is the recipient of many awards, including the 2015 NIH Director’s Award, the 2012 Harvard School of Public Health Outstanding Alumnus for Leadership in Public health Practice, 2012 NIH Director’s Award for coordinating LGBT research at NIH, 2004 HHS Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service in CDC’s SARS outbreak investigation and the 1991 James Keith Excellence in Teaching Award from the USC School of Public Health.
After retiring from the USC, he became the chair of the Department of Environmental and Global Health Department at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada which he holds up to the present. Just a few days ago, on April 9, 2025, Francis was recognized once again for his dedication to service and expertise with the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Nevada Public Health Association.
Francis Sy also keeps giving back to his alma mater multiple times. He is in the Founders’ Circle of the UPAAA (UP Alumni Association in America) and is a consistent sponsor, donor and supporter of various scholarships and humanitarian projects for the benefit of ISKOLARS NG BAYAN, for which he received the accolades of 2016 UPMASA (UP Medicine Alumni in America) Lifetime Achievement Award, 2023 UPAAA Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2024 UP Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement Award-Medicine.
Now, it can be said that though our UP Medicine Class of 1975 (we are celebrating our golden jubilee this year) is no slacker as far as achievements are concerned, for we have several classmates who became deans of colleges of medicine, (Dr. Alberto Roxas in our alma mater), Dr. Francis Sy surely shines over and above the rest of us for reaching the pinnacle of success in the USA where our alumni are a strong presence in the medical community there.
That Francis’ most recent award came this year is a fitting honor for someone as dedicated and single minded in his passion for public health. Francis’ philosophy is encapsulated in one of his favorite quotes from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses: “I am a part of all that I have met; To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
We will be celebrating our golden jubilee in July, fittingly, in Las Vegas, where Francis is holding court, so to speak, and in December at the UP Medical Alumni Society Homecoming in Manila.
These are the moments when we reflect back on our lives these past 50 years and ask ourselves, “How have we embodied the nobility of our medical profession” or in Filipino, “Pagsasabuhay?” For sure, Dr. Francisco Sy can proudly say, “I gave it my best” and nobody can dispute that.
Mabuhay ka, Dr. Francisco Sy, MD, PhD! Proud to be your classmate!