By Kay P. Jimenez, MD
The Villaflor legacy- a family tradition of service, excellence, and leadership, defying the test of time. A remarkable history of 3 generations passing the torch to every successor, each time burning with a renewed commitment and dedication to elevating the standard of healthcare in the Region.
This year, we celebrate a legacy nurtured for 50 years which has created an institution where the hopeless and the sick continue to seek refuge over the years. By bringing hope and alleviating suffering, we give more meaning to our patient’s lives. The aspiration of the next generation of leadership of the Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital is to preserve the culture of exceptional service to its patients and to expand the roles of its doctors in our changing society.
To continue this mission of continuing service, the torch is passed on to Dr. Vivencio Jose P. Villaflor, III. As his name implies, he is the third, the third of a family of 3 generations, with a descendancy starting from Dr. Vivencio V. Villaflor, Sr. to Dr Vivencio V. Villaflor Jr. to Dr. Vivencio Jose P. Villaflor III, each progeny a manifestation of the Villaflor legacy.
Let us get to know Dr. Vivencio Jose “Juvie” P. Villaflor III. He is a hybrid in many ways. Hybrids are known to have best traits from different varieties of origins. Dr. Juvie Villaflor’s persona is the combination of qualities and experiences that made him a hybrid. He is the mix of the tutelage of a traditional surgeon, our very own Dr. Ama, Vivencio V. Villaflor Jr., and the modern, minimally invasive surgery training of the IRCAD in Strasbourg, France. He is a busy practicing laparoscopic surgeon and yet, maintains a place in the academe as a surgical preceptor at the FQD College of Medicine and faculty of the Asian Hospital MIS Training Program. He is a Regent of the Philippine College of Surgeons with hands-on job in its scientific committees, and yet always a helping hand in its community and outreach activities. He served our local organization, the Pangasinan Medical Society as President and with leadership awards in 2012 and 2013, culminating in a Most Outstanding Physician Award from the Philippine Medical Association in 2014. At present, he is also serving the Board of his subspecialty society, the Philippine Association of Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons (PALES), and a member of its Asian, American and European counterparts.
Dr. Juvie Villaflor is a scribbler, he writes his ideas and thoughts on pen and paper in an old-fashioned kind of way, almost to the point of doodling at times, and yet he pioneered the advanced technologic Telemedicine Network in Dagupan City. This network has gained us the platform for international academic collaboration, and many of our Northern Luzon neighbours will soon recognize his next project, bringing the hospital to a higher level- as CPD Provider.
As a surgeon, Dr. Juvie Villaflor is innovative and creates his own style, thus making it possible to revolutionize surgical care in the community. As a leader, he raises the bar, always looking at improving the standard of hospital services, and yet, at times adjusting expectations in order to be realistic and inclusive.
That is Dr. Juvie Villaflor, distinctively multifaceted, innovative and open-minded. He is the hybrid that will connect the old and the new, a link of the traditional and the modern.
To remember the passing of the torch to this generation, it is apt to quote John F. Kennedy- “We celebrate the past to awaken the future”.
We cherish the DDVMH history. And we recognize everyone building with them that Villaflor trademark of service- a high standard of excellence and professionalism and compassion. We honour today those who walked the halls of this renowned institution before us, its founders who have carefully created it to be what it is now. We celebrate the past, we are joyous for the hospital’s Golden Year, and we look forward to the future!
