Medical Museum: First in the Philippines

Have you been to a museum? How were your experiences visiting an Art Museum?  A Science Museum perhaps or even a History Museum? But, have you heard of a MEDICAL MUSEUM? Yes! You read it right! And lucky for us Filipinos living in the Metro, as the FIRST Medical Museum in the country is just a LRT Line 1 ride away! Now I can see the enthusiasm in you!  Read more to find out about this Medical Museum…

The Museum

The Co Tec Tai Medical Museum was named to the late Mr. Ong Yong, better-known as Co Tec Tai in the Chinese community. He was born in Jinjiang China and came to the Philippines at age of 16 to look for his fortune in 1922. He hand round the community by-doing charity work and serves as the president of several civic groups.  The museum was established by Mr. Co Tec Tai in the year 2006 and was made open to the public, the displays were collected by his son, Dr. Willie T. Ong, a cardiologist, columnist and award winning Public Servant together with his wife Dr. Liza Ong from all over the world including United States, Madrid, Japan and locally.

The museum displays over 2, 000 never before seen pictures, memorabilia, artifacts, paintings and stamps, equipment's, books and some arts of Dr. Jose Rizal.

To highlight what’s inside the museum: There is a painting entitled “Panata Ko, Bayan Ko”, which may would also seen as the cover of a published book of Dr. Willie T. Ong, “Survival Guide for Doctors and Non Doctors Too: To Stay or Go Abroad” and the “Barrio Doctors” painted by Thomas Daquioag.

According to A Glimpse of Philippine Medical History: Co Tec Tai Medical Museum Collection (which I received with Dr. Willie T. Ong’s signature when we visited the museum), Mrs. Julie Ong – Alonzo said that, “The Co Tec Tai Medical Museum Collection is our family’s gift to the Filipino people. Here we present a glimpse of the health history of the Filipino people. We feature Filipino role models that can serve as an inspiration to our health care practitioners, like Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero and Dr. Honoria Acosta Sison, the first Filipino lady doctor. Both of them studied abroad but came back to serve their country.” 

AYNLA in the Museum

I asked a friend if she has been into a medical museum and asked how she might be interested.

“No. But I’m interested because it will be a new way to look at medical science. A museum will show me much more than pictures on textbooks and I’d be able to appreciate the complexity of medical science.” Nurse Janina Santos said.

Way back my college years in 2009, I attended the Movement for Idealistic and Nationalistic Doctor (MIND) Convention of Dr. Willie Ong at the Welcome Mall in Libertad, Pasay City where he encourage us to visit the Medical Museum. Since then, I was trying to organize a visit to the museum with my friends, but I failed.

A souvenir photo of AYNLA Members together with the Museum Directors, Dr. Willie T. Ong and Wilson Ong Jr. 

When I became the Chapter Mayor of Quezon City for the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates International Inc. (AYNLA International), I did not hesitate to write a letter to Dr. Ong to schedule us a visit to the Museum. We’re just less than twenty (20) when we visited the museum on the 14^th of June 2012.  It was a great learning opportunity and experience to visit the museum. Walking around the museum, seeing everything it had to offer felt like a step back in time. “A walk down memory lane”, as they say.

We were more than lucky that time when Dr. Willie T. Ong graced us with his presence despite his busy schedule himself and shared his experience studying in the University of Wisconsin in Madison on History of Medicine and Public Health, their voyage and struggles to different country to gather those lost treasures considered in Philippine Medical history. 

I am writing this post not to impress or make you feel jealous but to give some information about the museum for those researchers, allied health care professionals, medical students, faculty, colleagues, students, medical enthusiast and anyone interested who is willing to learn the past of the Philippine Medical History.

Entrance to the museum is free of charge. They also offer a free one hour lecture along with the tour around the museum and certificates were provided for large groups.

Here are some of the things you might see inside the museum: 

Ambulance # 2, Civil Hospital (1902)

Old Pharmacy Books

Ultrasound for Join Pain (1950)

Old Medicine Bottles

An Old First Aid Kit 

Old vials and other equipment

ECG Machine (1960's)

Wound Sutures in Glass Tubes (1950's)

The Book: Co Tec Tai Medical Museum Collection

A Glimpse of Philippine Medical History: 

Co Tec Tai Medical Museum Collection, 1^st Edition, 2012

I, along with then AYNLA Executive Vice-President and now Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Nr. Reigner Jireh Antiquera and Nr. Ma. Rachelle Yu was lucky to have a copy of the first issue of the A Glimpse of Philippine Medical History: Co Tec Tai Medical Museum Collection book.

The book contains several photographs inside the museum, evolution of the health system in our country from the Spanish Times, to the American Health Initiatives to the Marcos Years and up to the recent time.

In the Epidemic Years, wherein our country faces several epidemics such as cholera, smallpox, beri-beri, diphtheria and leprosy, the book also cited the condition of our country and the number of  total deaths in the epidemics.  Another highlight is the Medical Education in the Philippines and the Filipino Women Physicians.  

It is interesting to know about that Dr. Honoria Acosta – Sison, the first Filipino Woman physician and first Filipino woman to graduate to an American Medical School in Pennsylvania came back in the Philippines to practice what she learned in medical school. She is also the first Filipino woman obstetrician; and the first of all first in the medical history.

There were plenty of photographs in the books from the Health in Spanish Times (1521 – 1898), The Epidemic Years (1898 – 1909), American Health Initiatives (1910 – 1919), Training Filipino Leaders in Research and Public Health (1920 – 1929), Passing the Torch (1930 – 1939), The War Years: Destruction and Rebuilding (1940 – 1949), The Golden Age (1950 – 1959), Medical Progress (1960 – 1969), and The Martial Law Years (1970 – 1979). Other chapters include the Primary Health Care (1980 – 1989), Burden from Infectious and Lifestyle Diseases (1990 – 1999) and the Health in the New Millennium: New Challenges (2000 – 2022).

L-R: Dr. Lisa Ong, Museum Director Wilson Ong Jr, Nr. Ma. Rachelle Yu, Nr. Andrei dela Cruz, Nr. Reigner Jireh Antiquera and Museum Director Dr. Willie Ong.

A complete list of the Department of Health secretaries, form Secretary Jose Fabella up to the present DOH Secretary Enrique T. Ona was also on the book together with their term in service.

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The museum was been featured in different local TV stations and radio stations and here are some of their videos.

The Co Tec Tai Medical Museum is located at Warner Building, 2540 Taft Avenue, Pasay City. You may also visit their Facebook page or call (632) 831 – 9842 and write a letter to Dr. Willie T. Ong and Julie – Ong Alonzo, Museum Director for the schedule of your visit.