FE DEL MUNDO After studying at Harvard, she completed her
Master’s degree in bacteriology at the Boston
“The Woman of Firsts”
Group 1, 10-Pascal
Overview:
Fe del Mundo (1911–2011) is a Filipino doctor that
focused on pediatrics. She is the founder of the
first pediatric hospital in the Philippines, the
Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City. Her work
in the field of pediatrics spanned for 8 decades,
actively promoting public health, especially on rural
mothers and their children.
Early Life and Education:
Born in Manila on November 27, 1911, she was the
sixth out of eight children. Three of her eight
siblings died in infancy, while her older sister died
from appendicitis at age 11. Her late sister’s dream
to be a voluntary doctor inspired Fe to pursue a
medical profession.
At age 15, Fe entered the University of the
Philippines where she studied pediatrics. Fe
graduated in 1933 as the valedictorian and
received an associate in arts. Soon, she obtained a
medical degree with highest honors, and former
president Quezon offered her a full scholarship to
study at any school at the United States. She
accepted the offer and chose to study at Harvard
Medical School.
Harvard Medical School:
Fe’s enrollment at Harvard was only by accident.
The school was originally reserved for men, but the
World War I and the Great Depression brought the
discussion of allowing women to enroll. During
these conflicted times, Fe submitted her
application. Due to an oversight, officials didn’t
realize her gender and unknowingly enrolled her. It
was 1936 when the mistake was realized, but Fe’s
performance is so strong that the head of
pediatrics claimed that there is no reason to turn
her away. As a result, Fe became Harvard’s first
female student, and the only woman enrolled at
that time.
Further Education:
University School of Medicine, year 1940.
Return to the Philippines:
In 1941, Dr. Fe returned to Philippines and joined
the International Red Cross. She volunteered to
care for children-internees that are detained at the
University of Santo Tomas internment camp for
foreign nationals. She set-up a makeshift hospice
within the internment camp, and she became
known as “The Angel of Santo Tomas” because of
her helpful attitude towards the children detained
there.
After the Japanese authorities shut down the
hospice in 1943, Dr. Fe was asked by Manila mayor
Leon G. Guinto Sr. to head a government children's
hospital. Soon, the hospital became a full-care
medical center named North General Hospital to
cope with the increasing casualties during the
Battle of Manila. She continued to serve as the
hospital's director until 1948.
Children’s Medical Center:
Because of the frustration created by the demands
of the government, Dr. Fe resigned and started a
private hospital. To obtain necessary funds, she
sold her home and almost everything she owned.
The Children's Medical Center (CMC), a 100-bed
hospital located in Quezon City, was inaugurated in
1957 as the first pediatric hospital in the
Philippines.
The hospital was expanded in 1966 through the
establishment of an Institute of Maternal and Child
Health (IMCH), the first institution of its kind in Asia.
On 1997, CMC eventually turned into a general
hospital that has various facilities and service units
able to respond to various medical cases. The
number of resident doctors and medical personnel
also increases to comply with the growing need for
health care.
In honor of Dr. Fe Del Mundo, Children’s Medical
Center was renamed to Fe Del Mundo Medical
Center in 2007. Through the FDMMC, Dr. Fe
continues her dedication and quality care to the
community.
Contributions in Research:
While Dr. Fe continued to practice pediatrics, she
also continued her research into infectious diseases.
Undaunted by the lack of modern laboratory
facilities in the Philippines, she often shipped
samples abroad for analysis.
Some of her inventions are a jaundice-relieving
device, as well as a cloth-suspended scale to weigh
infants and a radiant warmer made of bamboo to
regulate the body temperature of newborns with
special care needs
Perhaps her most famous invention is the
improved incubator. This device consisted of two
native laundry baskets of different sizes placed one
inside the other. Hot water bottles surround the
baskets as the heat source. An oxygen tank is
attached for the baby to breath in. this design was
specialized for rural areas that doesn’t have access
to electricity.
In addition, her research into dengue fever
contributed knowledge of how it works and affects
children. She also published many journals about
polio and measles. Lastly, she wrote the “Textbook
of Pediatrics”, which was used in medical schools,
hospitals, and midwiferies in the Philippines for
many years.
Later Years:
Since 1957 when she sold her home to fund the
opening of The Children’s Medical Center in, Fe
resided on the second floor of the hospital. She
lived there for the rest of her life. Sometimes, she
would was still making rounds to check on patients
when she was wheelchair-bound at the age of 99.
She passed away from a heart attack on August 6,
2011, just a few months before her 100th birthday
in 2011. She was buried at the Libingan ng mga
Bayani.
Achievements:
Below is a summary of her titles, awards, and
achievements:
 First woman pediatrician to be admitted to
Harvard Medical School in 1936.
 First woman to be named National Scientist
of the Philippines in 1980.
 Founded the first pediatric hospital in the
Philippines, then Children Medical Center,
and now Fe Del Mundo Medical Center.
 Credited with studies that lead to the
invention of the first incubator and
jaundice-relieving device.
 Received the Elizabeth Blackwell Award as a
“Woman Doctor of World Renown”.
 Received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for
“Outstanding Public Service”.
 Received the 15th International Congress of
Pediatrics Award as the “Most Outstanding
Pediatrician and Humanitarian” in 1977.
 Received the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Award of the AY Foundation in 2008.
 Awarded the Order of Lakandula with the
rank of Bayani at the Malacañan Palace on
April 22, 2010 by Fromer President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo
 Conferred the Grand Collar of the Order of
the Golden Heart Award in 2011, by Former
President Benigno Aquino III
References:
Bellis, M. (2018). Filipino Doctor Fe Del Mundo.
Retrieved from:
https://www.thoughtco.com/filipino-
doctor-fe-del-mundo-1991718
Engel, K. (2013). Fe del Mundo, first female student
at Harvard Medical School. Retrieved from:
http://www.amazingwomeninhistory.com/f
e-del-mundo/
Fe del Mundo Medical Center. (2016).
220px_Fe_del_Mundo [Image]. Retrieved
from:
https://www.fedelmundo.com.ph/history-
legacy/
Fe del Mundo. (n.d). Wikipedia: The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fe_del_Mund
o
Legacy. (n.d.). Retrieved from:
https://www.fedelmundo.com.ph/history-
legacy/
Lim, F. (2007). PCIJ: Dr. Fe Del Mundo, A Woman Of
Many Firsts. GMA News Online. Retrieved
from:
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/
specialreports/55128/pcij-dr-fe-del-mundo-
a-woman-of-many-firsts/story/