Constantino Manahan

Constantino P. Manahan, MD † Dr. Constantino P. Manahan was responsible for giving life to as much as 99% of today’s pillars and icons in society, as well as to many of the city’s less advantaged born between 1972 and 1988 under the Makati Indigent Program (MIP). Recognized in the country as the best in his field, countless women flocked to him for his renowned “painless birth” technique.

This foremost obstetrician-gynecologist was committed to the principle “health for all regardless of race, creed or economic status.” He established the MIP in 1972, barely three years after the founding of Makati Medical Center. The program aimed to help the underprivileged of the community avail of quality healthcare.

Dr. Manahan had a quiet, gentle demeanor and shied away from publicity. He remained humble despite receiving numerous awards and accolades and was passionate about helping those in need. A graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in 1936, his achievements in the next fifty years earned him 1983 Physician of the Year, given by the Professional Regulation Commission. In 1986, he was chosen Most Outstanding Alumnus of the UP College of Medicine. A Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of the Philippines, Dr. Manahan trained many of the country’s finest obstetricians and gynecologists in practice today.

Dr. Manahan gained glory at the Johns Hopkins Hospital as the only doctor to achieve senior residency in the then separate departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Because of this, he became the first Filipino Diplomate in this specialization in the United States and was offered the position of Professor and Chairman of the Obstetrics Department of Emery College in Virginia. In spite of it all, Dr. Manahan chose to return to the Philippines to serve his people. He joined the office of President Sergio Osmeña as an adviser on hospitals. He also went on to become the second President of Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) and in subsequent years, Chairman of its advisory council. At one time, he was also President of the Philippine Cancer Society. Until his death in 1988, Dr. Manahan held several positions at Makati Medical Center, including Chairman, Medical Director, Director of Research and Development, and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.