Seeing the value of education, hard work and love for job and excellence, Ramoncito ‘Chito’ Osias Sta. Maria, has become what he wanted to be.
The general manager of the Fe Del Mundo Medical Center (FDMMC) has indeed diligently worked his way to success.
After a short stint as accounting staff, Sta. Maria, embarked on an exciting career as medical representative and rose from the ranks to become district manager, operations manager, marketing director, and vice president-general manager of the various divisions at Unilab, one of the country’s leading pharmaceutical companies. He was vice president for Professional Relations at the time of his retirement in 2018.
It was a road well travelled, according to him. And if given the chance to relive his life, he said he will still choose to do the sales career path again.
“I wouldn’t trade it for another job. It has given me fulfillment and my family, a good life. It was very enriching and bankable in line of livelihood,” he said.
His secret to success? “Do your job well and excel in you field!”
And now he’s sharing how he did it: “I never stop learning. In between work, I took time out to study and go back to school to challenge and innovate myself.
In my life, I have always followed this dictum: Keep on learning and reinventing yourself.”
This double graduate of accountancy and business management from the University of the Philippines (1975) and the University of the East (1978) studied in places where his line of work took him. He had his Ateneo de Davao (MBA) in 1983 and various training Courses from the AIM on Management and Finance from 1999 to 2003. In between, he said, he also took up art classes “to balance my life.”
What made Sta. Maria value education that much? He said he took inspiration from his middle working class parents. He learned the value of hard work from them.
“My father was a salesman who turned to the police force after his career in sales. My mother worked as a secretary in an advertising firm, got promoted as administrative officer and eventually became the general manager of a multinational trading company based in an export- processing zone,” he said.
“I witnessed first hand how well they raised us, three boys, despite the fact that we did not come from a well to do family. In fact, my mother didn’t stop working until age 71 because her bosses wouldn’t let her go,” he added.
From Unilab to FDMMC
Sta. Maria’s retirement from Unilab somewhat served as a signal for a bigger responsibility to come. Only four months into his family’s vacation abroad, he said, he got a call from the management of Mount Grace Hospitals to head the famed Fe del Mundo Hospital as its general manager.
He said he did not give a second thought joining the medical center because Mount Grace is essentially Unilab being an affiliate company.
“So it’s like joining an extended family. I met with the new team July 31, immersed myself with Mount Grace for the whole of August. These are basically the people I worked with in the past. So in September 2018, I officially joined Fe del Mundo,” he narrated.
Currently under the management of Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc. , FDMMC was known as the Children’s Medical Center when it was established in 1957 with a 107-bed capacity and an array of services for pediatric patients.
Named after the Filipino pediatrician, Fe del Mundo, fondly called “The Mother of Philippine Pediatrics,” who passed away at age 99 in 2011. She is also acknowledged as humanitarian and award-winning inventor. She pioneered treatment for children with jaundice, creating a series of studies and inventions that led to jaundice-relieving devices and improved incubators.
Under Mount Grace management, the FDMMC upgraded its facilities from 2015 to 2017 to become a complete medical facility with equipment for all medical needs.
In recognition of its role in the community, the Quezon City government officially adopted November 27 as Fe Del Mundo Day, coinciding with the 108th birth anniversary of its founder.
“It is such a fitting recognition for our founder and the hospital itself. But more than the accolades we have been receiving, we are continuously improving and expanding our services to achieve our goal of giving our patients quality and affordable medical services,” said Sta Maria.
As the hospital GM, he is facing the challenges of the industry heads on.
“I used to be on the other side of the fence running after doctors to patronize the products that we sell. Now, as part of Fe Del Mundo, we set the rules and policies in order for the pharmas to come in and become partners of our healthcare system,” Sta. Maria noted.
“I may be on the other side now but basically its the same business—it’s healthcare,” he added.
Sta. Maria said he intends to make good business out of the operation of the hospital. And this is done through continuous upgrading of the hospital and its staff.
“We shall be in sync with the country’s healthcare system which we all wanted to improve and be at par with the rest of the world. As for FDMMC, we shall continue to carry the “Legacy of Caring” of our founder, Dr. Fe Del Mundo,” Sta. Maria concluded.