CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—A pall of gloom hangs over the Capitol here following the demise early evening Tuesday of the provincial chief health officer due to suspected novel coronavirus (Covid-19) infection.
Dr. Marcelo Y. Jaochico, provincial health chief of Pampanga, died alone on his hospital bed two weeks after showing symptoms of Covid-19, the Provincial Capitol said. A medical health bulletin said Jaochico died of cardiac arrest at 6:37 p.m. He was 56.
It was gathered, however, that the Department of Health has yet to release the result of tests to determine if the doctor was negative, or positive for Covid-19.
Jaochico was last seen at the March 13 news conference of Pampanga Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda at the Capitol where the governor announced that a Grab driver was positive for Covid-19 and the suspension of classes in all levels in the province indefinitely, among others. Jaochico was seated just a seat away from the governor’s left side.
A Facebook post from his daughter Cielo Jaochico said: “You deserve better than this. When you speak of him, please speak only of good words. Please do not remember him as someone who just died because of Covid-19.”
Dr. Jaochico served Pampanga as the chief provincial health officer since 2013. He graduated with a degree in Zoology from the University of Santo Tomas. He then studied medicine at the Angeles University Foundation.
According to daughter Cielo, “he juggled as a resident at the Manila Medical Center and taught as a substitute instructor at Emilio Aguinaldo College to make ends meet.”
The younger Jaochico said his father was offered to work in the “Doctor to the Barrios [DTTB]” program of the government during the 1990s where he was assigned at Calanasan, Apayao, for almost 16 years.
He was also offered a scholarship program at the University of the Philippines where he ended up finishing a Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration (MHA) cum laude at the UP-Manila College of Public Health.
Dr. Jaochico met his wife at the Emilio Aguinaldo College who is also in the medical field and currently working as an overseas Filipino worker.
Because of his notable service in Calanasan, Apayao, where he made medical services more accessible to people in remote areas, he received the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial Award.
As provincial health officer of Pampanga, he started and even became a part of different projects for district hospitals and health centers.
Through his help, the province recently received the Gawad Kalasag for Best Provincial Risk Reduction Management Council in Central Luzon in 2019.
Image credits: Video grab from Pampanga PIO