DAVAO CITY — The Davao Medical School Foundation Inc. (DMSFI) honored faculty and staff who have dedicated decades of service to the institution during the Service and Loyalty Awards 2026 on Wednesday, July 15, highlighting the people whose commitment has shaped the school’s five decades of excellence in medical education and community healthcare.
The recognition ceremony formed one of the major highlights of DMSFI’s year-long celebration of its 50th founding anniversary, recognizing employees who have served the institution for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 years. The event honored both Service and Loyalty awardees from the institution’s academic, hospital, and administrative units.
For many of the awardees, the recognition represented more than a milestone in years served—it reflected a lifetime devoted to education, healthcare, and community service.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Maria Perpetita Socorro M. Mercader, a 40-year service awardee, reflected on the lessons she learned throughout her career, saying work should always be viewed as an opportunity to serve rather than merely accomplish tasks.
“Working alongside them taught me that work is more than simply fulfilling responsibilities or accomplishing tasks. It is an opportunity to serve, to uplift others, and to make a meaningful difference,” she said.
Mercader credited mentors, supervisors, and colleagues for shaping not only her professional life but also her values.
“The recognition is not mine alone because no one reaches a milestone like this in isolation. Every achievement is built on the kindness, guidance, and support of many people along the way,” she said.
She recalled beginning her DMSFI journey in 1986 as a community organizer assigned to the remote barangay of Datuputlan in Zamboanga. During her one-month on-the-job training, she was tasked to document a farmers’ training under a USAID-funded project in Barangay Ubon.
After submitting the report, she received a ₱1,000 honorarium—the first income she had ever earned.
“I could hardly wait to give it to my mama and my siblings,” she recalled.
More than the amount, however, Mercader said what remained with her was the realization that her work mattered.
“It was a simple gesture that inspired me to keep working hard and always give my best.”
She said DMSFI’s early community workers were trained to become “jack-of-all-trades,” serving as facilitators, trainers, advocates, documenters, social mobilizers, and community organizers. Working in different communities exposed them to people from all walks of life and taught them that every assignment was an opportunity to learn and serve.
Over the years, her responsibilities evolved from community work to serving student scholars and alumni before eventually joining the Registrar’s Office.
“There is no greater fulfillment than witnessing students overcome challenges, graduate from DMSFI, and eventually fulfill their dreams,” she said.
Looking back on four decades of service, Mercader said she had witnessed DMSFI grow into one of the country’s respected institutions in health sciences education, attracting students from different regions of the Philippines and various parts of the world.
She challenged fellow employees to continue pursuing excellence with humility while remaining faithful to the institution’s founding vision.
“My prayer is that we never lose sight of the vision and passion of our founders,” she said.
“Because in the end, it is not only the years we spend that define us, but the lives we have touched.”
Mercader’s message echoed DMSFI’s mission of providing humane and holistic health sciences education and healthcare services with emphasis on primary healthcare, integrating instruction, research, quality patient care, and community engagement. The institution also seeks to develop God-centered, competent, compassionate, ethical, and socially responsive graduates, faculty, staff, and healthcare professionals while strengthening partnerships that promote community development.
Delivering the closing remarks, Sr. Aida T. Frencillo, O.P., speaking on behalf of the DMSFI Board of Trustees, described the recognition ceremony as a fitting tribute during the institution’s golden anniversary.
“As we celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of Davao Medical School Foundation, it is most fitting that this Service and Loyalty Award Ceremony has become one of the significant highlights of this golden anniversary,” she said.
Frencillo said the awardees were being recognized not only for the length of their service but also for the commitment, integrity, compassion, and dedication they have consistently demonstrated throughout their careers.
“For an institution with 50 years of transforming lives, there is no more meaningful way to honor this milestone than by honoring the men and women whose faithful service has made that legacy possible,” she said.
She added that the awardees’ dedication has strengthened DMSFI and inspired succeeding generations of employees.
Frencillo likewise encouraged the DMSFI community to continue living out the institution’s core values of Faith in God, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence, saying these principles have guided the school in fulfilling its mission for the past five decades.
She reaffirmed the institution’s vision of becoming a leading institution in primary healthcare, working toward healthy communities enjoying quality life in Mindanao and beyond, while continuing to keep pace with global developments in health sciences education and healthcare services.
She also expressed gratitude to DMSFI President Atty. Alberto Rafael L. Aportadera, J.D., fellow speakers, partners, and members of the organizing committee whose efforts made the celebration possible.
“As we move forward together in our shared mission, may we continue in the excellence of healing, learning, and compassionate service,” Frencillo said.
Established in 1976, DMSFI has grown from a community-oriented medical school into one of Mindanao’s leading health sciences institutions. Its 50th anniversary celebration not only commemorates five decades of educational excellence but also recognizes the employees whose faithful service continues to advance the institution’s commitment to primary healthcare, community engagement, and nation-building. ACA
