The Founder

I am in Ukraine, continuing the work that I learned and gained passion for from Dr. Thelma Tupasi. I am currently looking after a project that provides DR-TB patients access to an all-oral, short-course, new drugs-based regimen in a region here where they would otherwise not have access. I am proud, nostalgic, and forever grateful to Dra. TET for paving the way for me and all the people who look up to her, doctors and patients alike. It is my honor to have been touched by her life, and it will be a privilege and my life’s mission if I can offer a fraction of what she left to the world. I sincerely thank her and celebrate her life. My condolences to her family and everyone she left. I am certain that her spirit will live on in each one of us.

Thank you, Dra, for sharing your life with us. Heaven is rejoicing as it gained another angel in your person. It was such an honor to be given a chance to work with you. I will forever be grateful for the legacy you left at TDF. Had it not been for you, TB management would still be a big problem in the country. Rest assured that we will work hard in continuing your mission.

Thank you, Dra. Tet, for mentoring me. You taught me how to care for others unconditionally, grow as a professional, and share with the community. Ikaw po yong naging inspiration ko in doing community education po in my barangay. Above all, thank you for demonstrating to me how to become a better wife.

I love you, Dra. Tet. You’ll be in my heart as long as I live.

To one great leader Dr. Tupasi,

Thank you for everything. You have inspired a lot of people, including me. As a fresh graduate back then, meeting you was an opportunity of a lifetime. You have shown how important it is to remain idealistic and steadfast amidst all challenges in order to make your vision a reality. Thank you because you were never selfish to your staff. You were always ready to impart your knowledge, support, and encourage them so they could see their full potential. I will forever be thankful and honored that you were my first ultimate boss. Enjoy heaven, Dra. Tet, because you deserve only the best.

Thank you Dra. Tupasi for being our pillar of strength and hope who relentlessly fought for patients infected by TB. Thank you for giving us the privilege to fight alongside you; it really is an honor. Thank you also for uniting us and treating us like family. Because of you, Dra. Tupasi, many of us found a family we felt we belong to.

We thank God Almighty for your life that has made a great impact on ours.

Thank you po, Dra. Tupasi.

Am truly saddened to hear about Dr. Tupasi’s demise. Please extend our deepest sympathy to her family.

Good evening! We are all gathered tonight because of the passing of our dear colleague, Dr. Thelma E. Tupasi-Ramos!

I first met Thelma sometime in the seventies during an Infectious Disease convention in the US. She was introduced to me by her Infectious Disease Chief at the University of Washington in Seattle, Dr. Kirby. Subsequently, I met her again in another ID Convention. Thereafter, I saw her whenever I would attend meetings of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases during my Philippine visits. In 1985, when she was the Director at the DOH Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), I mentioned to her my interest in finding out whether HIV/AIDS was present in the Philippines. She immediately invited me to join RITM and stated that she would provide space for a laboratory and a medical technologist to assist me, whereupon I started my investigations on HIV in the Philippines, the first such work in this country.

During the next months, Thelma became a close colleague, and very supportive, for my investigative activities. I found her to be very quick thinking, incisive in her deliberations, and action-oriented—a combination rarely seen in a Philippine government institution. For instance, a couple of weeks after I started my work at RITM, I met a Microbiology Department employee who congratulated me on becoming the Head of the Microbiology Department, a position I was not aware of! Apparently, the position was available, and instead of looking for somebody to fill it, she decided that I was available, which resulted in my having to visit the Immigration Department yearly to extend my stay here!

It was unfortunate for RITM that she moved her work to Makati Medical Center in 1986, as RITM had developed a good solid research base and was starting to gather renown for Infectious Disease activities during her tenure.

With Dr. Thelma Tupasi’s death, we have lost a brilliant physician and researcher, and a warm, honest, and deeply religious individual. I extend my sympathy to her family: husband Dr. Claver Ramos, children, and their families!

Thank you.

Dear Dra. Tupasi,

There are no words to fully express my love for you. You have done so much for me. You were the angel sent by the Lord to take care of me during my fellowship in RITM and UP-PGH. I learned so much from you. And even when you left RITM, you continued to be my inspiration and those of the members of the pneumonia study group. The results of your studies served as valuable resource material for higher education not only for me but for other researchers as well. Thank you so much, Dra. Tupasi. You will never be forgotten. You will always be in my heart. I thank God you came into my life. During the wake, I came to know how you loved your family so much. You were a blessing not only to your loving family but also to many people. I know you are now watching over us in the loving arms of God and Mama Mary. You were truly salt of the earth and light of the world, and your light will continue shining!

Dr. Thelma Tupasi was instrumental in my decision to pursue a career in infectious disease research. Unknown to many, she was also knowledgeable of issues in the control of malaria. The Global Fund for TB, AIDS, and Malaria in the Philippines, under her leadership, rolled out several innovative malaria interventions which are still utilized today, and adopted by other countries. She is truly an extraordinary person and a visionary, the likes of which we will not see for a long time to come.

Today we say goodbye to our dearest Dr. Thelma Tupasi. She was the second director of RITM. She was our mentor, an infectious disease specialist doing research in public health. Truly, an inspiration to young researchers and students. She was a public servant before moving back to the private sector but with public health in her mind and all her subsequent work.

She came to PGH Department of Family Medicine in 1984 and asked Dr. Mario Gutierrez, then the Chairman, if some new graduates would be interested in research. RITM then was relatively new, established in 1981. Yes, I answered the call because I believed that I would be doing something relevant. I started as a research assistant in 1985 and with Cita Medalla in 1986, we were the clinicians in an ARI community-based study component on etiology in Alabang. This was side by side with the hospital-based etiology study component at RITM. Also ongoing then was the study in Bohol on the evaluation of the ARI case management, which eventually became the backbone of the National ARI Control Program. Luluth Lucero and Vickee Tallo were doing the Bohol study. In fact, they were at it much earlier. Luluth said that in 1981, she went with Dr. Tupasi to Bohol as part of selection and evaluation of a study site. The ID consultants and fellows, Sally Gatchalian and Rose Capeding, were doing the RITM hospital-based component. Lydia Sombrero was in the Micro lab identifying the bacterial pathogens of ARI, while Fems Paladin was doing detection of respiratory viruses. Exciting work on a comic book with behavioral scientists ensued using risk factor research data. Very comprehensive work and very exciting for us newbies to research, from epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, evaluation of an intervention and development of health education materials. Who can beat that? We were Dr. Tupasi’s ARI angels. We were so proud of what we were doing.

When she left for the private sector, we still did ARI research in Bohol, Pasay City, Tacloban, Biliran, Palawan, and of course at RITM. We have kept the fire burning for ARI because this is her legacy to us.

To our beloved Dr. Tupasi, Godspeed. We pray that you now have eternal rest in God’s loving embrace, at peace now, no more pains, no more heartaches, no more detractors, only heavenly peace. You live on in the hundreds of scientific and medical publications, but most of all, you live on in our hearts. Our work will remain a testimony to the inspiration you have given us.

We thank you for the vision, the inspiration, your motherly guidance, your strength of character, perseverance, dedication, and your love for our country as you always had public health in mind.

We thank Dr. Claver and the children for letting Dr. Tupasi do what she loves most, i.e., research.

THELMA TUPASI – the memory of her I will always value and cherish. I was then a neophyte in the profession when I was most fortunate to find a very guiding and inspiring hand in her. Her concern to see colleagues grow and succeed in the profession was very well seen and felt by me. To me, she is a pillar of dedication and determination to heighten the health level of our countrymen. Her enduring efforts in undertaking studies in tuberculosis can attest to this. Her contribution to the field of microbiology is very laudable and for this I consider her as the Mother of Microbiology in the Philippines. Dr. Tupasi … you are not only an angel but above all an idol to emulate. Glory be to God.

Heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr Thelma Tupasi.

Condolence and prayers to the family.

Dr. Tupasi infected me with her love, passion and commitment to the TB program in general & MDR TB in particular and with her aggressiveness and patience in getting things done. She volunteered herself as person with TB when we were looking for key affected population representative. She makes Filipinos and we Ilocanos proud of her achievements. She is our hero and our inspiration. We salute you, Ma’am. Goodbye.

There are few women and men who leave indelible footprint in our lives, our country, and the world. Dra. Thelma Tupasi was one of these special few.

She was an amazing teacher. I first met Dra. Tupasi at our 3rd year Medicine class (1976) – and I was awestruck by her. She immediately commanded our attention with her confidence and mastery of the subject matter: antibiotics, their properties, appropriate and inappropriate use. I remember to this day her strong aversion against irrational combinations such as “amoxycillin – cloxacillin”. Indeed, she was the precursor of antibiotic stewardship as we know it today.

I might add that we also admired Dr. Claver Ramos, a brilliant diagnostician and clinician in the field of Nephrology. They were indeed an admirable and handsome couple.

She was an excellent researcher bar none. During my residency, she was the Head of the Infectious Diseases Section of the Dept. of Medicine of UP-PGH. From her, I learned the rudiments of clinical and community-based research. She carried out the seminal studies on the epidemiology of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in the country, funded by USAID.

But Dra. Tupasi was meant for bigger and better things to come. One cannot keep such outstanding persons to just one institution; she belonged to many organizations, the country, and global health. She moved on to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine as its Director, and continued to lead even bigger research programs on ARI and other infectious and tropical diseases. At the Tropical Diseases Foundation, she was recognized for her significant contributions to both TB control and elimination efforts in the Philippines and global knowledge on TB.

She was an indefatigable and fearless leader. She was the Congress President of the 4th Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases (WPCCID). This was the first time the Philippine Society for Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (PSMID) hosted such a huge regional congress, and most of us feared we would not be able to deliver. But Dra. Tupasi stood strong and led us to a successful event, which was awarded by the Philippine government as the “tourism event” of the year. Most importantly, because of the income generated from WPPCID, Dra. Tupasi suggested that it was time for PSMID to establish its permanent headquarters – again, to the objections of some who said we could not afford it. Today, the PSMID Headquarters stands proudly as a three-storey multi-purpose building – thanks in large part to Dra. Tupasi, who said “We can do this.” I hope that PSMID will name a wing/floor in honor of this lasting legacy of Dra. Tupasi.

She repeated her feat as Congress President of the 25th International Congress of Chemotherapy, another resounding success for PSMID and the indefatigable Dra. Tupasi.

I’ve seen her work both her charm and steely leadership, and learned a lot about leadership and management from her. She always prepared well for meetings (be it for PSMID, for research, for public health programs) – always clear about the meeting objectives, and smoothly steering meetings to the expected outcomes. And this was true as well for larger goals she envisioned.

Truly, Dra. Tupasi, you have left indelible, giant footprints in our minds and hearts. We will do our best to carry on and reach your – our – dreams for the Filipino people, especially the poor.

We love you, Dra. Tupasi. Rest now in the bosom of the Lord.

So sad to know, may she rest in peace with God our Father! Sincere condolence to the family.

Deepest condolence and prayers.

Rest in peace Dr. T. Tupasi and thank you for your legacy.

Our deepest condolences. May she rest in peace.

My heartfelt condolences and prayers for strength to the family of Dr. Thelma Tupasi. May the perpetual light shine upon her soul. May she rest in peace.

Deepest sympathy to the family of Dr. Thelma Tupasi-Ramos. May her soul rest in peace. As for all of us, let us remember the great things she has shared with us, as we work together, similar to how she guided us through her service. Thank you, Ma’am.

Rest in Peace Dr. Thelma Tupasi.

Very sad News. Rest in peace Maam.

Rest in Peace Dra Tupasi.

Our deepest condolences to the family.

The legacy of Dra. Thelma Tupasi as a distinguished physician-scientist and academician continues to live on. We thank God for your life shared with us and the global community. Thank you Ma’am. Prayers for Dra. Tupasi and her family.

Dra. Tupasi is a truly brilliant, dedicated, and compassionate physician. My family and I pray for her eternal peace and happiness with God and her loved ones.

This is really very sad news! May she rest in peace and enjoy the kingdom God has prepared for her! Thank you, mam, for the confidence and learnings you have imparted and shared with us all.

To Dear Thelma, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May you rest in peace – Amen

Dr. Thelma Tupasi will continue to live in the hearts of those lives she touched. Thank God for her life and the timely tribute accorded her last May. Praying for peace and comfort for Dr. Ramos and the rest of the family.

In 1968, a group of doctors met to form a specialty society for infectious diseases. They were men with great ideas but poor implementation skills and lacking attention to details. They needed a woman. So Dr. Elpidio Gamboa introduced Thelma Tupasi.

Thelma became the workhorse without whom the 2 years of preparation may have extended to 8.

In 1994 Thelma suggested that PSMID should have its own building. We questioned it as being too ambitious. Our society’s funds could not afford it. Thelma pushed, shoved, found the property and we bought it.

In 2000 Thelma proposed we bid for the next International Congress of Chemotherapy. We hesitated and doubted, “Hindi natin Kaya.” Thelma insisted we could do it. PSMID successfully hosted the 2005 ICC at the PICC. With it, PSMID went international.

Thank you, Thelma, for your initiatives, perseverance, leadership, and sacrifice. You have made dreams for PSMID come true. We are grateful and love you.

How I wish to attend the wake for Dr. Tupasi. But, I’m going out of the country tomorrow evening. We pray for the eternal repose of her soul with the Lord. She is one of the great pillars of our society and she is a great loss for us. May her soul rest in peace with the Lord.

Will continue to offer prayers for the eternal repose of Dr. Tupasi; and for the comfort and healing of her family.

Dear Dr. Thelma Tupasi

First of all, thank you very much for all the support and opportunity you gave to the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) to prove its worth in mobilizing the private sector towards TB control. PhilCAT’s sterling performance as implementer of major projects created a plethora of international praise and distinction. It has made its mark in the international health community with its development of the widely institutionalized Public‑Private Mix DOTS (PPMD), which has made a positive impact on the health of those afflicted with TB. Today PhilCAT is respected locally and internationally. We attribute this to the track record that we were able to develop when you provided us the trust and confidence we needed most during PhilCAT’s early days.

Secondly, thank you for helping build the capacity of our PhilCAT staff to successfully manage and implement multi‑dollar projects. With your encouragement, motivation, and reassurance, our staff were able to come up with valuable research. They are all very grateful for the once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to attend World Union Conferences to present the Philippine PPM experience. The abstracts presented further added to PhilCAT’s track record so that whenever I introduce myself as PhilCAT, I will always be associated with the numerous and excellent PPM researches and lessons we shared with the international community.

Lastly, thank you for the opportunity to work with you — a great, supportive, and inspiring leader. It has been a great honor and privilege. I will always treasure the time when we did the 1997 Prevalence Survey. I would come every day to the Tropical Disease Foundation after my office hours with Glaxo Foundation, and I did not have to worry at all about going home late because you would always find a way to get me home safely. There were times when I even had to ride with you in your van just to finish our discussions; I would even take my lunch in your home. One time, you invited me to dinner together with Dr. Dong Il Ahn of the World Health Organization on a Sunday to listen to your presentation for the National Prevalence Survey. I witnessed Dr. Ramos giving his comments to make the presentation excellent — very inspiring indeed. In addition, I am truly grateful for the time you spent participating in our PPM activities, monitoring the PPM sites, and attending our Program Implementation Reviews. Your presence stirred our local partners to perform well and give their best effort.

You will always be in our hearts. You instilled in our minds the importance of always keeping TB patients at the center of whatever we do and to take hold of all opportunities to help them. Thank you for initiating the need to address MDR‑TB patients. It was a very challenging beginning, yet you persistently pursued this need, looking for opportunities to fund the TB drugs required to treat them. Thank you on their behalf.

We will miss you, Dr. Tupasi — a great and strong leader who inspired people to care more for TB patients and never let go of any opportunity to help them in their journey back to normal lives.

Forever we will be grateful to this great lady, our mentor and inspiration.

My husband and I were on our way to church on the morning of June 12 when we were informed about Dra. Tupasi’s death. By the time I read that message on my phone, I was reminded how Dra. Tupasi made it possible for me to celebrate my 6th wedding anniversary that day together with our firstborn child.

My best memories of Dra. Tupasi are from the times when she would visit the clinic and attend the patients’ general assembly, where I learned she was a TB survivor herself. I was inspired by how she used her experience as a patient in pioneering MDR‑TB treatment in the Philippines, along with integrating her idea of quality healthcare. Iba ang alagang Tropical Disease Foundation. When I was referred to TDF, I was diagnosed with extensively drug‑resistant TB. It was TDF that became my second home during my 18‑month treatment. It was also TDF that gave me employment for the first time five years after I passed the CPA board exam. They employed me even while I was still undergoing treatment—no stigma and no discrimination at all in the workplace.

I will always remember Dra. Tupasi for her passion, dedication, willingness to help, and her fighting spirit. I will never forget the time when I met with her and Dr. Gler the day after I was diagnosed to have relapsed six months after I had been declared cured from XDR‑TB. I was devastated because of the uncertainty of surviving the disease a second time. It was a relapse case of XDR‑TB and there was no new drug that could be given to me—how could I be hopeful? Gusto ko pa sana munang magmukmok, but Dr. Tupasi never wasted any time and instructed me to go to TDF. She already had a plan for me. Wearing my N95 mask and crying, I asked her, “Doc, mamatay na ba ako?” She told me, “Huwag kang umiyak. Kaya natin ito. Lalaban tayo.” And then the rest was history.

Today, I have been TB‑free for the past eight years, happily married for six years, and am now a mother of a 10‑month‑old baby girl. I went back to school after I was treated from XDR‑TB and earned my MBA degree. I have been employed in international NGOs that implement USAID‑funded projects supporting the National TB Program. I take pride in these achievements because of Dr. Tupasi and TDF.

Because she cared, I am alive.

This is how her passion, dedication, and kindness impacted my life, and I am just one of the many patients whose lives were touched by Dra. Tupasi.

Sa lahat ng naitulong niya sa akin at sa maraming tao, nanatiling mapagkumbaba si Dra. Tupasi. Minsan nag‑text ako ng birthday greetings sa kanya at pinasalamatan ko siya sa lahat ng ginawa niya para sa akin. Ang sagot niya sa akin, “You owe me nothing. Wala kang dapat ipagpasalamat sa akin.”

Sa pamamaalam po namin sa inyo, Dra. Tupasi, dala namin ang mga munting binhi na ipinunla ninyo sa bawat isa sa amin—kalakip ang mahahalagang aral at halimbawa ng pagkalinga sa bayan na nagsisimula sa pagtulong sa kapwa na nangangailangan nang walang hinihintay na kapalit.

Sa pamilya po ni Dra. Tupasi, ako at ang aking pamilya, kaisa ng lahat ng mga pasyenteng natulungan niya, ay nakikiramay at nakikidalamhati sa inyo. Walang hanggang pasasalamat at panalangin ang aming alay sa inyo. Maraming salamat po.

I wasn’t able to see Doc Thelma anymore. Twelve years ago, when I was in the emergency room of Makati Medical Center, I was already confirmed to have multidrug-resistant TB. My doctor back then also confirmed that I would never see again. I remember just crying, with my head and neck paralyzed due to muscle spasms at the back of my neck, after all the paid first-line medication and all the other wrong diagnoses I went through.

Someone touched my hand and I heard a warm voice saying, “I will now be your doctor.” I wasn’t able to talk due to the pain, and she just rubbed my shoulders, comforting me. It was Doctor Thelma. I just trusted her that everything would still be okay, even if I would never see the faces of my loved ones again.

I took the 24‑month treatment at TDF and experienced all of the side effects—vomiting every day and nonstop headaches. After the two years of treatment and with all the antidepressants and sleeping pills finished, the real depression set in. I was already planning ways to commit suicide when my phone rang and Doc Thelma told me, “I want you to be a leader for the patients association.” This was the year I was still trying to join local disability associations and learn the blind life. I told her, “I’m blind, Doc, and I don’t know how to do leadership.” She simply told me, “You will be amazing.”

I remember her telling me her story: “I was also a TB patient myself, and TB patients like us need to be heard.” I got hired by TDF for Community Strengthening, and it became a therapy for me to forget what I lost during and after the disease. I tried to follow her advice and reported to her using my talking laptop for the blind and my phone—anything to show what I was able to accomplish.

I remember her always hugging me and kissing my forehead whenever she saw me at Makati Medical Center. She was like my mom in MMC, and TDF was like my family. I gained a career, new friends, and believed that I had a purpose again. She always found the time to reply to my emails or texts until the suspension of the Global Fund happened.

I told her I would try pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Policy in the US. She told me, “Just continue being a changemaker.” I got an internship at WHO and learned that TDF made a big impact in ending TB. I met Doc Thelma’s international colleagues and continued advocating for the disease. I started receiving invitations to speak to governments in Australia, visited Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, and I constantly reported these experiences to her. She would still find time to reply. Her words were, “Good job, Louie” and “Bravo.”

When I was featured in an international magazine and a Manila press release happened in Intramuros, I learned she was in the room. I immediately looked for her and touched her hand. She sounded weak, but her hand felt so happy to see me.

One time, I had to represent the TB community of Asia as a speaker for the Global Fund Advocates Network. I emailed Doc about my plan to show my treatment center, hoping she would be included in my life story video. I didn’t get a response and started hearing that she was having health conditions. But I was surprised when she still welcomed me and the international videographers at the TDF facility. She toured us around the offices and even helped me put on my mask.

When we finished shooting, I remember hugging her tightly and telling her, “I love you, Doc, and I will report to you more and make you proud.”

The last time I talked to her, I asked about the plan we had for the Filipino TB community back in 2009. She told me, “The plan has always been to create a national group to represent the needs of the affected community. It is going to be hard with the situation in our country, but individuals like you can definitely make a big change.”

I’m just not ready for her passing because I still planned to make her proud and make her happy. All I know now is that I promise her I will continue to be a leader and be a hero just like her.

Again, I love you, Doc, and I know that you will now be another angel of mine up there to guide me every step of the way.

Thank you for everything, Dra. Tupasi…

I remember Dr. Tupasi as our foremost mentor in TB, particularly on DRTB. As the NTP Program Manager then, our direction was on Basic DOTS, but Mam already had a vision for drug resistance and was addressing it at that time. As a budding program manager, I had minimal knowledge on DRTB, but Mam was there to mentor and coach me—responding to all my questions and advising me on this difficult topic. She welcomed every question I had and endlessly shared her expertise with all. Her intellect on TB was inspiring, and the richness of her knowledge paved the way for me and my colleagues to reach where we are today. Many may not know that Dra. Tupasi and I shared a common connection: my uncle/godfather was one of her peers during her medical years at UP-College of Medicine. They spent their years in med school together. Even while in the US for their respective studies and practices, they maintained communication. During our light moments, she would always ask me, “Kamusta na si Tito mo?”—and this would start our exchange of chats that eventually deepened our friendship.

Now that Mam is in heaven, she has left us many gains that we in the NTP will strive to enrich and sustain, as our way of honoring what she contributed to us and to the entire TB Program.

To our Creator, we thank You for this wonderful creation, a blessing in the person of Dra. Tupasi. And to her family—Dr. Ramos and children—we thank you for sharing her life, your blessing to us.

Maraming Salamat po!

I first met Dr. Thelma Tupasi when I was a Field Epidemiology Trainee and had to investigate a meningococcemia outbreak. The case was admitted at Makati Medical Center, and I had to interview Dr. Tupasi. She was strict. But this impression changed when I joined the TB Program again and was involved in the implementation of the Global Fund grant led by TDF. She may be strict, but she is also genuinely concerned about your well-being. She would engage you in small conversations, asking how you were aside from work when you had the chance to sit beside her during meetings, workshops, or other NTP activities.

I admire Dr. Tupasi’s work ethic. She was always passionate about what she did. She wanted things to start on time, especially meetings. She did everything promptly and with quality—mabilis magtrabaho. She always wanted you to learn something from the work you did. She was a great teacher.

As a Program Manager of the NTP, I would like to thank Dr. Tupasi for providing us with the evidence that helped the Program design strategies to address TB challenges. As a researcher, she led the conduct of the 1997 and 2007 National TB Prevalence Surveys. The latest research conducted by TDF was the Loss to Follow-up study among Drug-Resistant TB cases. The findings of this study are frequently cited and have served as a guide on how to provide quality TB care for drug-resistant TB patients. Many researchers have inquired about who conducted the study and how it was done.

Dr. Tupasi was a visionary. She initiated efforts to address drug-resistant TB at a time when the World Health Organization guidance was to prioritize drug-susceptible TB cases only. TDF was the first facility approved by the Green Light Committee to address drug-resistant TB. This achievement placed the country and the Program on the map of WHO. Dr. Tupasi also pioneered the application for the Global Fund grant. TDF became the first Principal Recipient in the country for the three grants—TB, HIV, and Malaria. To this day, we continue to benefit from the fruits of her labor and her dreams.

Every memory of you is an inspiration to do my best and be a little bit like you! You’re one-of-a-kind! A wonder, a hero, a gift to the world!

I had more interaction with Dra. Tupasi in her fight against TB. She was a woman of action! She set up the MMC DOTS Clinic after the 1997 NTPS, which became the first DOTS-Plus pilot project worldwide managing patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB). MDR-TB patients were a minority with very expensive treatment not available in the Philippines at that time. She searched for funds as the patients’ waitlist grew by the day, sponsoring shows and leading proposal writing here and there. While WHO-Geneva colleagues supported her fight, the regional and local levels obstructed her plans; to them, addressing MDR-TB would divert funds from the majority of drug-susceptible patients. But to her, each had a right to proper treatment. Her vision was universal access to health!

I have two unforgettable anecdotes that underscore her passion and her compassion. One day, she underwent gastroscopy. After the procedure, her gastroenterologist said, “Dra., while you were under sedation, you were angry with someone and you raised your voice saying ‘You’re an obstructionist!’” She laughed and told him who she was referring to!

The other incident happened when DOH called one day to give her the good news that they had unspent project funds and got clearance to spend the money for MDR-TB patients, but had to be spent within a week. Quick as lightning, Dra. was able to have the medicines shipped to Manila through IDA (International Dispensary Agency). However, bureaucracy delayed the release of the DOH fund that made IDA frantic! Meanwhile, Dra. proudly spoke in an international conference about the pioneering work in the Philippines and, as always, was admired. One person, however, looked at her strangely. “Hi, I’m Thelma Tupasi from the Philippines,” she introduced herself. The gentleman replied, “Yes, I know you, Dr. Tupasi. I’m Cedric from IDA … and I was hoping you would let me know when you’re planning to settle your bill.” She almost fainted in embarrassment and almost knelt in apology! But the rest is history. Eventually, the funds were released and TDF paid IDA. That’s Dr. Tupasi doing everything possible for patients!

Dra., thank you for the smile these incidents bring! I will tearfully always remember your inspiring courage and boldness for the sick. Like a child, I was always in awe and clapping for your victory that earned global applause for being the voice of the afflicted in a low-resource country that opened the door to saving many lives. Even after almost two decades, I still hear of cured patients gratefully mentioning your name and TDF in admiration of your selfless brand of compassion and high-quality TB care. Many colleagues here and outside continue to look up to your impressive brilliance that has brought TB services close to those in need.

Thank you for all the years that you taught, guided, mentored, and shaped me into who I am today. As your ID fellow, I learned not only ID but life lessons not in the books. You were not only a brilliant mentor marked with integrity and an exemplary expert in many fields, but a very compassionate doctor who always put the patient at the center. You were never proud of your numerous extraordinary achievements; you treated everyone with dignity. Your bedside manners were impeccable; your care was genuine. You would wait in the ward or nurses’ station until the first dose of antibiotic was administered when treatment was urgent. You would accompany patients to the radiology department for MRI or ultrasound, just to hold their hands, make your presence felt, and so you could discuss the images with the radiologists right away. Indeed, you were one-of-a-kind!

To me, you will always be the visionary with a heart whose dreams turned to life-changing realities that have made the world a better place. To me, YOU ARE A LEADER LIKE NO OTHER!

Dr. Tupasi led by example and she was a good mentor. I have many memories of her and remember her well.

I remember her humility. She had great dedication to her work and a willingness to share her knowledge. She frequently asked about the things I had read and wanted me to keep her updated on new information. I found it rather unusual for a student to teach a consultant, but she was humble enough to listen.

I remember her kindness. She took time with every patient during rounds. She would sit on a chair or a couch and start the conversation with, “Kumusta ka na?” The conversations were not just about their illness but also about their physical and emotional state. She showed care and knew each patient’s name as well as their backstory. The conversations were heartfelt and genuine.

I remember her enthusiasm. She had boundless energy that it often seemed she had no limits. She made rounds in the morning and in the evening. She exhibited enthusiasm while seeing patients in her clinic, doing rounds with her fellows, attending conferences, presiding over ICC meetings, and helping fellows with their research. She gave everything, and it was difficult not to be inspired by her enthusiasm.

I remember her teachings. Going on rounds with Dra. Tupasi was extraordinary for me. Our rounds during my fellowship training at Makati Med took longer than usual. My routine during rounds, however, was nothing compared to Dra. Tupasi’s. She was very meticulous with details and showed kindness throughout. These lessons were never taught in any of the books I had read.

I remember the warmth of her presence. I met Dra. Tupasi during her trip to Silliman University Medical Center. She had her team with her, and we were introduced by Dr. Amante, then chairman of the department at SUMC. I guess Dr. Amante put in a good word for me because when I applied at Makati Med, Dra. Tupasi immediately asked when I could start fellowship. I was happy to know I got in. I had difficulty adjusting during fellowship, but Dra. Tupasi helped me significantly.

She had a personal interest in the mentoring relationship. She would bring us to their house and share everything with us. I even had the privilege of going to Puerto Azul, and it felt good being part of her family, as she treated each fellow as her own. As a fellow from the province, all of this was an unsolicited privilege. She accepted me unconditionally.

I remember who she was. She was a very intelligent woman, very skilled in research and statistics. I had a hard time keeping up with her, but she always had a positive attitude and acted positively in the mentoring relationship. She was respected by colleagues and employees at all levels of the organization and achieved both personal and professional goals. She valued the opinions and initiatives of others and motivated them by setting a good example. She had a good partner in Dr. Ramos, and together they continued to be kind and caring.

To Dra. Tupasi, you listened and understood me. You smiled and laughed. You loved and truly cared. You showed me the way and led the way. You were the perfect leader.

Dr. Tupasi led by example and she was MY mentor.

To Dr. Ramos and Family,

I join your grief for the loss of your beloved wife and mother, Thelma. I had the privilege of meeting her and sharing my New Jersey home with her and my sister, Mamel, during one of their short visits to NJ years ago. My family will also always remember both your support to my parents during their final days.

What a remarkable woman Dra. Tupasi was—a respectable mentor to my sister, Mamel, and to many of her colleagues, a great contributor of knowledge and legacy to the medical community in the Philippines and globally, and an advocate for cure and universal access to care for the afflicted. The world is a better place because of her! Please accept both my personal and the Dejaresco family’s sincere sympathy to you and your family.

Dr. Thelma Tupasi Ramos has been my mentor during my ID fellowship at Makati Medical Center a long time ago.

She is the personification of excellence translated into action:

• For the service of Filipinos, especially the sick and underprivileged, reaching out to the grassroots
• For the significant advancement of research in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases
• For pioneering proactive and effective infection prevention and control committees involving multi-specialties, despite objections from various sectors
• For the education and training of students and younger colleagues, passing on the torch with the flame of knowledge, critical thinking, perseverance, compassion, integrity, professionalism, and service without discrimination

She was a Ninang at our wedding.

She was so helpful in many ways that she even volunteered her distinguished husband, Dr. Claver Ramos, to insert all my IVs during the seven sessions of my chemotherapy. Each vein was so valuable because only those on my right hand could be used. I realized it was not only Dr. Ramos’s expertise that she wanted to share, but also his compassion and kindness. Imagine the expression on the faces of the nurses every time I told them THE Dr. Claver Ramos would be the one to insert the IV!

I am so blessed to have had you, Dr. Tupasi, as my beloved mentor. Our prayers are for your eternal happiness and God’s eternal embrace.

Your legacy lives on in all the lives you have touched.

I am Marion Aurellado Kwek, consultant at Makati Med and Asian Hospital and Medical Center. I would like to share one of my strongest memories of Dra. Tupasi. When I was a first-year resident in 2008, I was the first to present for the grand rounds of our batch. For the non-medical people in the audience, grand rounds define how the department sees you—whether you are a competent resident or a slacker. My case for presentation was an infectious case: cerebral toxoplasmosis in an HIV-infected individual. This was when HIV rates were starting to rise in the Philippines but were not yet as frequent as they are today.

The ID consultant on board the case, who was supposed to moderate for me—pangalan po natin na Dr. Abad Santos—was out of the country on the date of my presentation. Enter Dra. Tupasi, who, upon hearing the case topic only the day before from one of the consultants, enthusiastically acted as moderator for this case without having been asked. While I did my part in preparing for this case, it was her presence during my presentation that gave me much of the needed confidence—Si Dra. Tupasi ang moderator ko, siguradong wala nang kokontra. Other consultants would not have been so generous to volunteer to moderate on such short notice.

Her passion for infectious diseases and this case, which was so interesting, was one of the triggers for me to choose ID as a specialty. And here I am, already a consultant. I am only one of the many lives Dra. Tupasi has touched and influenced. Thank you, Dra. Tupasi. Rest in peace. You will be missed.

I would not be able to put into words the impact of Dr. Tupasi on my life. She has been my mentor, my guide, and the person who inspired me to love tuberculosis and the patients who suffer from it. She is a great loss to me personally, to national healthcare, and to the world. Please know that many of us will continue the work that she has started.

A LIFE WELL LIVED…

Dr. Tupasi is a GREAT INSPIRATION to all of us. We are very thankful for the opportunity to have met her and, on a personal note, to have worked and bonded with her during my ID fellowship training and in the years thereafter.

We witnessed that, in spite of a taxing schedule that comes with managing a full-time medical profession—including training ID specialists, the TDF, and a beautiful family—she also found time for other equally important professional and socio-civic activities. No words can describe how deeply saddened we all are by this loss. She was a person people looked up to.

She used her profession as an instrument to help others with no discrimination. Among her many capabilities were being a sought-after excellent lecturer and an avid researcher, among others. For someone living in a wealthy Makati area, what strikes me most is that during her lifetime, she taught us by her own example what it takes to interact in any capacity to help the underprivileged through community involvement in projects such as TB. We all know how dedicated she was to her work and craft. Her discipline is INFECTIOUS. Her innate passion for her profession and her drive to help others pushed her to always strive for excellence and provide the best quality possible.

To some, she may have appeared strict, but inside her being—especially to those who truly knew her—she was a woman of compassion, generosity, and integrity. She will always be remembered for the way she lived and for what she lived for. Today, her legacy is secure in all of us. Rest assured that we will continue the legacy she started. We will surely miss her.

She told me, “Start ka na sa December,” after she interviewed me for the fellowship position I applied for during a break at the 1998 PSMID Annual Convention. I had heard so much about her before that meeting, but when I met and spoke to her, she was a jolly and candid person. I took note of the effect she had on people. I saw respect, admiration, and awe around us, and there she was across from me, unmindful of the attention she was being given, while laughingly talking about Cebu lechon.

My two-year journey under her taught me diligence, attention to detail, and “thinking out of the box.” While I struggled to learn Infectious Diseases, I saw in her the personification of “nothing is impossible if something needed is to be done”—be it for the patients we tended to, the commitments we had to keep, or the responsibilities on our laps. She persevered not for glory nor accolades, but because “it had to be done.” She was my kind of teacher, my kind of hero.

Thank you, Dr. Tupasi. You will always be an inspiration. You will always be a guiding light.

I love you.

I am Dr. Evelyn Alesna, one of Dr. Thelma Tupasi’s fellows in the mid-1990s (1995–1997) at Makati Medical Center.

She was my amazing M&M—my mentor and ‘mother.’ A virtuous mentor who was magnanimous and humble.

There were two mantras she imparted to me:

1. Nothing is Impossible
In 2000, we were traveling for our TDF post-graduate circuit course. While waiting to board a boat bound for Bohol from Cebu, Dr. Tupasi learned that I had the drug she needed. Nothing is impossible: Dr. Tupasi managed to convince the boat captain to wait for me as I rushed to get the drug from my clinic, and she orchestrated to have the drug sent to Makati Med. It saved the life of her patient who had drug-resistant malaria.

2. Never Say No
One time, Dr. Tupasi realized she had accepted two lecture invitations scheduled at the same date and time. She said to me: “Evelyn, remember, never say no. Give the talk for me.”
I answered: “But they are expecting you, Dr. Tupasi.”
She quickly resolved the matter, saying: “You are the ‘little Tupasi’; they will accept whoever I recommend speaking on my behalf.”

Tonight, I will not mention her achievements. I will describe her as a loving and caring mother.

She dearly loved her four children and shared stories about them:

1. Egbert: fondly called her first-born son, so smart and creative
2. Vil: her second-born son, very intelligent and doing well in his studies
3. Gina: her only daughter; she finished journalism but wants to pursue law (Dr. Tupasi supported Gina’s dream)
4. John Paul: the youngest son, still a young teen at the time, who needed to be taught values. She related, “I told John Paul, even if you do a headstand, you cannot earn 5 pesos.” At that time he wanted his parents to buy him expensive drums. Love prevailed, and John Paul got his drums.

One day, I asked Dr. Tupasi why her children were studying abroad. She answered: “Claver and I want to provide them with the best education that will give them all the opportunities to fly on their own.”

That was what your mom was to us—she gave us her three T’s (time, talent, and treasure) to provide excellent training that opened opportunities. In the process, she (and Dr. Claver Ramos) made us part of her family.

Lastly, I would like to share her favorite theme song (1997, The Lion King): “Hakuna Matata, Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” To the Ramos family, I say: Hakuna Matata, Don’t worry, be happy. Dr. Thelma’s legacy continues. She will forever remain in our hearts and minds.

My two-year experience as an ID fellow at MMC-TDF in 1993–94 with Dr. Thelma Tupasi as my mentor is the most memorable and rewarding experience in my professional life as a doctor. She molded me to become the best version of myself by instilling, through her example, that hard work, passion, and compassion are necessary ingredients for success. Several times during my practice as an ID specialist, when confronted with difficult situations, I found myself asking, “What would Dr. Tupasi do when faced with this problem?” and my experience with her guided me to the right decision. I’m so blessed to have been with her in her hospital bed last Saturday, June 8, and to whisper in her ear that I love her, pray for her, and thank her for everything she has done for me. Now I have another angel in heaven. To Dr. Claver Ramos and family, thank you for sharing Dr. Tupasi with us. My family and I will forever be grateful.

On behalf of the board of directors of Makati Med, our President & CEO, Dr. Cay Consunji, I would like to express our sincere condolences to the family of Dr. Thelma Tupasi, who joined our Creator today. We lost an academician, scientist, mentor, colleague, and friend. I will miss referring and discussing cases with her. I used to call her when I was still with International SOS, and we would get these unusual cases from all over the country—foreign travelers with fevers that couldn’t be identified and treated. She enjoyed taking care of these patients because it was a challenge and a great learning experience for everyone. She used to tell me that she enjoyed taking care of our complicated patients. I will miss talking to her and greeting her on her birthday.

And so we bid goodbye to Dr. Tupasi. We pray for Dr. Ramos and the family she leaves behind. We are sad because we will miss her, and we look forward to the day that we will be with her again with our Father in heaven.

And so I offer this prayer for Dr. Thelma:

May angels guide you and bring you into paradise;
May all the martyrs come forth to welcome you home;
May they lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem.

May the angel chorus sing to welcome you,
And like Lazarus, forgotten and poor,
You shall have everlasting rest.

Give her eternal rest, O Lord, and may Your light shine upon her forever.
Receive her soul and present her to God the Most High.

Rest in peace, ma’am. Till we meet again.

Each one of us in this room—whether a student, mentee, colleague, collaborator, patient, friend, or co-worker—can attest to the great works, brilliant mind, and kind heart of our dearest Dr. Tupasi. She was a visionary and knew exactly what she had to do to achieve her vision. Working for her at the Tropical Disease Foundation and at Makati Med will always be memorable. Seemingly impossible goals became reachable because she made them so. To those who were with her at Makati Med and TDF, Dr. Tupasi always found a solution, even to the most perplexing problems.

She is truly in a class of her own. We will always be thankful to Dr. Tupasi for setting an example that we should emulate. She is an extraordinary role model who will continue to inspire us to do our best to uplift the lives of Filipinos.

We want to thank you, Dr. Ramos, and your whole family for sharing Dr. Thelma Tupasi with us. We will miss Dr. Tupasi, but we are comforted by the thought that she is now in heaven. Till we meet again, Dr. Tupasi.

We at Makati Med wish to offer a tribute to Dr. Tupasi.

Good evening! Tonight I am privileged to honor our beloved mentor, Dr. Thelma Tupasi Ramos, my Ninang, to whom I am so indebted. A couple of decades ago, when we were residents and she was the Section Chief of Infectious Disease, we marveled at her brilliance as an expert in her field—in the manner she spoke in our weekly grand rounds. I remember her as a very articulate and eloquent speaker with vast knowledge of her specialty. She was a gifted and light-hearted teacher. Interns and residents would hover around her to pick up clinical pearls as she made her daily rounds. She showed a pleasant, bubbly, witty, and joyous countenance while dealing with everyone, and at the same time, I observed her excellent bedside manners. She was very patient, respectful, humble, and compassionate toward her patients, even if sometimes she was the recipient of their irritability and arrogance.

Dra. Tupasi is an inspiration to me and many younger colleagues. About 35 years ago, when I was a senior resident, I ran to her for help—almost in tears—fearing that Dr. Dennis Damaso of Medical Education would not allow me to graduate because I did not have a research paper yet. Like a mother, she calmed me down, comforted me, and encouraged me as she sat with me outside her clinic to discuss how I should write my paper. With her guidance, after a few meetings, I was able to do a 10-year retrospective comparative study on Liver Abscess—Aspiration vs. medical therapy alone. Her mentoring lifted me and allowed me to move up the ladder as a 4th-year Chief Resident in medicine and continue on to fellowship training. Since then, she became close to my heart. Maybe we found a common ground as we are both provincianas coming from the north—she from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, and I grew up in the hinterlands of Tabuk, Kalinga. She built my confidence as she and Dr. Claver referred their patients, relatives, and friends to me, for which I was so honored and very grateful. In the last few weeks of her life, I kept praying for her healing and for her family too—many times during the day with my rosary in my medical gown. I prayed, even when I was in my clinic auscultating my patients, I would momentarily close my eyes and wish to God to make her well. I could imagine how difficult her last days were, with continuous, unceasing accumulation of fluids in her lungs and progressive metastasis until her body gave up. Now, she is happy where she is—in God’s Bosom. We continue to pray for her and her family that they may find strength and solidarity in this difficult time.

Dra. was the sunshine in their lives. Missing Dra. Tupasi. She will always be remembered as a beautiful person inside and out—a great mentor, brilliant academician, compassionate doctor, diligent researcher/scientist, loving wife, mother, and friend. We are blessed by her life. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to be touched by her life, for through her, you showed your faithfulness and unending love to us!

We just heard the sad news that Thelma Tupasi passed away yesterday. I would like you to know that at STAG we had a beautiful in memoriam by Ernesto Jaramillo and Kitty van Weezenbeek. She was a formidable person, hugely important in her care for MDR patients in the Philippines and the world.

I am blessed that I could attend your wake but did not have the opportunity to properly say my goodbyes. I did share some anecdotes during your wake.

Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for helping my father. I always valued your advice and support as I made my journey to the responsibilities of adulthood. I saw your wonderful family. I told Gina I could see you in her smile. Peace and rest for eternity. You deserve it more than anyone I know.

I am really saddened by the news. My sincere condolences to her family and the Filipino and global TB community. She was a great person. God bless her soul.

Really sorry to hear that. It is a great loss to the TB community. I am in STAG, and yesterday it was announced there by Ernesto and Kitty. We observed one minute of silence in memory of Dr. Tupasi.

On Saturday, I will be on a flight to Cambodia, so I am really sorry that I won’t be able to be present in person. May I request you to share WPRO’s heartfelt condolences on my behalf.

Courageously and collegially, Thelma tested the patience—I mean the inertia—of national, regional, and global leaders to bring life-saving treatment and care to people affected by MDR-TB, through different responsibilities in her career, including being the chair of the MDR-TB Working Group of the Stop TB Partnership, while leading the very first project approved by the Green Light Committee in the year 2000.

Her legacy includes a cadre of global experts in MDR-TB such as Mamel Quelapio, Maricelle Gler, and Zaza Munez, for example.

Behind a great woman there is often a man. Her husband, Dr. Pedro Claver Ramos, was a constant source of love, support, and wise advice at all times. Thelma passed away in the company of him and her children early today in Manila.

Please join me in honoring her life and immense contributions to people affected by TB with a minute of silence.

STAG-TB (Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Tuberculosis) provides objective, ongoing technical and strategic advice to WHO related to TB care and control. It is composed of 23 experts representing ministries of health, national TB control programmes, academic and research institutions, civil society organizations, communities and patients affected by tuberculosis, and professional associations. WHO’s Global TB Programme serves as the secretariat for STAG-TB.

Thanks very much for sending me this news, although it is very, very sad. You know I appreciated Thelma a lot. I hope she did not suffer too much.

As you know, I met Thelma more than 20 years ago when I was in the Green Light Committee and the Philippines had one of the best MDR-TB programs in the world, especially because the management of MDR-TB patients was handled by TDF and led by Thelma. From the beginning, it was always very nice to work with Thelma—a wonderful person with excellent knowledge. Sincerely, I think the TB world, especially the MDR-TB community, owes an important debt to Thelma.

Her most important motivation was always the patients. I will pray for Thelma’s eternal rest.

Although it is so nice to reach out to you, it is with sorrow as Romel shared about the passing of the intrepid Dr. Tupasi. We greatly enjoyed working with Dr. Tupasi since 2006. TB Photovoice gained much insight from her guidance and steady mentoring. I remember meeting her in Seattle at a TB conference, and she always listened deeply and had a warm smile to share. It was her life’s work to fight for the rights of persons impacted by TB, and we were so happy to help create a Photovoice project in the Philippines with her through TDF.

We send our love to the TDF family and to Dr. Tupasi’s family, as this is such a profound loss of a truly remarkable woman.

We will carry her spirit with us forever.

To all the friends and family of Dr. Thelma Tupasi,

Dr. Tupasi was a stalwart advocate for all sick and dying patients, especially those affected by tuberculosis. Even more, her caring bedside manner extended to those families affected by TB. I know. I was one of them. I will not forget how she approached me along with her team of doctors from the Philippines. Almost 15 years ago, it was an evening in Decatur (east of Atlanta), GA after I had presented and performed a series of songs reliving Claudia’s, my late wife, and Emma’s, our daughter’s, untimely and unnecessary deaths due to TB meningitis.

Dr. Tupasi’s request was direct, sincere, and heartfelt. She wanted me to come to the Philippines to advocate and share this story. A few months later I obliged. She treated me and my mother with the world-renowned Filipino hospitality, introducing me to the staff of the Tropical Disease Foundation and most especially to the patients.

Surrounded by caring audience members and photos of TB-affected persons (including Claudia), I knew at that moment we both had the same aim in life, which was to prevent unnecessary suffering and death due to TB. She knew. She was one of them. From personal experience and several occasions, she did not hide from view her own bout with the disease. How it felt to be taking enormous amounts of toxic medicines for months must have seemed endless and intolerable. Yet, she persevered. That experience set forth a life and career where patients—the people behind the statistics—were the center of her extraordinary medical and public health practice and, as God’s humble servant, Dr. Tupasi treated them all with dignity and respect.

We are all better having been in her circle of love and empathy.

Sumalangit nawa ang kanyang kaluluwa.

I want to say that she was a small woman with a huge heart, an amazing mind, and great vision.

For her contribution and fight, she will always be remembered by us, and we will pray for her to rest in peace.

“The day we give up is the day we die.”

Oh, that is sad news. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures, but if possible, please let her know that I will never forget the Christmas party Joel, my wife Karla, and I had at TDF when we were there in December 2012, I think.

Thank you so much for thinking of me for this sad news. I had already heard from friends at WHO.

Thelma was truly a giant, although paradoxically of short stature. The two things I recall were her and TDF being the first group, globally, to achieve GLC sanction, and the consternation of the heavy weights at PIH being surpassed.

The other was being with her and Clavier, her husband, at their club, when they introduced me to Imelda Marcos, who had just entered. She certainly circulated in high places.

Of course, I also recall, embarrassingly, how my own government tried to undo all her great work. I saw her a few times in the midst of that stress, and truly felt and commiserated with her. The ultimate exoneration was a small victory, but wasteful and tragically late.

I hope you and family are doing well. I do miss you and my friends from the Philippines, where I likely made more than 50 or 60 visits. Please extend my sincerest condolences to her colleagues at TDF and any family that has survived her.

I was expecting an invitation from Manila to write a felicitation note on the occasion of Dr. Tupasi’s 80th birthday celebration that was anticipated for 2020. The news of her demise last week therefore came as a very rude shock, and set in motion a train of thought spanning 25 years.

I had first met Dr. Tupasi in 1995 when I came to Manila as a WHO consultant in the context of planning for a Philippines National TB Prevalence Survey. Our association was renewed two years later for the analysis and interpretation of the survey data. I enjoyed working with her immensely because of her profound knowledge of tuberculosis, indefatigable industry, speed of decisive action and qualities of team leadership that virtually created an aura around her. She had a pragmatic approach to data analysis and often supplemented my theoretical statistical methodology with her down-to-earth clinical approach.

The National Prevalence Survey of 1995 was repeated by her team in 2005, and the findings became an overnight sensation; this is because they demonstrated a 30% reduction in sputum-positive PTB following 10 years of country-wide implementation of DOTS, despite the increasing poverty in the population. So important and heartening was this conclusion for global TB policy that WHO chose to get a prestigious agency like the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to independently review all aspects of the survey (design, conduct and analysis), and this exercise reaffirmed in toto the inferences drawn by Tupasi and her colleagues. In my long research career of four decades, I cannot recall such a situation. That really was a very big feather in Dr. Tupasi’s cap.

Undertaking national surveys of tuberculosis in a country like the Philippines with its difficult geographic terrain and weather vagaries is a tough assignment, which was rendered all the more difficult by the fact that most of the staff were recruited specifically for the project and therefore not experienced old hands. But Tupasi was the type of person for whom a difficult task was one to be completed immediately, and an impossible task was one that would take just a wee bit longer!

Her first name THELMA may be regarded as an acronym, with:
T standing for Teamwork,
H standing for Hard Labour,
E standing for Evangelical fervour (to control TB),
L for Love of fellow-workers,
M for Myriad of hypotheses to explain study findings, and
A for Alacrity and Attitude.

Her loss is irreparable. She will be missed by many people—immediate family members, extended TDF family and a horde of admirers like me. I wish that the Good Lord gives us all courage to face this loss and hope that her soul rests in eternal peace.

I hope that her attitude and approach to life and TB research, and her perseverance trait will inspire many future generations of young TB research workers in the Philippines and elsewhere.

Amen.

Dr Tupasi was a true visionary who showed effective leadership.I always told her I was such a trail blazer.If only all women could follow her example. She will be sorely missed. If you have a chance, please convey my deepest condolences to Dr Ramos and the rest of the family. May they seek comfort in the Lord and may she rest in peace.

A person that departs from this earth never truly leaves, for they are still alive in our hearts and minds, through us, they live on.Surely she will not be forgotten. Thank you very much Dr.Tupasi for your love, mercy and compassion especially for your motherly love to all of us.We will surely never forget you. My deepest and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

I was out the past couple of days… As Katya noted, we received the sad news from Janice on Thursday.Our most sincere condolences on your loss of a dear friend and visionary leader.You and your colleagues honor Dr.Tupasi by continuing her work and treating all with great compassion. Our thoughts and prayers are with her as well as her husband, children, and TDF family.

Our hearts are with you and Dr. Tupasi ‘s family, many friends and colleagues as you come together both to comfort each other and celebrate the memory of a truly incredible person. It was such an honor to have known her. Sending all my prayers for Dra. Tupasi. May she rest in peace.

I am so very sorry to hear this news. Dr.Tupasi touched so many lives and healed so many. Her memory will live on and I know others will carry on her legacy. I am thinking of you and all of her friends and family during this difficult and sad time.

With great sadness we learn this news. Our sincere condolences to Dr. Tupasi’s family, friends and colleagues. It is such a huge loss. We will keep brightest memories of Dr. Tupasi’s positive energy, passion, optimism and professionalism.

I am very sorry to hear this sad news and deeply condolences to Dr. Tupasi’ s family and friends in this loss. It was an honor to work With such outstanding person, true example of dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism. This is an irreparable loss for all us. She Will live on in our memories forever.

My thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Tupasi’ s family and friends.

Citation from the Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious Disease(PSMID)
Given on 5 May 2019 during a Tribute to Dr. Thelma Tupasi
During the Pre- convention of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP)

On behalf of the entire PSMID membership, the PSMID Board of Councils hereby honors Dr. Thelma E. Tupasi for her exemplary contributions to the field of infectious
diseases as a distinguished physician, teacher researcher and most notably in her efforts toward the control Of TB, HIV and malaria.

She has served as a pioneering leader in the infectious diseases community both nationally and internationally. Dr. Tupasi was among the founding members and presidents of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. She also served as a director Of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. Subsequently, she founded and led the Tropical Disease Foundation, which undertook numerous landmark projects such as the 1997 and 2007 National TB Prevalence Surveys in collaboration with the DOH.

Under her leadership, TDF became the first WHO-endorsed MDRTB treatment facility Pilot Project in the world. This was scaled up to our present-day nationwide network for programmatic management Of drug-resistant TB (PMDT) providing universal access to second-line anti TB drug treatment, which has positioned the Philippines globally as a trailblazing training ground for person-centered MDR-TB care. In line with this, Dr Tupasi served internationally as Chair of the Stop TB
Working Group for drug resistant TB.

With the rise of HIV complicating TB treatment in the Philippines, Dr. Tupasi successfully advocated for provision of free antiretroviral therapy following the model for universal access to quality treatment.

For her lifetime work on TBs she was awarded the title of Honorary Member of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

In the course of her career, Dr. Tupasi has inspired and mentored generations of infectious disease specialists and other health care workers. She will forever be a role
model to us all.

A LIFE WELL LIVED…

Dr.Tupasi is a GREAT INSPIRATION to all of us. We are here very thankful for the opportunity to have met her and on a personal note to have worked and bond with her during the years of my ID fellowship training and years thereafter.

We witnessed that in spite of a taxing schedule that goes with managing a full – time medical profession to include training of ID specialists, the TDF, a beautiful family, she also found time for other equally important professional and socio – civic activities.NO words can describe how deeply saddened we all are for this loss. She was a person people look up to. She used her profession as an instrument to help others with NO discrimination. Among her many capabilities include being a sought after excellent lecturer, an avid researcher among others. For someone, living in a wealthy Makati area, what strikes me too, is during her lifetime, she taught us by her own example what it takes to interact in any capacity to help the underprivileged through community involvements with projects such as TB. We all know how dedicated she is to her work and craft. Her discipline is INFECTIOUS. Her innate passion for her profession and how to use it to help others drive her to always strive for excellence and to provide the best quality possible.

To some, she may appear strict, but INSIDE her being, especially among those who truly know her, she is a woman of compassion, generosity and integrity. She will
always be remembered for the way she lived and for what she lived for. Today, her legacy is secure in all of us. Rest assured that we will continue the legacy which she started… We will surely
miss her.

Praising God for Dra. Thelma Tupasi’s life and the legacy she left behind.  May all the people she has touched, taught, shaped and influenced be continuously inspired to intentionally carry on the vision, mission and advocacies of healing, service, compassion and love.

May she rest in peace…

Deepest condolences to the whole family and everyone who are bereaved by her passing away.

She told me” start ka na sa December” after she interviewed me for the fellowship position I applied for in a break during the 1998 PSMID Annual Convention. I had heard so much about her and of her before that meeting but I met and spoke to a jolly and candid person, and I took note of the effect she had on people.l saw respect, admiration and awe around us and there she was across me unmindful of the attention she was being given while she laughingly talked about Cebu lechon. My 2 – year journey under her taught me diligence, attention to detail and” thinking out of the box.” While I struggled to learn Infectious Diseases, I saw in her the personification of “nothing is impossible if something needed is to be done” be it for the patients we tended to, the commitments we had to keep and the responsibilities on our laps. She persevered not for the glory nor the accolades but because” it had to be done.” She was my kind of teacher, my kind of hero.

Thank you Dr Tupasi. You will always be an inspiration. You will always be a guiding light.

I love you.

My thesis wouldn’t have been possible without her. It was borne out of her vision to have that National Center for Tuberculosis.

And because of that thesis, I got the opportunity to come to Singapore and build my life here. So in her own way, Dr. Tupasi played a big role in shaping who I am today. Will pray for the repose of her soul

How I wish to attend the wake for Dr Tupasi. But, I’m going out of the country tomorrow evening. We pray for the eternal repose of her soul with the Lord. She is one of the great pillars of our society and she is a great loss for us. May her soul rest in peace with the Lord….