My Health H.E.R.O.

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” — Mahatma Gandhi

He is no stranger to everyone as he has been visible in many television interviews, and hosts his own program every nine o’clock in the evening in his Facebook Live page, where he talks about his advocacies on health care reforms and creating culture change initiatives among Filipinos. But the public knows Dr. Anthony Cueto Leachon — Doc Tony to his friends — as one of the most easily recognizable physicians in the country today, perhaps known for his outspoken stance on public health reform.

I have personally known him for more than ten years already, not just as an outstanding physician, but a dedicated public servant who truly loves his country. To many, he is a Filipino physician-leader, preventive health education stalwart and a staunch health reform advocate.

In 2004, Doc Tony was listening to the AG Sison Memorial Lecture of former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez-Tan on the massive exodus of doctors and nurses. Disturbed and depressed, he went on to ask questions on how we can curb the far-reaching implications of brain drain. With a ballooning population, almost close to 90 million by 2010 and the migration of doctors, he pondered on this very disturbing issue. During the business meeting of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) Annual Convention in May 2004, he stood up to volunteer as national chair of communications and advocacy. Dr. Leachon, a passionate leader all his life, has led the PCP in creating a communication infrastructure never seen before in a medical society. He established the several pioneering programs unparalleled in its history.

Born to lead and to excel, his humble beginnings were a preparation for his lifelong work as a physician and social innovator. Doc Tony was born on July 30, 1960 to retired Regional Trial Court Judge Emilio L. Leachon, Jr. and Mrs. Pilar Cueto-Leachon (+) in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. A consistent honor student, he received his primary education at Holy Infant Academy in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, graduating as class Salutatorian. He walked to school two-to-three kilometers a day, creating trailblazers in a coconut plantation hoping to find the nearest road to school and daydreaming to be a physician someday. Despite his extra-curricular activities, he has established himself as an outstanding student, a consistent scholar, a gold medalist in academics. His intellectual acumen is clearly reflected in his various awards and citations both in and out of school. He graduated as high school class Valedictorian in 1977 at the Oriental Mindoro High School and received the Gerry Roxas Leadership Award for his excellent performance as a student and as a youth leader.

At an early age, he already demonstrated his unparalleled competence in the field of medicine. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery with honors in 1985 and later topped the medical board licensure examinations in June of 1986. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Manila Doctors Hospital in 1989. He was not only awarded as the most outstanding resident but also served as Chief Resident during his senior year. He later had his fellowship in Cardiology at the UP-PGH Medical Center from 1990 to 1992. Again, he was awarded as the Most Outstanding Research Fellow and served as Chief Fellow during his senior year at UP PGH Medical Center.

Because of his exceptional work as a physician, Dr. Leachon has won several awards and recognitions as an outstanding leader and health advocate. Among his multitude of awards include being a Distinguished Fellow of the Philippine College of Physicians in 2006; The Outstanding Filipino Physicians Award in 2008 conferred jointly by the Department of Health and JCI Senate Philippines; the Ulirang Ama Awardee for Medicine in 2015; the Most Outstanding Alumnus in Community Service by the UST Medical Alumni Association in America in 2015; the RAPPLER Civic Mover Award for 2015, and of course, the TOFIL Award in Medicine (TOFIL) in 2010; among many others.

Yet of all the things he has done for his patients and his country, he has been recognized for authoring Executive Order 595, otherwise known as H.E.R.O. (Health Education Reform Order), as chairman of the Advocacy Committee of the Philippine College of Physicians in 2007. H.E.R.O. remains the largest physician-led advocacy on comprehensive health education and disease prevention.

Because of his pioneering work, he received a Presidential Citation from then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2007 for helping the government with its preventive health education advocacy. In 2012, he was tapped as a Consultant of the Department of Health on Non-communicable Diseases in the passage of the landmark Sin Tax Law for tobacco and alcohol which was signed by then-President Benigno Aquino III in 2012. A leading figure in various public health initiatives, he served as Director of Information, Publications, and Public Affairs of the University of the Philippines-Manila from 2012 to 2014; headed the prestigious Philippine College of Physicians and the Philippine College of Physicians Foundation, both having served as president; a Fellow of the American College of Physicians; and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Thailand and Malaysia; and President of the UST Medical Alumni Association. He was subsequently appointed by then-President Benigno Aquino III as an Independent Director of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation; and later, was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to be one of the special advisers of the National Task Force Covid-19 until his unceremonious departure.

I have no doubt that, with his abounding talents and a passion to lead, we shall not hear the name Dr. Anthony Leachon for the last time. He might even be leading the Department of Health before anyone can say, “Covid-19.”