On the 10th of March, the Women's Month, in 2023, when I was in the United States, a shocking news was left in my private messaging portal on Facebook that a common friend has passed on.
Before that, sometime in November before I left for Los Angeles to
attend to my younger sister who suffered from a mild stroke, I came to
see Tess Tumangan in her condo in Quezon City, brought her requested
food and engaged in an animated tete-á-tete.
She loved to proudly reminisce many activities together from way back
when I was still the Opinion Editor at the Manila Bulletin.
Cooped Up In Condo
By nature, Tess was very gracious, modest and outgoing. She wanted to
be where the action is.
When she would like to talk on the phone or wanted me to visit her,
Tess would send a PM or SMS: "Are you free to take my call?" or "Please
call be via landline." Because she was a bit hard of hearing, Tess
preferred to talk via the landline.
Whenever I visited her, Tess would often prefer that we go out "to
breathe fresh air". She reasoned out: "feel condo-cooped."
Our drive around Quezon City ended up in a coffee shop in the Timog-
Morato area. She loved the vicinity as her family lived there for decades.
That last time I visited her, Tess asked me if we could please go to
Tagaytay with a common friend? But then, I was pressed for time as I
was leaving for the US just before her December 4th birthday. I
promised that when I get back, that will be first in our agenda. We never
had the chance.
A Leader At Heart
In 2005, Tess lured me into joining the Rotary Club of Manila 101 which
she was chartering. Even before that, with the Inner Wheel of Manila
and Zonta International, she never ran out of service ideas. There was
always a project to serve the underprivileged, students to support,
youth development programs, and empowered ladies to lead to action.
She was an esteemed leader who was very inspired, motivated and
sincere in all wanted to accomplish.
In 2015, because of her continuing and sustainable hands-on
humanitarian service, Tess was recognized by the Rotary for her
continuing hands-on humanitarian service.
She received the Service Above Self award, the highest recognition of
the Rotary International. The club recognized her knack to conduct civic
duties and projects sustainably beyond self-consideration.
Tess also inspired housewives of Rotarians to become empowered
leaders, thinkers and doers. Many of them were developed to become
presidents of their own Rotary Clubs and the Rotary Manila 101.
An Influential Woman
In 1974, she joined the Jaycees. Before that, her husband, Atty. Edgardo
Tumangan, was the former president of the Capitol Jaycees. Tess was
president of Capitol Jayceerettes.
Since Jaycees membership was for below 40 years old, Atty. Ed moved
to the Rotary Club of Manila, the pioneer club in Asia. It was under
District 3810. He eventually became its president.
In 2019, Tess was named an Most Influential Woman Of The World
by The Filipina World Network in Westin Paris Vendome in France
under the classification "Founder and Innovator"
Other Filipina awardees were from USA , Canada, Switzerland, Norway ,
Middle East, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Local Drug Industry
Tess, a pharmacist by profession, was among those who pushed for
Generics Law when she was chairman of the Board of Pharmacy of the
Philippine Regulation Commission. This move was definitely a game-
changer in the local pharmaceutical industry.
A graduate and erstwhile outstanding alumna of the University of Santo
Tomas, Tess supported the constant upgrading of the academic
curriculum for pharmacists to keep up with the times and advancement.
Because her heart was really in her profession, she moved for the
persistent uplifting the pharmaceutical industry and in standardizing
safe and quality production of quality drugs.
She guided local drug manufacturers to modernize and be on equal
footing with multinationals to produce quality drugs.Back then, drug
manufacturing in the Philippines was just a backyard business.
'Ask The Pharmacist'
As chairman of the PRC board, Tess was responsible for setting up small
drugstores that would sell generics drugs. This was her pet project.
"Ask the Pharmacist" was a byword developed during her stint. This
catchphrase gave licensed pharmacists confidence and dignity. No
drugstore — even those in hospitals — could operate without a licensed
pharmacist who is the authority on drugs dispensing and
contraindications.
Pharmacy personnel were compelled to undergo training to expertly
communicate with customers on choices of drugs.
Generics Drugstore was endorsed by actress-politician Vilma Santos to
send the message across that potent drugs need not be expensive.
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, pharmacists were among the
frontliners.
Much Ahead Of Her Time
Ms. Teresita Nalagan Tumangan was very much ahead of her time. She
was an innovator who had a heart for developing women, youth, and the
very young as leaders.
Industry peers — among her civic groups or professional colleagues —
recognized the fact that Tess possessed a very progressive mindset.
She could have contributed more had not the design of the Divine
Providence taken precedence.
Tess went ahead at age 87.
(Her husband, Ed, soon followed on December 11, 2023.)
(email opinyon.luchie@gmail.com or luchiearguelles@yahoo.com)
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