Manila Central University had a very humble beginning. In 1903, on the request of several students from the University of Sto. Tomas and other individuals, Dr. Alejandro Albert organized a private review class.
This review class developed into the Escuela de Farmacia del Liceo de Manila in 1904, with Dr. Alejandro Albert, Alfredo L. Guerrero, Antonio C. Llamas, Feliciano Paterno and Filemon Tanchoco, and all faculty members of the institution, as incorporators. This was the first educational institution of its kind established and managed by Filipinos. Its success demonstrated the capacity and ability of the Filipinos to manage their own affairs in the educational field, especially at that time of its initial organization it was barely 4 years after the establishment of the Philippine Educational System.
The Manila College of Pharmacy (MCP) became one of the leading institutions of higher learning of its kind. It produced many prominent pharmacists. Stable and secure in its position, the college expanded in number in 1929. Its Board of Trustees, answering a long felt need for the training of the youth for dental services, opened the College of Dentistry. Manila College of Pharmacy became then the Manila College of Pharmacy and Dentistry (MCPD) of pre-war time. Opened and dedicated to gave the best education for our youth, the College maintained its leading position in the educational field. Unfortunately, the war closed its portals in 1941.
During the Japanese occupation, the enemy systematically looted its extensive facilities, laboratory, equipment, museum, etc. and during the liberation period, it was further looted of everything but the shell of its two buildings. After the liberation of the Philippines, the Board of Trustees reorganized the College into Manila Central College (MCC).
In addition to Pharmacy and Dentistry, the reorganized institution offered courses in Liberal Arts, Education, Commerce and Business Administration and Post Graduate courses in Pharmacy. And finally in 1947, the College of Medicine was added. In 1948, it became the Manila Central University after having opened the College of Nursing and Graduate School and more than sufficiently meeting the requirements for a university.
In 1949, MCU inaugurated its 10-hectare campus in Caloocan City. Since then, additional school buildings and service facilities have been constructed yearly in the 1960s. The College of Optometry, Midwifery, High School and Kindergarten classes were also opened. Expansion projects and development program for the whole university and individual colleges were continuously drawn to meet the educational demands and the objectives of the University.
The students of Manila Central University excel in all endeavours, that includes academically and other curricular activities. The Caloocan Campus gives the necessary space and field to practice. In time the facilities become dilapidated and poorly maintained. You can see the track and field at the Caloocan Campus full of grass as tall as 4 feet in 1984 (when I was there), the Olympic size pool is boarded up and the grandstand is falling apart. The buildings at Caloocan was slowly decaying and you do not see any maintenance going on. What use to be one of the best school and the 1st Filipino founded school appears to be falling behind.
The MCU College of Medicine (Filemon D. Tanchoco Medical Foundation) is located in the Caloocan Campus. In 1982, the medical students go on their own ways. If the students have any concerns, there was no avenue to vent that concern. AS a student, you are on your own if you see a problem you do what you must. No semblance of any organization represent the students at all. The Medical Student Council do not exist.
In August of that year, as the rest of the Medical schools were getting busy preparing for the Medicine Week celebrations, you will not find the same at MCU. No preparation was being done in Caloocan. The students go on their own routine, unmindful that there should be a Medicine Week the following month. Some 3rd year students tired of the monotonous routine in the campus, have aired their concerns and wanted to be a part of the celebrations. But there is no one to organized or officiate the celebrations. It is then that 15 3rd year students during one of their drinking sessions, decides to do something. During their brainstorming cum drinking session an idea came up. The concept of a Fraternity in the campus to represent the medical students to the faculty, management and board (remember there is no Medical Student Council at this time) was born. Of the 15 students 13 started and founded Medici Omnes Duciens (medicine channels for all) and the other 2 came in as the 1st special batch. On that year there is a Medicine Week celebrated at MCU a first after so many years and the MEDICUS founders were the one who organized and officiate the celebrations. During the basketball game students were wondering who are and where the officiating persons came from, all of them MEDICUS.
When I walk into MCU Caloocan campus in 1984 as a 1st year medical student, what I saw was not a promising site to see. For an outsider, what I saw were dilapidated buildings and rafters that were falling. But the provincial atmosphere is actually very conducive for learning. Campus and facility wise compared to UST, FEU, UP and UE, MCU is at the bottom, far different from what it used to be in the old days passed.
As I came out of the classrooms on our 1st day after our orientation, I saw a welcome banner of an organization called MEDICUS (Medici Omnes Duciens). Then I noticed MEDICUS members welcoming the new students to the campus. As I gave myself a tour of the campus, I saw medici omnes duciens labels on things that appears to be new along the background of old. These I learned later to be small projects by MEDICUS members.
From its founding, MEDICUS is the organization that mediate or channels what the students needs and wants to almost everyone, always the leader. It makes the life of a medical student less boring and made improvements in the campus atmosphere and its facilities to the best that they can do. After the founding of MEDICUS the College and Board established the Medical Student Council, and several other student organization came up (some from students who tried to be a MEDICUS but did not made it for one reason or another, there is also an organization where another MEDICUS is a founder). From this humble beginnings MEDICUS is still here trying to do what it was made for. MEDICUS members even though a lot have graduated from MCU, were still leading in their respective communities and trying to be a focal point of change for a better tomorrow.
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