03/02/2026
On his birthday today, we pay homage to a remarkable man, Dr. Amando D. Cope.
The late physician graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Santo Tomas during the Second World War; after his graduation and for lack of transportation, he walked from Manila to his hometown in Bicol to join the guerrilla movement against the invading Japanese Imperial Army; and he founded Tabaco General Hospital in 1948, now known as Dr. Amando D. Cope Memorial Hospital.
He crowned a life of selfless service by becoming Congressman of the First District of Albay at a time when running for public office was regarded as a genuine act of public service and a true honor.
As grateful recipients of his generosity, my siblings and I did not count the cost or the sacrifices required to rebuild his hospital after it was razed to the ground by fire a few years after his death. Wanting to honor him even more and to express our boundless gratitude, we established AMANDO COPE COLLEGE as a token of his enduring generosity, and most especially his commitment to giving those with less in life the opportunity to be educated.
By way of greeting him on his birthday today, the 4th of February, we celebrate not only the birth of Dr. Amando
D. Cope, but also the 78th Foundation Anniversary of Dr.
Amando D. Cope Memorial Hospital and the 22nd Foundation Anniversary of Amando Cope College.
