138 students vow to serve the people in 7th White Coat Ceremony

March 12, 2017

By Carla Lazara, The Pharmakon

University of the Philippines College of Pharmacy faculty, alumni, and guests welcomed 72 BS Pharmacy and 66 BS Industrial Pharmacy students to the professional world last November 5, 2016, during the annual White Coat Ceremony (WCC) at the Girl Scouts of the Philippines Auditorium.

Being a much-awaited event where students are cloaked with white coats as a symbol of the profession, the White Coat Ceremony was also given the theme “For the Nation, For the Future: Revitalizing the Heart of Every Pharmacist in Service of the Filipino People”.

Dean Monet Loquias gave her opening remarks by revisiting the core meaning of why the students are being trained with excellence to be great pharmacists.

Multi-awarded alumni Roderick Salenga came as the guest speaker and congratulated the students on pursuing the pharmacy profession. He reminded them of the importance of the pharmacist in the healthcare team. In his speech, he said, “I am here to tell you that being ‘just a pharmacist’ is not a bad nor an inferior choice. In life, you have two options – you can choose to be great or you can choose not to. Greatness does not come from others. Greatness is an internal phenomenon.”

KEYNOTE SPEECH. Associate Professor Eric Salenga congratulates the students and their families prior to the cloaking proper. Photo by Jarvin Tan

Students took the Oath of a Pharmacy Student, and were inducted by the president of the Young Pharmacist’s Group-Philippines, Christine Aileen Benosa. They swore on the commitment to be of service to all mankind through the practice of pharmacy.

UP Manila College of Pharmacy’s annual White Coat Ceremony was started in 2010 and has been continued up to this year’s 7th ceremonies, where the ceremony marked the transition between student life and the professional world. UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla, Philippine Pharmacists Association President Yolanda Robles, and College Secretary Jean FlorCasauay also gave messages congratulating those who had attended the said event.