Leopoldo "Bong" Jumalon Vega was born on November 4,1955 and is a Filipino physician, surgeon and former hospital administrator serving as an undersecretary of the Department of Health since 2020.
21 Facts About Leopoldo Vega
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On July 13,2020, Vega was appointed to the National Task Force Against Coronavirus under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases as COVID-19 Treatment Czar.
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Leopoldo Vega was born and raised in Davao City, the son of Garcilaso Leopoldo Vega, a lawyer, and Beatrice Jumalon.
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Leopoldo Vega received his primary and secondary education at the Ateneo de Davao and then moved to Quezon City to attend the Ateneo de Manila University.
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Leopoldo Vega graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies in 1975.
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Leopoldo Vega obtained his Doctor of Medicine in 1979 from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center.
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Leopoldo Vega then passed the Physicians Licensure Exam in 1980 and completed his surgery training back in his hometown of Davao at the Davao Medical Center in 1985.
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In 1986, Leopoldo Vega passed the Philippine Board of Surgery Examinations.
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Leopoldo Vega attended a Health Management program at the Asian Institute of Management in 2005 and earned a Master of Business Administration from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in 2009.
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Leopoldo Vega was trained on cardiothoracic surgery at the Philippine Heart Center and completed the Hospital Management Program of the Singapore Management University in 2016.
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Leopoldo Vega first practiced medicine at the government-owned Davao Medical Center in 1981.
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Leopoldo Vega moved to private practice in 1985 and served in the cooperative hospital of the Philippines' first medical cooperative, the Medical Mission Group Health and Hospital Services Cooperative, as its program coordinator.
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Leopoldo Vega began his 21-year career as an associate professor at the Davao Medical School Foundation in 1987 and served as part of the Davao City local government's organizing committee for community-based health programs for four years beginning in 1988.
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Between 1991 and 1997, Leopoldo Vega served as chairman of the MMGHHSC cooperative where he earlier served as program coordinator for the Cooperative Health Fund.
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Leopoldo Vega returned to this position in 1999, which he held until 2003, and served in the board of the Cooperative Bank of Davao City until 2001 and as program coordinator of the MMGHHSC Federation from 2001 to 2003 and the Air Transport Cooperative in 2001.
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In 2003, Leopoldo Vega was hired as the first medical chief of the Davao Medical School Foundation where he has been teaching medicine since 1987.
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Leopoldo Vega is credited for working alongside the Davao local government in putting up isolation centers and preparing the hospital for the eventual surge in cases by March 2020.
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On June 5,2020, Leopoldo Vega left his 39-year career as a hospital administrator and doctor specializing in cardiothoracic surgery to join government service after he was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Undersecretary for Special Concerns of the Department of Health.
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Leopoldo Vega spearheaded the creation of other regional OHCC systems in Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Davao Region for closer monitoring of local quarantine sites.
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Leopoldo Vega is a recipient of the 2008 Ten Outstanding Filipino Physicians award conferred by Junior Chamber International Philippines.
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Leopoldo Vega received the Leaders and Achievers of Davao Award in the field of health.