Dr. Ofelia Samar-Sy: Tapping education, health care to transform lives in Bicol
Having struggled to make ends meet during her school years, Dr. Ofelia Samar-Sy, 63, now dedicates herself to giving hope and providing access to education for underprivileged children in last-mile villages.
As an internist-cardiologist based in Albay province, she has also initiated projects, through the help of charitable institutions, to deliver free medical care to remote communities.
Samar-Sy is the cofounder of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2010 that provides boats, painted in bright yellow, that not only serve as a means of transportation but also symbolize hope and a brighter future for children in the Bicol region and other areas.
“From my humble beginnings—where poverty was a daily battle—to becoming a doctor, educator, and leader, I have seen firsthand how opportunities, or the lack thereof, can shape lives. This is why I dedicate myself to breaking barriers for underprivileged students and underserved communities,” she told the Inquirer.
Her commitment to providing access to quality education also motivated her to lead Bicol as the coordinator of Agapp (Aklat, Gabay, Aruga, Tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa) Foundation, which supports schools in improving access to preschool education and early childhood development. The foundation also collaborates with other organizations to promote supplementary feeding, health initiatives, and other essential child- and family-focused interventions.
Community projects
Samar-Sy was the first female summa cum laude at Bicol University in Legazpi City and was named Most Outstanding Graduate when she completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology degree in 1981. With this achievement, she received a scholarship to pursue a Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College in Manila.
Now, as a professor and dean of the College of Medicine at Bicol University, she has continued her efforts through research and community projects, such as launching the MaPaLaD (Medisina Para sa Lahat Dapat, or Medicine for All) Program, which encourages underprivileged students to pursue medicine through scholarship grants and other support services.
In February, her team also established floating/mobile clinics using motorized boats in Malilipot, Albay, by partnering with Nuvance Global Health, a nonprofit based in the United States, to bring primary health-care services to remote communities.
“Whether through MaPaLaD, the Yellow Boat of Hope, or the countless classrooms and medical missions we have built, my mission has always been clear: to uplift others so they, too, can dream, achieve, and pay it forward. True success is not measured by personal accolades but by the lives we transform and the hope we restore in others,” Samar-Sy said.
Her excellence as an educator and medical doctor has been recognized by various award-giving bodies and institutions over the years.
In 2022 and 2023, she was named one of the Most Outstanding Filipino Physicians by the Junior Chamber International Senate Philippines and the Philippine Medical Association (PMA). And in 2018, she received a national award as the Dr. Jose P. Rizal Most Outstanding Physician in Community Service and Leadership, also given by the PMA.
