She told me“ start ka na sa December” after she interviewed me for the fellowship position I applied for in a break during the 1998 PSMID Annual Convention. I had heard so much about her and of her before that meeting but I met and spoke to a jolly and candid person, and I took note of the effect she had on people.I saw respect, admiration and awe around us and there she was across me unmindful of the attention she was being given while she laughingly talked about Cebu lechon.
My 2 - year journey under her taught me diligence, attention to detail and“ thinking out of the box.” While I struggled to learn Infectious Diseases, I saw in her the personification of “nothing is impossible if something needed is to be done” be it for the patients we tended to, the commitments we had to keep and the responsibilities on our laps. She persevered not for the glory nor the accolades but because“ it had to be done.” She was my kind of teacher, my kind of hero.
Thank you Dr Tupasi. You will always be an inspiration. You will always be a guiding light.
I love you.