Dr. Herminio Velarde, Jr., Project Director of Pacifica Productions, Ophthalmologist and Otorhinologist

Dr. Herminio Velarde, Jr. had studied Medicine in the University of the Philippines Diliman and graduated in 1942. He specialized in the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary where he was a Junior Assistant but does the job of a Senior Assistant for the House Surgeon in the Ophthalmic Department of the said institution in 1953.

He was the second doctor who studied ophthalmology in the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary after his father in the country where he rode a war navy ship to go to the United States since there was no planes during that time.

He took his grade school diploma from Ermita Elementary School and high school diploma in UP Diliman. In there, he composed the School Hymn of the Ophthalmology and Otorhinology Department of the said university.

He became a member of the oldest medicine fraternity in the Philippines, Phi Kappa Mu. He was noted for writing the fraternity song of the clad.

When he was an ophthalmic surgeon- professor- director of their department in the University of the East RM Medical Center, he produced a charity fashion show “Pacifica 1967” for a projected hospital- medical school Asian Eye Institute (AEI), where he was the brain behind it, that will serve as a training ground for young doctors and nurses. 

"This is killing my reputation at home, I'm becoming known as a producer instead of an eye doctor." said Dr. Velarde,Jr. in an interview by the Manila Times.

The institution will be equipped with professional doctors from America, Japan and the Philippines.

“My dream is to have an eye hospital for the poor in my country” said Mr. Velarde.

1965 Ms. Universe Aspara Hongsakula joined the said fund- raising event.

Dr. Velarde, Jr was married to Joji Felix Velarde, the prima ballerina, choreographer and a top model who also appeared along with other volunteer models who all came from well- to do families.



He even quoted that: " You could not just be a pretty face in the middle of poverty, you must be relevant to the society."


He has three children: Gigi, Bonbon, and Jay.

Two boys and one girl. Gigi is the eldest and is the one who pursued her mother and father's career in theater and ballet.

As a father, Dr. Velarde was very understanding and he exposed her daughter in theater like Walang Sugat and Minda Mora and fashion. In fact, even brought her in New York to study at John Robert Powers finishing a career course.

Dr. Velarde, Jr. devoted his life in serving the poor like his father. He served and cured for free in Hospital ng Maynila, Philippine General Hospital, St. Paul’s Manila Clinic and at Notre Dame Hospital in Baguio, where we found our Igorot tribal brothers and sisters bringing vegetables, fruits and chicken as payment for Dr. Velarde’s medical attention.

Dr. Velarde, Jr. was also almost a regular guest in the public service program, “Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko”, where he gave advices on television for any eye, ear, nose and throat problems of our poor citizens and even offering a cure for free.

Dr. Velarde had difficulties in surpassing his father’s records as a doctor since they belonged to the same field.

His father, Dr. Herminio Velarde, Sr. was the personal doctor of President Manuel Roxas and President Manuel Quezon. He is also the one who organized the Knights of Rizal where he became the Supreme Commander.

Velarde, Sr. was also one of the founders of the Alagad ni Bonifacio. He received a Meritorious Service Award Posthumous in recognition of his distinguished and exemplary contributions in the field of Ophthalmology and Otorhinology for the enhancement of Medical Science and the betterment of humanity, given on December 21, 1966 by the UP College of Medicine.

Meanwhile, Dr. Velarde, Jr. had also built Makati Eye and Ear Clinic, earlier than the Makati Medical center. Aside form eye and ear specialist, the clinic were also studded with wide- ranging experts from different areas of health such as stomach, heart, brain, etc. coming both from  abroad and even local health experts.

Dr. Hermino Velarde, Jr. was a doctor but an artist as well, for his mother was the daughter of the Composer- Conductor of the Famous Zarzuela “Walang Sugat” and “Minda Mora”. So, during his younger days, Dr. Velarde, Jr. would escape his medical profession to sing on the radio live on- air with his best friend- cousin, Miguel Velarde, Jr., the composer of “Dahil Sa Iyo”, “Buhat”, “Kay Tagal Mong Bumalik Mc Arthur”, “Silayan”, and many others.


Mike Velarde’s Dahil Sa Iyo was the 1^st tagalog song translated in English by the lettermen.

Dr. Velarde, Jr. was well- known as Tony because his voice sounded like Tony Bennett.

On that time, his heart was divided into two, the other half belong to Medicine and the other half was in the Arts. Maybe, it is because of the influence he got from his mother’s father, Maestro Fulgencio Tolentino.

Reconstruction of the lost music of Fulgencio Tolentino for Walang Sugat was done through the help of Mr. Pedrito Reyes, son of Don Severino Reyes, Dr. Herminio Velarde, grandson of Fulgencio Tolentino, Mrs. Consuelo Velarde, widow of Dr. Herminio Velarde, Sr. and daughter of the composer, Fulgencio Tolentino and with her only son alive, Dr. Augusto Tolentino and other relatives and friends and Mrs. Cely Tolentino- Kiener who is still alive in above hundred age. Composers Constancio de Guzman and Mike Velarde, Jr. composed additional songs as guided by the libretto.

a song added to the original libretto of
Walang Sugat, as composed by Dr. Herminio Velarde, Jr.

Dr. Velarde, Jr. showed his passion for music not only in his love for singing but he actually did a few compositions for two known zarzuelas. In “Walang Sugat”, he composed “Kalayaan, Ipaglaban” and for “Minda Mora”, “Gunita”. Not forgetting the UP Hymn of his department.

In his song “Kalayaan, Ipaglaban”, you would feel, see and hear that he is a man who treasures his freedom and a Filipino who is willing to die for his country.

The other song he did for “Minda Mora” talks about love and peace and that we must not kill each other for we belong to one country, one blood, and one family. Moro o Muslim, kapatid din natin.

He was one of the Presidents of the Bachelor's Club of the Philippines. He is one of those who suggested to give bags and goodies for the poor every Christmas at Luneta Park and the Bachelor's Club started the lighting of the Christmas Tree .

Aside from singing and composing songs, Dr. Velarde, Jr. was also known for being the best tango dancer of the Bachelor’s Club of the Philippines. In fact, Leonor Orosa Goquingco, national artist in creative dance, confessed in one of her interviews that Dr. Velarde is the one who encouraged her to perform for the Philippines in the Philippine- American Independence Day celebration in New York. She is actually shy to perform by herself but the doctor insisted that the Philippines must have a representative in the said celebration. To convince her, Dr. Hermino Velarde, Jr. offered to performe with her as her partner in the dance “tinikling”.  The performance made the dance well- known in the world as a trademark of the country and personally, for Goquingco, it was the start of her dancing career and this was all made through the insistent effort of Dr. Velarde.

He also organized a band of doctors who would play during the celebration of the liberation and in different fiestas which was a celebration of the eucharist.

He was also noted for organizing the first World Ophthalmology Congress to be held in the country.

Dr. Velarde also started the rejuvenation clinic in the Philippines, where he brought the stem cells from Germany to prolong and improve the human body functions in 1977. 

But of course, the Filipino people were not ready for this yet so the idea of rejuvenation was rejected by many. It was  just accepted recently and today everybody is into it, in fact, the Senate was questioned for allocating a big amount for the research of stem cells though Dr. Velarde bring this to the country for free. Today,  you hear of it and its price is sky high.

He also introduced the building  of Condominiums in the country. He actually wanted to build the Pacifica Condominium, “a city within a city”, he says. “You have the sports complex, grocery, parlor, health club, etc inside a building and you need not to travel far. But again, the Filipinos were still into their big houses and could not imagine themselves living in a box, so they say.”

According to her daughter, Gigi Felix Velarde, Dr. Velarde Jr. was born too early for his time. This is clearly evident on how he imposed innovations yet is unappreciated during those days.

As you can see, Dr. Velarde, Jr. was not only a doctor, he was also a singer, tango dancer, composer, cheerleader in UP, freedom fighter, producer, and a director in his own rights and we can say that indeed, he is a man with a vision, improving Filipino lives, a man who takes pride in being a Filipino.