Fe del Mundo

Fe Villanueva del Mundo (born Fé Primitiva del Mundo y Villanueva; November 27, 1911 – August 6, 2011) was a Filipino pediatrician. She founded the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines and helped shape the country's modern child healthcare system. Her pioneering work in pediatrics in the Philippines spanned eight decades.

She gained international recognition, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1977. In 1980, she was conferred the rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines, and in 2010, she received the Order of Lakandula. She was the first female president of the Philippine Pediatric Society and the first woman to be named National Scientist of the Philippines. She was also the first Asian to be elected president of the Philippine Medical Association in its 65-year history, and the first Asian to be voted president of the Medical Women's International Association.

Early life and education

Del Mundo was born at 120 Cabildo Street in the district of Intramuros, Manila, on November 27, 1911. She was one of eight children of Bernardo del Mundo and Paz (née Villanueva; d. 1925). Her family home was opposite the Manila Cathedral. Bernardo was a prominent lawyer from Marinduque who served one term in the Philippine Assembly representing the province of Tayabas. Three of her eight siblings died in infancy, while an older sister died from appendicitis at age 11. The death of her younger sister Elisa, who had made known her desire to become a doctor for the poor, inspired del Mundo to choose a career in medicine.