‘Doc Gary admonishes us to eat well, maintain a good disposition, avoid vices and to follow the doctor’s orders.’

Among those who were saddened and deeply affected by the news of Doc Willie Ong’s sarcoma (a group of cancers that begin in the bones and the soft connective tissues of the body) was doctor/media personality Gary Sy.

Back in the late 1990s, Doc Gary began his advocacy for public health education as a radio broadcaster, a newspaper columnist and an author of health books written in Filipino, the “Gabay sa Kalusugan” series. In the early 2000s, he hosted a TV program on RPN 9 called “KTV (Kalusugan TV)” with Amy Perez as his co-host.

Whether in print or in broadcast media, Doc Gary can explain complicated medical issues in simple Filipino. Inspired by Doc Willie Ong (whose combined YouTube and Facebook followers are more than 26 million), Doc Gary has turned to vlogging to continue his advocacy.

“Malungkot ako sa nangyari kay Kuya Doc Willie,” said Doc Gary in a Facebook post. “Hindi biro ang ganung sakit. Ramdam ko ang paghihirap niya parehong pisikal at emosyonal…”

Doc Gary and Doc Willie’s bond go way back. In fact, the former regards the latter like an older brother. Doc Gary says in jest “Doctor na si Kuya, medical student pa lang ako.”

But seriously, Doc Gary, the geriatrician, was surprised when Doc Willie, the cardiologist-internist, contacted him in 2018 to guest on his YouTube vlog. Doc Willie and his wife Dr. Liza, showed up in Doc Gary’s clinic the next day to record a video about living a long and healthy life.

“Si Kuya Doc Willie ang dahilan kung bakit ako nasa YouTube,” Doc Gary reiterated. “Sinabihan niya akong mag-YouTube para mas maraming matulungan sa pagbibigay kaalamang pangkalusugan.”

Doc Gary knows how difficult it is to get sick. In 2021, he and his wife got COVID. “Nag-severe COVID (kami),” he told Malaya Business Insight.  “So, maraming worries. I know, I understand, kung ano ang feeling ng mga pasyente. Kung ako nga, doktor, nag-worry ako. Paano pa kayo, ‘di ba?”

Doc Gary noted that the pandemic gave rise to diseases affecting one’s mental health. “Marami kasi sa atin ang nawalan ng maayos na buhay. Until now, dala pa rin natin ‘yung anxiety.”

Times have changed yet Doc Gary’s advice and advocacy remains focused on the preventive rather than the cure. “Puros tayo naghahanap ng solusyon sa sakit, which is, I think, wrong.”

He summed up his tips for a healthy life this way: “Number one, ‘yung kinakain mo. Number two, ‘yung ugali mo. Number three, ‘yung mga bisyo mo. Number four, ‘yung tigas ng ulo mo. Even those who are maintaining their medications, they’re not drinking their medication regularly. ‘Pag maganda pakiramdam, nalilimutan ‘yung gamot. Tapos, kapag may naramdaman na, ‘tsaka lang tinutuloy,” he elaborated.

Doc Gary admonishes us to eat well, maintain a good disposition, avoid vices and to follow the doctor’s orders.

As to why his Kuya Doc Willie got cancer, Doc Gary can only utter. “Minsan mapapatanong tayo kung bakit sa matinong tao nangyari ‘yan. Bakit nagkaroon siya ng sarcoma?… May mga bagay o pangyayari na tanging Diyos lang nakakaalam… To Kuya Doc Willie, please rest well. Pagaling ka at huwag mong isipin ang iba kind sarili mo. Kapit lang.”