It was 85 years ago. The flames of time had just razed through the world. Changes were imminent.

That year was a significant year for the Filipinos, who, prior to that time, were a colony of the United States of America. The United States had finally announced that that they were granting the Philippines Independence, despite then President Herbert Hoover being against it. The Philippine Flag was once again raised on its own soil; the National Anthem was sung again with the hearts of the patriotic filipinos beating with pride at the fact that they can call the Philippines their own country.

It was in 1933. The sun had risen, its golden rays ushering light that made their way to the University.

Intern Antonio P. Caniza trudged across the halls of the Philippine General Hospital. Around his neck was a stethoscope; in his hand a clipboard filled with notes that were barely legible if you were not used to looking at them. The patient charts on that clipboard were even more of a mess. The intern himself looked positively tired.

Just as he was about to round the corner that headed towards the Hospital Canteen, a hand clapped on his shoulder.

It was his good friend, Jose Barcelona.

“Kumusta ka na, Tony!” Barcelona greeted him, one hand around his friend’s shoulder, the other clutching a similar set of notes and charts that Caniza was carrying. “Sabi ko na nga sa iyo na magiging toxic yung rotation na iyan. How are you holding up?”

The two made their way to the canteen and ordered their first meal of the day before settling down at one of the tables.

“I’m fine, just a bit winded, I guess,” Caniza replied, before mustering the strength to take a bite of his apple.

Jose chuckled. “I had heard about your case from one of my blockmates the other day. Pretty toxic, huh?”

As they talked, they never noticed that another one of their friends was coming towards them. He looked comparatively well-rested compared to the other two. When he had finally took his seat with the other two, it was Barcelona who took notice of the new presence.

“Oi Chitong! Kumusta ka? Mukhang maluwag ata yung schedule natin ah, parang maayos tulog mo eh,” Jose greeted their friend before playfully boxing him at the shoulder.

Luis Torres, Jr. could not help but let out a slight chuckle. “Benefits of having to go through the more toxic rotations first, my good friend.”

“Lucky for you, the new chief resident is an angel,” Jose joked, taking another bite of his apple. “By the way, I’d like to remind you of the next General Assembly for the Tagalogs and Ilocanos. We have a party coming up, and I’d appreciate if you two come to share your opinions….”

And so it was during that time that cliques were the mainstay of the University. They were tight bonds, for sure, but nothing was to compare to the revelation that revealed itself upon the three men much later.

It was 85 years ago. The flames of time had razed through the world. From the ashes came a discovery that would forever change the College of Medicine.

“Tony, we need to talk,” Torres asked his friend as they crossed paths in the halls of PGH on their way to their respective rounds. “I’ve got something on my mind, I’d like to talk to you and Jose about it. Think you can spare some time tomorrow night?”

Caniza, now involved in a much lighter schedule than a few weeks prior, nodded, making a mental note to clear up his schedule in the evening of the next day. He could see the expression on his friends face seemed serious, if not giddy. He certainly looked excited, if nothing else fit his description.

“I’ll make time, Chitong. Just make sure to tell Jose about it.”

And so they went their separate ways; taking care of patients was to take precedence over everything else for the moment. They were to be doctors after all; patients were their priority.

And so they met again one cold Friday night in the open-roof second floor of a diner that was popular among the people in the area. Everyone else seemed tired except Torres, who was excitedly preparing his notes to present to the other two with him.

“So, I had this idea. Why not create a fraternity?”

The other two suddenly jolted awake upon hearing those words. The thought of creating one never really crossed their minds until now. It was not an old concept, that was for sure, but Greek-letter organizations were held with such high regard among people. To top it off, the word brotherhood could only mean one thing.

“What exactly do you mean?” Barcelona asked, slightly confused by what Torres was suggesting to them.

“I mean exactly what I’m saying. A fraternity,” Torres began as he tried to explain to the other two who were casting doubtful glances at him. “It would be more than just an organization, more than just an honor society.”

“Chitong, we get that. But what would make it different to that honor society?” Caniza asked him again. Although he had knowledge of what these organizations were, but not what made them so different from others.

“It’s simple, Tony. It’s members would be more than just members,” Torres began as he stood up and made his way to the balcony, then taking a deep breath of the crisp air. “The members will be more than just acquaintances to each other, even more than friends.”

He turned back to the other two; so confident that the next words he was about to utter were the ones that would finally convince them to join his cause.

“They would all be brothers to each other. A brotherhood of doctors and med students who strive to be the best they can be as professionals and students.”

And with that, the other two consented to Torres’ idea. The three shared a toast; the first of many more to come.

They all knew it was not going to be an easy road. The journey from friendship to real brotherhood was something that would take time and effort. It was going to take commitment from each and everyone involved. At the same time, they were all entranced by the idea; all the trials and tribulations would be worth it in the end.

With that, the other two gave Torres their approval.

And so it began. The three men were not the only ones that talked about the establishment of a new brotherhood. Nicanor Padilla, Jr of the juniors had been thinking of the same thing. He had been approached by Torres before; the two acquaintances due to their membership in the Tagalog-Ilocano faction. They set upon finding members to join them on this new venture and after weeks of painstakingly going through all their contacts, as well as contacts of those contacts, they were 35 in number.

One cold night, the 35 men who dared to brave into this new venture met. It was in front of a classroom they all knew very well; not a single College of Medicine student has not passed through those halls during their stay here.

Caniza had made sure everyone had eaten their dinner; he knew it was going to be a long night. He and Torres led the other 33 students into the room, and they all seated down in the seats. The interns in the front; then the clerks behind them. The juniors would volunteer to preside over the meeting, having had the time to prepare the necessary agenda beforehand unlike the busier interns. The Sophomores and the Juniors distributed themselves equally among the chairs in the classroom.

Padilla called for their attention: and so the meeting began.

“For our first agenda, we need a name for our Fraternity; three letters that will symbolize our fraternity throughout its existence,” Benito Reverente, one of the juniors, said. “Are there any suggestions?”

It was Torres’ hand who shot up first, and after being recognized, he walked towards the front of the classroom and picked up a piece of chalk. He proceeded to write three letters on the board; three letters that he had been visualizing in his head ever since he thought about of the entire idea in the first place.

“ΦΚΜ”

Satisfied that he had written the three letters on the board well enough to do them justice, he turned to the rest of the group.

“We shall call it Phi Kappa Mu; the Fraternity of the College of Medicine.”

Active discussion followed this announcement from Torres. Whether or not those three symbols were fit to symbolize their fold were given careful consideration. Other symbols were considered, each with their respective meanings, but in the end, the majority had spoken.

And so it was that this new Fraternity was to be called the Phi Kappa Mu. The Fraternity of the College of Medicine.

With the Fraternity finally christened, it was time to build up the foundation of the fledgling brotherhood.

The seal was then decided upon. It was a seven-cornered golden sunburst, with 49 rays with the Greek Letters of “ΦΚΜ” at the center of it all. Above the letters was the acronym that symbolized the institution that all its loyal sons would belong to until this day, “UP”. Below it, the word “Medicine”.

Leopoldo Vergel De Dios’ interest in politics and law proved beneficial as he volunteered to take on the task of leading the creation of the constitution and by-laws.

It was now time to elect the officers of the new Fraternity. Each of the candidates presented what they were planning for the Fraternity; all the members scrutinized them carefully. In the end of it all, it was Antonio P. Caniza who was voted as the leader; the Superior Exemplar of the Phi Kappa Mu.

Once that was done and the clock had struck 12 to signify the start of the next day, the juniors had called the meeting adjourned and they began to file out of the room. They were all tired, but the passion was still burning inside of them.

They all had more important duties to take care of the next day. Classes, Ward Works, and unfinished patient charts awaited the 35 brothers who had exited that familiar classroom.

In the back of their minds, however, they knew that the hard work was just beginning.

The first year passed quickly for the new brotherhood. The Dance at the Metropolitan Theatre was their first activity, followed by the first Fraternity picture at the Sun Studio. 23 of the 35 members made their appearance at the studio, but that did not stop them from making their mark as this picture made its way into the UP Philippinesian the year after, finally introducing the Fraternity to the rest of the world.

The year also heralded the formation of the Seven Cardinal Virtues. These virtues were essential to anyone who bore the symbol “Φ” in their name. These guided the 35 charter members then, and it would continue to guide the loyal sons who would come in the next 85 years.

85 years on, the fold is still as alive as ever. It continues to stand as a bastion of medical excellence and professionalism, and, guided by its Cardinal Virtues, its loyal sons continue to glorify it with their legendary deeds, both in our motherland and in other lands. From the initial 35 to over a thousand, three-hundred, and seventy-three strong, its legacy continues to grow ever larger. And while the times have changed drastically since the 1930s, the Phi Kappa Mu will soldier on. As they say “Time Favors the Strong”.

85 years ago, the Phi Kappa Mu rose from the ashes left by the Flames of Time…

85 years later… the Flames of Time have razed through the world once again. Changes were imminent.

But the Phi Kappa Mu remains, unburnt by the Flames that it has risen from in the past…