History - The Beginning

The Gullas College of Medicine (GCM) opened its doors in 1977, in Banilad, Mandaue City. It was established by the family of Don Vicente Gullas and Lady Josefina R. Gullas to respond to the call for more physicians to serve the medical and health needs of the country, competent physicians imbued with love, leadership and service to humanity. The Gullas family desired to give students from Visayas and Mindanao better opportunities for excellent medical education near their localities. GCM is part of the educational system of the University of the Visayas, founded in 1919 as the Visayan Institute by Don Vicente Gullas and his wife, Lady Josefina R. Gullas. The second world war razed its physical facilities, reopened in Argao, Cebu in 1946 and returned to its original and present location at Colon St., Cebu City. In 1948, it was conferred University status, to become the first University in Cebu. From an initial enrollment of 37 students in 1919, it has produced distinguished alumni in government service, public administration, and in the professions of law, engineering and architecture, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, accountancy, business, liberal arts, education, criminology maritime and nautical, computer studies as well as in sports and the arts. GCM perpetuates the memory of Don Vicente Gullas, lawyer, writer and educator and founder of the University of the Visayas. Of the first 78 students in 1977 who enrolled in the first year, 35 graduated in 1981. GCM has produced over the years topnotchers in the medical board examinations and outstanding medical practitioners both in government and private practice.
Dr. Renato Espinosa, a UP graduate and a former PMA President was its first Dean, who served for 18 years. The second Dean was Dr. Pek Eng Lim who was succeeded about 1 and a half year later by Dr. Samuel D. Trocio, Sr. of UP class 1953, who was a National President of the Philippines Society of Anatomists (PSA) and the first National President of the Philippine Society of General Surgeons (PSGS). In June 2007, Dr. Leonard Raymund C. Cimafranca, FPPS became the Dean, followed by Dr. Ray Perez. After 1 year, Dr. Leopold G. Lucero, was named Officer-in-Charge of the College. Dr. Niño Ismael S. Pastor, is now the current Dean of the College. After years of nurturing its growth, GCM’s administration was passed on to the Gullas children – Hon. Eduardo R. Gullas, President; Dr. Jose R. Gullas, Executive Vice-President and Madame Gliceria Gullas-Lucero, Comptroller. And now to the grandchildren led by Dr. Gerald Anthony S. Gullas as President, Mr. Joselito F. Gullas as Executive Vice-President and Dr. Leopold G. Lucero, Senior Vice-President/Comptroller. The Gullas College of Medicine is multi-racial. It has opened its doors to students from foreign countries, Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia, Iran and the United States. In 2018, the Memorandum of Agreement GCM entered into with Dr. David K. Pillai, an Indian educator and businessman saw a large influx of Indian students enrolling in its medical courses and the enhancement and upgrading of its school facilities. GCM expects under Dr. David K. Pillai’s guidance, direction and initiatives, it will rise to be one of the exemplary pillars of medical education, a center of excellence in the Philippines and hopefully in Asia and the world.
The nature and purpose of the College was motivated by the moral, spiritual, and religious inspiration imbued with the values of the Judeo-Christian tradition guided by the spiritual and intellectual ideals of UV’s founder Don Vicente Gullas. GCM in the fulfillment of its corporate purposes, teaching, research, and community service, is dedicated to the education of men and women, to render medical and public health services for the greater glory of God, to the eternal well-being of the people of the Philippines and the temporal glorification of Central Visayas, especially the province and cities of Cebu. Its historical philosophy states that, “With God’s inspiration as my guiding light, someday among thousands of VI and University of the Visayas students and alumni, I hope to produce Kings and Queens who will never wear crowns but shall be royals just the same; And when I shall be dead, I wish that my life will not be a tale that is told – a dream empty and forgotten, I wish it to be a prayer, or a song of love and usefulness, even if only to kindle the heart of fire in the soul of some weakling or some unfortunate being who have still the spark and image of God in them.” Don Vicente R. Gullas. “The Art of Living Well”. GCM is anchored on the philosophy of “Amor, Servitum Leadersip et Humanitas”. It puts Love, Leadership and Service to Humanity first above all. It believes in shaping a student’s career to broaden his perspective to prepare him for a medical career in the place of his/her choice. The founding philosophy is, “Through our medical academic training, we will instill the essence of the medical profession in our students to make him/her a life-long learner and help him/her achieve his/her full potentials”.