About the Department of Psychiatry
Mission
To promote mental health and to improve the lives of persons suffering from mental illness by providing the best possible patient care through research, training, and psychoeducation.
Vision
We will be the destination for those who seek excellent and innovative mental health care, education, and training.
Tagline
Mental health for all. Today, tomorrow, and always.
History of the Department of Psychiatry
Since its inception, the consultant staff of the Department of Psychiatry has consisted of the specialty’s most eminent and renowned members, including +Baltazar V. Reyes, Jr., MD; +Gilberto Gamez, MD; Jose Japson, MD; +Rodolfo C. Laserna, MD; +Eduardo L. Jurilla, MD; Paulino S. Tenchavez, MD; and +Pacita Ramos-Salceda, MD. Having acquired specialized knowledge and experience from their training programs abroad, this roster of distinguished psychiatrists nurtured the Makati Medical Center Neuropsychiatry Unit’s status as the country’s gold standard for private acute psychiatric care facilities.
In 2023, the Makati Medical Center Esketamine Clinic was established. This was the first Esketamine Clinic in the Philippines which provided an innovative outpatient treatment option for patients with treatment resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal intent. That same year, in the spirit of providing psychoeducation to the community, the section also began efforts in collaborating with the neurology department to provide lectures to barangays in the city of Makati.
In 2024, the Department of Neurosciences was formally launched as an Institute. The three sections – Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, were also elevated to the status of department. Dr. Edgardo Juan Tolentino was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Neurological Sciences and Dr. Jon Edward B. Jurilla as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ryan Edward Rabago was appointed to serve as the Vice-Chairman and the Training Officer. Dr. Renee Obra-Puno was selected to serve as the Ward Administrator succeeding Dr. Ryan Edward Rabago. In 2025, Dr. Obra-Puno was also appointed as the head of the Esketamine Clinic.
Since the establishment of the Department of Psychiatry, the Makati Medical Center has been recognized as a premier training institution for aspiring resident physicians in this specialized field. From the very beginning, its training program has consistently attained the Philippine Psychiatric Association’s full accreditation status. The Department continues to flourish as it strives to meet the needs of contemporary society.
With such a storied history, and with such progressive initiatives in place, the Makati Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry continues to forge onward, as it leads the way in the advancement of Mental Health.