
The UST College of Science has initiated a fundraising campaign by selling lugaw (rice porridge) to support the cancer treatment of its former department chair who is battling cancer.
Asst. Prof. Enrico Yambao, a faculty member of the UST College of Science’s Department of Mathematics and Physics, is suffering from adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that grows in the glandular cells, which produce fluids such as mucus and juices in the body.
Yambao, 62, headed the department for over 10 years.
Described by his colleagues as generous, Yambao had been in cancer remission after being cleared of nasopharyngeal cancer in 2020, Assoc. Prof. Ma. Ninia Calaca, president of the Faculty Association of the College of Science and a close friend of Yambao, said.
“He is not the type of person who depends on other people. He is an independent person. He’s the type that won’t ask for anything. So, when he was hospitalized, I secretly went to the department chairs and asked if they could donate.”
Recognizing Yambao’s need for financial assistance with his costly cancer treatments — estimated at ₱90,000 per session — his colleagues initiated a fundraising program called “Lugaw for a Cause.”
The lugaw is sold for ₱100 to students and ₱150 to faculty and staff. According to Calaca, many students and professors have gone beyond simply purchasing by donating extra money and refusing change.
“What we earn from this is not even enough to cover one treatment. But, we think that this one is a big help to him,” Calaca said. “It’s not only that. (It’s also) the value of bringing together Thomasians to help. Kahit maliit, they can help. They can help and they could be part of an initiative like this.”
“This initiative not only aims to provide financial support to Sir Enrico but also to foster a deeper sense of solidarity and compassion within the UST community.”
Yambao, diagnosed on Oct. 2, was discharged from the hospital last Dec. 7.
The “Lugaw for a Cause” fundraiser is available on the third floor of the Main Building until Dec. 19, with all proceeds going to Yambao’s ongoing cancer treatment.