At the heart of Makati Life Medical Center’s first Human Experience (HuE) Summit, the message is clear: care is shared. More than a hospital initiative, HuE represents a culture, one that bridges compassion, empathy, and connection across every corner of the organization.
Dr. Dennis Sta. Ana, President and CEO, emphasizes that Human Experience is a holistic movement that goes beyond patient care. “The best we should do is care for all the people who provide the care – doctors, nurses, drivers, everyone. Our culture is building an ecosystem where every human experience matters,” he states.
This belief echoes throughout the summit as leaders and staff reflect on what it means to live the culture of care. Dr. Brian Cabral, Senior Vice President, Medical Director & Chief Medical Officer, shares, “The focus has always been on the patients, but it is just as important to care for the people who deliver the care.”
Grounded in Makati Life’s ICARE values, Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, the discussions call for three key shifts: a change in mindset to foster unity, a change in process from transactional to relational, and a change in focus from aspiration to meaningful daily action. Leaders reflect on how ICARE shapes their daily work and the organization’s culture. “ICARE is our guidance, our main guide in how we go about fulfilling our mission and vision,” James Carlo Nunez Gonzales, Process Development Manager, shares. “It should be our DNA. If it becomes our DNA, it becomes our way of life,” Ma. Michaela Canlas, Senior Vice President and Head of Support Services Division, adds.
The summit also provides opportunities for staff to embody these principles through masterclasses and interactive activities. Employees would learn how to listen with empathy, build a culture of gratitude, and practice the “Be-Attitudes”, small yet powerful actions that create positive outcomes for patients, colleagues, and the community. As Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Josephine Aguilar shares, “ICARE should not only remain as ideals but as our compass and promise to one another. It’s not just words, it’s who we are and what we do.”
“In a culture that constantly moves fast, gratitude allows us to pause,” shared Gabriel Del Mundo, Assistant Vice President for Marketing & Business Development. “It’s the language of the Human Experience reminding us that care is not one-directional. When we express gratitude, we strengthen the invisible connections that make Makati Life more than a hospital – it becomes a community that heals together.”
Earlier in the week, the summit opens with a Digital Freedom Wall, where employees share their reflections on what it means to be human. Their words, “To be human is to struggle and overcome with grace and humility,” or “To do something extraordinary every day to make a patient happy”, capture the personal essence of HuE. These honest reflections set the tone for the summit: healthcare is not just clinical, but deeply human.
Employees are then invited to bring HuE into practice through small but meaningful acts of kindness. Whether greeting patients with a smile, holding the elevator for a colleague, or checking in on a teammate, staff are reminded that human experience thrives in everyday gestures of empathy and respect.
The five-day event culminates in shared stories, laughter, and commitment, proof that Human Experience is not a program to complete but a pledge to live by. At Makati Life, to be HuE is to be human. To be human is to care. And to care is to live the mission, together.
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