| Guillermo de Venecia, M.D. Madison, Wisconsin An Ophthalmologist Dedicated to Wipe Out Operable Blindness In Indigent Patients |
“Dr. de Venecia is one of the most deserving Filipinos in the
Midwest who should be included the first batch of FIL-AM IMAGE
Twenty Outstanding Filipino-Americans Award,” claimed a
prominent Filipino leader in Chicago.
“I might add that aside from being a very successful
ophthalmologist in the U.S., Dr. de Venecia has maintained his
links with the Philippines,” related former Philippine Consul
General in Chicago Mario C. Belisario. “Indeed, he has been an
awardee there for community service because he organizes and
leads periodic medical missions to the Philippines which render
free ophthalmological services to the rural poor. In fact, the last
mission went to the Philippines just last February 6th.”
In 1979, Dr. Guillermo de Venecia, a highly trained and
successful ophthalmologist in Madison, Wisconsin, started
going to the Philippines to provide free sight-saving surgery
available to the poor. His obsession right from his initial trip to the
countryside in the Philippines was to establish a permanent Free
Rural Eye Clinics with a Philippine-based ophthalmogist and
supporting staff.
Midwest who should be included the first batch of FIL-AM IMAGE
Twenty Outstanding Filipino-Americans Award,” claimed a
prominent Filipino leader in Chicago.
“I might add that aside from being a very successful
ophthalmologist in the U.S., Dr. de Venecia has maintained his
links with the Philippines,” related former Philippine Consul
General in Chicago Mario C. Belisario. “Indeed, he has been an
awardee there for community service because he organizes and
leads periodic medical missions to the Philippines which render
free ophthalmological services to the rural poor. In fact, the last
mission went to the Philippines just last February 6th.”
In 1979, Dr. Guillermo de Venecia, a highly trained and
successful ophthalmologist in Madison, Wisconsin, started
going to the Philippines to provide free sight-saving surgery
available to the poor. His obsession right from his initial trip to the
countryside in the Philippines was to establish a permanent Free
Rural Eye Clinics with a Philippine-based ophthalmogist and
supporting staff.
Ten years later, in 1989, for his unselfish services to the poor people of the Philippines, Dr. Guillermo de
Venecia was awarded the First Presidential Saint Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Award by the Association of Philippine
Ophthalmologist in America (APOA) and a special award for Community Service (Free Rural Eye Clinic)
award bestowed by the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology and by the Philippine Society of
Ophthalmology in Manila, Philippines. In 1987, he received the Service Award of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology and in 1988, the Honor Award of the Academy.
“The valuable experience of our first three years led to the important service philosophy that the project will
have to adopt for its continued existence: namely, a low profile , avoiding publicity and most importantly,
avoiding local politics,” enumerated Dr. de Venecia.
To ensure success of the Philippine Free Rural Eye Clinics which Dr. de Venecia envisions to be established
in various strategic locations in the Philippines, he personally attends conventions and conferences at his
personal expense and recruits other ophthalmologist in America and other parts of the world.
Dr. de Venecia was born and raised in Dagupan City, Pangasinan. He attended Dagupan High School and
completed his Preparatory and Proper Medicine from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Immediately
after acquiring his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1954, he left for Hamburg, Germany where he completed his
Ophthalmology Residency at one of the foremost clinics in the world, University of Hamburg Eye Clinic. Upon
completion, he joined Harvard University in Boston, Mass to complete his Basic Science Course and then
transferred to Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary in Boston for his Glaucoma Fellowship. In 1961, Dr. de
Venecia went to Miami, Florida to go to the University of Miami Hospital for his Neuro-Ophthalmology
Fellowship. From 1964 to 1966, he completed his Ophthalmic Pathology Fellowship from the Armed Forces
Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C.
“Dr. de Venecia is one of the top ophthalmologist not only in the United States but in the world,” claimed a
Filipino doctor from nearby Chicago who is an active member of the Philippine Medical Association. “His
educational background and training were acquired from the best sources in his field.”
Inclined to be an educator in the field of medicine, Dr. de Venecia started in 1959 as an Instructor for the
Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and was later elevated to Assistant
Professor. For five years starting in 1968, he established the 1st Eye Bank and at the same time, he was
Medical Director of the Wisconsin Eye Bank.
Other major positions he held included as Co-Chairman Section of Retina and Choroid Association for
Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and President of the Association of the Philippine Ophthalmologist in
America.
Dr. de Venecia is the son of former Philippine diplomat, Dr. Policronio R. de Venecia, M.D. of Dagupan City
and the former Erna Bar of Berlin, Germany. Whenever he has the opportunity, Dr. de Venecia likes to enjoy
one of his numerous hobbies which are marathon foot races, scuba diving, tropical flowers, photography,
antique cars and hunting. He is married to the former Marta Knuth of New Castle, Virginia. The de Venecias
have three children: Kurt James, 29; Hans Neal, 27 and Eric Rolf, 21. The de Venecias reside in the suburb of
Oregon, Wisconsin.
Venecia was awarded the First Presidential Saint Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Award by the Association of Philippine
Ophthalmologist in America (APOA) and a special award for Community Service (Free Rural Eye Clinic)
award bestowed by the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology and by the Philippine Society of
Ophthalmology in Manila, Philippines. In 1987, he received the Service Award of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology and in 1988, the Honor Award of the Academy.
“The valuable experience of our first three years led to the important service philosophy that the project will
have to adopt for its continued existence: namely, a low profile , avoiding publicity and most importantly,
avoiding local politics,” enumerated Dr. de Venecia.
To ensure success of the Philippine Free Rural Eye Clinics which Dr. de Venecia envisions to be established
in various strategic locations in the Philippines, he personally attends conventions and conferences at his
personal expense and recruits other ophthalmologist in America and other parts of the world.
Dr. de Venecia was born and raised in Dagupan City, Pangasinan. He attended Dagupan High School and
completed his Preparatory and Proper Medicine from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. Immediately
after acquiring his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1954, he left for Hamburg, Germany where he completed his
Ophthalmology Residency at one of the foremost clinics in the world, University of Hamburg Eye Clinic. Upon
completion, he joined Harvard University in Boston, Mass to complete his Basic Science Course and then
transferred to Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary in Boston for his Glaucoma Fellowship. In 1961, Dr. de
Venecia went to Miami, Florida to go to the University of Miami Hospital for his Neuro-Ophthalmology
Fellowship. From 1964 to 1966, he completed his Ophthalmic Pathology Fellowship from the Armed Forces
Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C.
“Dr. de Venecia is one of the top ophthalmologist not only in the United States but in the world,” claimed a
Filipino doctor from nearby Chicago who is an active member of the Philippine Medical Association. “His
educational background and training were acquired from the best sources in his field.”
Inclined to be an educator in the field of medicine, Dr. de Venecia started in 1959 as an Instructor for the
Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and was later elevated to Assistant
Professor. For five years starting in 1968, he established the 1st Eye Bank and at the same time, he was
Medical Director of the Wisconsin Eye Bank.
Other major positions he held included as Co-Chairman Section of Retina and Choroid Association for
Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and President of the Association of the Philippine Ophthalmologist in
America.
Dr. de Venecia is the son of former Philippine diplomat, Dr. Policronio R. de Venecia, M.D. of Dagupan City
and the former Erna Bar of Berlin, Germany. Whenever he has the opportunity, Dr. de Venecia likes to enjoy
one of his numerous hobbies which are marathon foot races, scuba diving, tropical flowers, photography,
antique cars and hunting. He is married to the former Marta Knuth of New Castle, Virginia. The de Venecias
have three children: Kurt James, 29; Hans Neal, 27 and Eric Rolf, 21. The de Venecias reside in the suburb of
Oregon, Wisconsin.
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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