The field of endocrinology in the Philippines had its auspicious beginnings in the 1950s. Dean Agerico BM Sison of the UP College of Medicine (UPCM), serving as Chairman of the Department of Medicine, set up the diabetes and thyroid clinics at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in 1953, naming Dr. Regino Navarro and Dr. Paulo Campos as heads of these clinics respectively. Dr. Augusto Camara joined the UPCM-PGH in 1955 and established the metabolic unit under a US National Institutes of Health federal grant. During this time, the roots of internal medicine as a distinct discipline were evident, leading eventually to the founding of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) in 1953. The formation of subspecialty organizations within the field of internal medicine then followed. It was in this context that the budding disciplines started to firm up their foundations in the late 1950s. The field of endocrinology started to develop along with nuclear medicine and the other subspecialties.
In July 1956, the PGH radioisotope laboratory was established, pushing the growth of endocrinology and nuclear medicine during these formative years. Through grants, notably from the China Medical Board of New York, young physicians were sent to US medical centers for training in endocrinology and related disciplines. Among these scholars were Drs. Paulo Campos, Angel Florentin, Gabriel Carreon, Leland Villadolid, Norma Gaffud, Herminio Germar, Flora M. Pascasio and Augusto D. Litonjua. Upon their return to the country, these doctors contributed to the establishment of endocrinology as a specialty and were among the endocrine pioneers in the Philippines.