The Legacy of Dr. Jesus M. Tamesis, Jr.
By Dr. Franz Marie Cruz
As the Neuro-Ophthalmology Society of the Philippines marked its 25th founding anniversary last year, we pay tribute to one of its esteemed founding members, Dr. Jesus M. Tamesis Jr., whose vision not only created local opportunities for subspecialty training in neuro-ophthalmology but also elevated the Society to the international stage.
Known to his peers as Butch, Dr. Tamesis is from a distinguished family of ophthalmologists. His father, the senior Dr. Jesus Tamesis, established Clinica Tamesis, one of Metro Manila’s earliest ambulatory eye centers. He is also the younger brother of Dr. Pearl Tamesis-Villalon, a renowned figure in the field of retina.
His path toward neuro-ophthalmology sparked during his years as a clinical clerk at the University of the East – Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC) in 1978, when he astutely diagnosed a patient with Wernicke–Korsakoff psychosis—an encounter that left a lasting impression on his neurology consultant. After earning his medical degree, his father took him in as a preceptor trainee at Clinica Tamesis, a time when only a few institutions in the country offered formal residency training in ophthalmology.
Together with other young Filipino physicians, he was later given the opportunity to travel to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend the Basic Course in Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. This was an intensive five- to six-month program that included lectures on optics and refraction, anatomical dissections on fresh cadavers, and histology, among other foundational subjects—an experience that broadened his clinical perspective and deepened his commitment to the field.
It was during this time that the Head of the Neuro-Visual Disorders Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital invited him for an interview, following a strong recommendation letter from his mentor at UERMMMC. He was subsequently accepted to undergo fellowship training in neuro-ophthalmology under Dr. Shirley H. Wray, one of the foremost authorities in the field. The experience proved transformative—he cared for some of the first patients diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and witnessed a pivotal moment in medical history when magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was first introduced to a crowd of medical practitioners at the Bullfinch Theater.
Upon his return to the Philippines, Dr. Tamesis began receiving numerous patient referrals from his father and colleagues, recognizing his emerging expertise in neuro-ophthalmology. He also devoted his time to teaching, delivering lectures on neuro-ophthalmology to medical students, ophthalmology residents and ophthalmology residency graduates preparing for their board examinations, thereby nurturing the next generation of Filipino ophthalmologists.
Over time, fellow Filipino ophthalmologists returned back to the Philippines after their neuro-ophthalmology training abroad. These included Dr. Froilan Inocencio, Dr. Raul Cruz, Dr. Sidney Cheng, and Dr. Richard Kho. Together, they set up lectures and case discussions every Friday night and invited anyone who was interested in neuro-ophthalmology. Soon, these informal gatherings garnered a bigger audience and the birth of the Neuro-ophthalmology Club of the Philippines in 2000.
Due to his active presence and strong leadership in the field of neuro-ophthalmology in the Philippines, Dr. Tamesis received the Tsutsui Grand Scholar Award from the Japanese Neuro-Ophthalmology Society in 2000. He was also invited in 2003 to become a founding council member of the Asian Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (ASNOS).
That same year, he established a fellowship training program in neuro-ophthalmology at the UERMMMC, with Dr. Lee Allen Cloma as its first graduate. Over the succeeding years, this initiative evolved into a consortium of training clinics led by neuro-ophthalmology preceptors at Clinica Tamesis, the Philippine General Hospital, East Avenue Medical Center, and the American Eye Center.
Before his retirement in 2017, the program had produced 15 local graduates, including Dr. Glenn Guevarra (2004); Drs. Emiliano Bernardo and Vina Ballado (2005); Dr. Basel Elsalwahi (2007); Drs. Miriam Louella Fermin, Erwin Palisoc, and Corina Yatco-Guerrero (2009); Dr. Leonides Karlo Melendres III (2010); Drs. Rolan Mangahas, Lourdes Ang, and Rosemarie Gonzalo-Garganta (2011); Dr. April Dizon (2012); and Dr. Jamie Lynn Ching-Narciso (2013).
In 2015, Dr. Tamesis successfully bid for the 10th ASNOS Congress to be held in Manila. As Congress Chair, he presided the preparations for the landmark event, which was held on December 3–5, 2019 at the Golden Phoenix Hotel. The meeting brought together 12 distinguished international speakers from the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia and was well attended by both local and regional delegates.
In recognition of his unwavering commitment to education, Dr. Tamesis received the Distinguished Service Award from the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) in 2009, and the Ophthalmic Educator Award from the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology (PAO) in 2015.
Rightfully so, on September 27, 2025, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 25th founding anniversary dinner of the NOSP—the very society he founded, nurtured, and led since its inception. We, the members of the NOSP, are deeply grateful for his visionary leadership, dedicated mentorship, and for the enduring legacy in the NOSP family.
About the author:
Dr. Franz Marie Cruz is the current president of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Society of the Philippines and overall chair of the 25th founding anniversary activities. She always strives for work-life balance and is a hands-on mom to two lovely daughters.
