Third time’s the charm: Doc Jelics’ ZFF story

Anyone who wishes to join the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) must be resilient. This is what Dr. Anjelica Joy “Jelics” Nacnac believes when asked what others should know about working in the organization. Tough times, rapid changes, and numerous setbacks will often happen—and this also applies to her own life.

At the onset of her medical career, Doc Jelics saw herself becoming a neonatologist as she found it rewarding to see preterm babies get well. The eldest of five siblings, Doc Jelics says that taking care of children comes naturally to her. “Bata pa lang ako, meron na akong motherly instinct. I grew up taking care of my siblings, my family.”

Soon, however, Doc Jelics had a life-changing realization. While doing her rounds one day, she met a colleague who told her about the Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) Program. “Marami siyang kwento. Ang saya ng mga kwento niya about DTTB. My best friend and I, when we were listening, sabi namin parang ansaya nun ‘no? It gave us an idea that there is more outside the hospital.”

That moment changed her life.

Doc Jelics’ paradigm shift

As soon as she graduated, Doc Jelics joined the DTTB program and eventually got assigned to Misamis Oriental. As much as she was thrilled with this new adventure, Doc Jelics also found herself struggling with the adjustments she had to make. The new culture in Mindanao shocked the shy girl who lived in North Luzon most of her life. “At the start, naiiyak ako talaga. Ang maririnig mo lang talaga ay mga kuliglig. So, sabi ko I’m giving myself three months. Kung hindi kaya then I will have to leave. Then ‘yung three months became six months to one year, then eventually two years.”

Doc Jelics forgot about the limits she initially set and eventually found herself enjoying the program. “When my two years were about to end, I told myself, this is what I want to do. I did a lot of consultations but what struck me the most were the barangay visits. Doon ko lalong na-appreciate ang ginagawa namin. You see that people are happy being around you. That is the kind of environment that I want—to see people happy and you help them become healthy. Hindi ‘yung pupunta sa’yo ang pasyente na may sakit na,” Doc Jelics shared about how DTTB shifted her view on healthcare.

This preventive care means a lot to her after witnessing several patients dying in her care. Doc Jelics says that such moments will always be emotional for her, especially when she knows that a patient’s death could have been prevented if rural health units and healthcare staff were well-equipped.

Two years quickly passed by for Doc Jelics, and she later decided to extend for another two years. During that time, Doc Jelics found an opportunity to join the two-module Health Leadership and Management Program of the Zuellig Family Foundation. Soon after graduation, the former executive director of ZFF encouraged her to join the Foundation, saying that the organization needed someone who already had experience working with the community.

But Doc Jelics turned down the offer and chose to work in the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office. Certain circumstances, however, showed Doc Jelics that it was not the job suited for her, and she could not make her heart believe otherwise.

Going back to what she loves

In the blink of an eye, Doc Jelics accepted the Municipal Health Officer (MHO) post in Cebu. It was an exhilarating experience for Doc Jelics, but her delicate pregnancy at that time later compelled her to resign and go back to Baguio.

It was then that Doc Jelics got her second offer from ZFF as an account officer in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The project’s location forced Doc Jelics to reject it because she was still breastfeeding her baby. Aware that bills and other expenses were already piling up, Doc Jelics took on a job as head of three medical clinics in the University of the Cordilleras. But it was clear to her, “Hindi rin ito ang gusto ko.”

Then, another opportunity from ZFF knocked on her door. “Pangatlong beses na ‘to. Siguro ito na ‘yun.” In 2012, Doc Jelics officially joined ZFF. As a Project Associate, Doc Jelics handled 10 municipalities in Ifugao and Mt. Province for a project with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Dealing with people in authority came naturally to her because of her prior experience, but struggles for Doc Jelics came in other forms and again tested her resilience to changes.

At one point in her ZFF journey, Doc Jelics considered leaving. “Sabi ko aalis na ‘ko, parang napapagod na ako. Work in ZFF is not easy. It’s like an ongoing masteral studies na walang katapusan. But at the end of the day, I realize I feel more knowledgeable and confident.”

ZFF staff eat challenges for breakfast, but Doc Jelics believes that she was able to bear difficult times through the help of her passionate colleagues and mentors. More importantly, it is important that they remain true to the mission and vision of the organization.

“Every change or challenge is always an opportunity. It’s one of the lessons I learned from ZFF. Walang problem. May challenges yes, but challenges always come with opportunities. ‘Pag ganyan ang challenge, what can you do about it? It should not remain a challenge.”

All roads led Doc Jelics to the organization that allowed her to do what she loves, to serve the people she promised to take care of, and to discover more things about herself. For Doc Jelics, ZFF is more than just a workplace. It is a development organization in its truest sense—doing things not out of mere responsibility but out of caring to see changes and positive results.

Doc Jelics left ZFF in 2021 but returned in 2024 as Project Director for the Gender Responsive Systems Approach to Universal Health Care (GRASP-UHC) Project.