Dr. Felipe Tolentino (3rd from left) receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from AAP chairman Rick Sobreviñas and US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Heather Variava. Also in photo is AAP volunteer Ricky SobreviñasThe American Association of the Philippines (AAP) honored Dr. Felipe Tolentino with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award during the 74th anniversary George Washington Ball held at the Manila Marriott Hotel.

Presented by US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Heather Variava and AAP chairman and president Rick Sobreviñas, the award recognizes Tolentino’s invaluable contribution to the ophthalmology industry and decades of providing eye care to Filipinos.

Tolentino is a Filipino-American ophthalmologist who specialized in retina and vitreous diseases. He was licensed to practice medicine in the Philippines, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. He served leadership positions in different institutions in Boston, such as the Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology.

Tolentino played a crucial role in introducing Filipino ophthalmologists to American medical societies and in establishing a center of excellence in eye care in the Philippines.

Tolentino and Oscar M. Lopez, at that time chairman of the Lopez Group, established Asian Eye Institute in 2001. He handpicked and trained the core medical team, composed of Harvard-trained ophthalmologists with different subspecialties, to provide Filipinos with world-class eye care.

Today, Asian Eye is the biggest and most trusted eye ambulatory center in the Philippines. An eight-time recipient of the Reader’s Digest Gold Trusted Brand Award, it serves over 60,000 local and foreign patients every year and is the only eye center with triple ISO certification and Platinum-level international health care accreditation from Accreditation Canada.

Since his retirement, Tolentino has devoted his time to helping the underserved and indigent population. He founded nonprofit organizations, including the Ophthalmological Foundation of the Philippines and Restoring Sight International.

Established in 1949, the AAP has forged strong ties among the expat American community, returning FilipinoAmericans, the Philippine government and the Filipino public. Every year, they hold the George Washington Ball to recognize the achievements and contributions of its members and key business and community leaders.

Together with Tolentino, the AAP also recognized Rustan Group chair and CEO Zenaida Tantoco, Hospital on Wheels founder Dr. Jim Sanchez, Development Bank of the Philippines president and CEO Emmanuel Herbosa and Ignite Impact Fund founder Maoi Arroyo. (Story/Photos by: Charizze Henson)