We recently connected with Marjorie Rose Uy De Ong Luzuriaga and have shared our conversation below.
Marjorie Rose Uy De Ong, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
Growing up in a Filipino household, I took notice of how prevalent Type II Diabetes is in my family on both my mom and dad’s side. Although many generations of my family have been through complications due to diabetes, it seemed like it became a recurring problem that was seen in every generation. After seeing family members go through amputation processes and this recurring cycle of diabetes, this was an issue that was always there but was never addressed. After talking with many of my family members, I was able to come to a consensus that this recurring health issue is because the managing & preventing diabetes resources are not culturally tailored leading to the major gaps in cultural understanding that has led to my relatives turning away from solving this issue.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Since 1958, diabetes has been a significant health concern among Filipinos. In Daly City, it has become one of the leading causes of death and severe illness within the Filipino population. While diabetes is largely preventable, many individuals are unaware of how to navigate prevention strategies or effectively manage the condition once diagnosed.
A major challenge is that patients are often referred to diabetes education programs by their primary care physicians, but many do not complete these courses. For patients working multiple jobs, finding the time to attend appointments can be difficult. Additionally, many Asian Americans, including Filipinos, report feeling culturally unseen during their diabetes management appointments, which can further discourage participation and engagement.
Diabetes@Work offers free self-paced culturally tailored diabetes management/prevention courses. Backed by the supervision of medical, research, and policy experts, Diabetes@Work’s main goal is to serve the “hidden” populations who are not fully recognized when creating various medical curricula that could help them manage their diagnoses by in addition to being culturally tailoring, patients will be taught in their “native languages.” By creating a platform that takes into consideration the “forgotten,” more patients will feel more encouraged to manage their diabetes as they are culturally seen.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
As for many things, I believe hard skills are very valuable, but I do not think a hard skill will make anyone successful, but instead it is the characteristic of perseverance that will allow you to succeed in any field. I believe the quote that resonates with me the most is, “Without failure, there is no success.” I would not consider myself successful at this point in life, but many of my accomplishments did not come overnight. There were MANY times of failure and self-doubt, but if you truly believe in a cause or in an idea, no matter how many failures come your way, you will persevere. Although I am 19-years-old, I cannot speak and pass wisdom as well as others, but your failure is not your defining moment but rather it’s what you do after your failure and how you react to that failure is what will be a defining moment for you. It is completely okay to be in a stump, but do not let that one event or that one person stop you from pursuing an idea you believe in. Failures will teach you more than successes.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Being at the heart of Silicon Valley and benefiting from the opportunities that come with being a Stanford student, I initially reached out to the Vice Mayor of Daly City, Dr. Rod Daus-Magbual. My goal was to bring Diabetes@Work to Daly City, a nearby community with a significant Filipino population. As someone from Southern California, meeting with Dr. Rod to discuss this potential initiative was a powerful reminder of how every generation of Filipino Americans continues to address hidden challenges—issues often overlooked by other communities and, surprisingly, by our own.
In addition, I have been fortunate to collaborate with Dr. Marilyn Tan, Chief of Stanford’s Endocrinology Clinic. Together, we recognized the urgent need for culturally tailored courses to improve healthcare accessibility and outcomes. Expanding on this effort, I was thrilled to go back to my roots in my hometown of Los Angeles and work with UCLA professor Dr. Dante Anthony Tolentino, PhD, who has been conducting research on Filipino-Americans with Type II Diabetes navigating the U.S. healthcare system.
Altogether, I am incredibly grateful to collaborate with a team that shares a unified vision of bridging the gap in digital medicine education and addressing the unique needs of underserved communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.diabetes-at-work.com/
- Instagram: @diabetesatworkorg
- Facebook: @diabetesatworkorg
- Linkedin: Diabetes at Work
