Thereafter, his parents sent him to Manila to study, first at Liceo de Manila and afterwards at the Universidad de Santo Tomas, where he graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, receiving the honor “Meritissimus.” He started his medical profession in Silay, where he established the Maternity and Children’s Hospital which later became the Silay General Hospital.

Apart from his initiatives in Silay, he was also responsible for the establishment of the Negros Occidental Provincial Hospital and later its School of Nursing.

Due to his service to the people of Silay, he was elected as Municipal Councilor when he first decided to run for public office.

He also placed a high priority on improving the province’s educational system and for having had more schools built during his term than all the governors before him combined.

As Chairman of the Committee on Public Instruction, he worked on the establishment of faculties in remote barrios and well plazas in towns to market cultural events.

Although he was no longer active in politics during the time of Martial Law, Dr. Locsin wore a black ribbon as a sign of protest against Marcos.

[1] Locsin was the first post-war cabinet member under President Sergio Osmena in 1945 to 1946, serving as Secretary of the Department of Health and Public Welfare to help people recuperate from the ravages of World War II.

As Chairman of the Committee on Accounts, he strived to maintain the annual appropriation in order to prevent any deficiency during his term.

His other achievements as a Senator include sponsorship of the Rural Banks Act; authorship of the Flag Ceremony Law which gave importance to recognizing and respecting the Philippine flag; increase of the salary of public school teachers; and passage of a measure to celebrate the centennial of the birth of Dr. Jose Rizal in an appropriate manner.

It also led to the banning of importation of plywood, the financing of irrigation and fertilizer programs, and the construction of artesian wells and hydro-electric power plants in different parts of the Philippines.

As such, he contributed to the establishment of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) of which he was unanimously elected its first Chairman in May 1961 during its inaugural meeting in Tokyo, Japan, an honour not only to himself but to the Philippines which he represented.

When his term as NEC Chairman ended in 1961, he was appointed as Acting Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.