Outstanding public servant and World War II hero, Roque Ablan was born on 09 August 1906 in Laoag, llocos Norte to Victor Ablan and Raymunda Blanco. He obtained his Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1929 and Bachelor of Laws degree in 1930 from the University of the Philippines. That same year, he took the bar examinations, placing 9^th among the successful examinees.

On February 1902, an 8-bed hospital called the Baguio Sanatorium - with a pioneering staff composed of American physicians, army nurses and hospital corpsmen headed by Dr. J. B. Thomas -- was established. It was set up as part Bureau of Civil Hospitals and Sanatorium of the Philippines primarily to serve the health needs of government officials, employees and American soldiers on vacation amidst pine trees in the cool climate of Baguio. A month later, the construction of a 15-bed capacity hospital consisting of six, three-room cottages was started.