At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Orthopedic Association Board of Trustees had recognized the important role of its fellows in ensuring the musculoskeletal health of their patients, as well as being part of the health care system responding to the crisis.  As such, the Board has made the safety and well-being of its members a priority. On April 29, 2020 during its on-line board meeting, the granting of a Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00)  assistance to each of its chapter for the purpose of purchasing personal protective equipment was unanimously approved .

The move was warmly received by the chapters. North Mindanao was first to act, purchasing 350 KN95 facemasks. However seeing the dire need of such PPEs by the local frontliners, the chapter decided to donate them to Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), one of the COVID referral centers in region 10 last June 1, 2020. South Luzon also submitted a formal report dated June 12, 2020 of their use of the 50k assistance to augment their funds for the purchase of half faced respirator masks for its fellows. South Mindanao used the donation to purchase 150 pieces of N95 3M Facemasks as well as 50 bottles (500ml) of 70% alcohol. North Luzon purchased 180 3M safety glasses and has distributed them to its members. West Visayas had purchased 60 sets of Level 3 PPEs that were especially designed and personalized alloting 2 sets for each fellow. The PPEs were manufactured in Aklan, helping the local economy in the process. Central Eastern Visayas have also expressed their intent to purchase PPEs for their members.

A greater hill to be climbed is the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association Congress on 2022, the preparation started 4 years ago when Dr Julyn Aguilar’s Presidency POA bid in hosting the Congress. The next three-year climb is tougher and we are aiming for 1,500 participants from the Asia Pacific Countries. I am in full support with the APOA Organizing Committee in your preparation.  An APOA Secretariat will be hired dedicated to your purpose and we will invite Event’s Organizer as early as January next year for them to bid for this event.

The POA Board of Trustees can work with other matters other that conventions and congresses.  Dr. Edwin Jerd Siatan planted so many seeds in his Strategic Plan made last 2019.  I promised him that I will care for it so it will grow and nurture the programs until they bear fruits.

The Philippine Orthopaedic Education Council had convened, Dr Jean Pierre JP Leung, Dr. Arturo Cañete, Dr Leo Daniel Caro, Dr William Lavadia, Dr Danny Dungca, Dr Remo Tito Aguilar, Dr Nathaniel Orillaza, Jr., Dr Leslie Reyes together with all the presidents of the subspecialty societies are with the vision of the AOA OEC for our members.

This council will look into the matters of Pre-Orthopaedic Residency Training curriculum and the Post-Orthopaedic Training Program – Subspecialty Curriculum.  As suggested by the whole membership we will include also a program for the Non-Fellows, a similar review course for all non-fellows to ease their passage to the PBO Examinations, a version of POA OrthoRocks for Non-Fellows, Orthopaedic Review Refresher Course (ORRC).

In this way, we can say that ONLY the Philippine Orthopaedic Association can only recognize, accredit and certify a doctor to practice Orthopaedic Surgery.

We will now deliver and formalize the Philippine Orthopaedic Research Society as the ASEAN Orthopaedic Research Society was inaugurated last November 2019 at the AOA Congress in Jakarta, Indonesia.  However, we will only activate the Committee on Research authorizing Dr. Edward Wang, Dr Nathaniel Orillaza, Jr., Dr Emmanuel Estrella, and Dr. Venancio Garduce Jr. to work together and make guidelines in the formation of the Philippine Orthopaedic Research Society in line with that of the AOA.  The Research Committee will continue the program for Evidence Based Medicine, research boot camp, encourage quality research papers and re-activate the Philippine Journal of Orthopaedics.  Clinical Practice Guidelines will be requested from all 12 Subspecialty Societies.  This will show that ONLY POA can recommend evidence based orthopaedic treatment for the Filipino patients.