March 8, 1998 – November 26, 2000

(Delivered November 26, 2000 during the PPTA General Assembly)

The last two years and nine months have gone quickly. 1998 – 2000 has been a dynamic period for the Philippine Physical Therapy Association and its members, and the entire body of Filipino physical therapists. We, physiotherapists, as an integrative part of the health care system could not help but be affected by changes in national and global picture regarding the health care system. There were talks of charter change since 1997, there was the introduction of the General Agreement for Trade in Services, there was the increasingly felt presence of health maintenance organizations in the country, and the list goes on. During such dynamic period, there were two paths for PPTA. PPTA could have influenced and be involved or be influenced and be passive. With full determination and a clear vision for the association, your officers chose to influence instead of be influenced.

When I was elected President, I strongly felt that our first major task was to review the status of the association, the professionals, and the profession. Under my term as president, the vision statement of the PPTA board has been as follows:

The Philippine Physical Therapy Association is the professional organization for Filipino physical therapists, which shall protect the status of physical therapy profession in the Philippines, safeguard the interests of Filipino physical therapists and be an instrument of the Filipino people in securing quality physical therapy services.

The following mission statement was also drawn up:

The PPTA shall strive to:

v Serve as a vehicle for professional development of physical therapists practicing in the Philippines through the provisions of continuing education activities, facilitation of access to international publications, dissemination and utilization of research and development pertinent to PT practice in the Philippines;

v Develop and maintain excellent standards of PT practice in the Philippines;

v Serve as the proactive channel of the Filipino physical therapist in local and international policy-making, with the view of defining the PT profession;

v Enhance the interaction between Filipino physical therapist and other providers of health care;

v Enhance the role of physical therapy in the Philippine setting through public education and provision of service

Activities of the PPTA were naturally geared toward the realization of this vision and mission. I am happy to note that all these objectives were accomplished, though in varying degrees. From the Secretary’s report that was delivered, you could easily tell that the most addressed concern was related to professional development of physical therapists. PPTA offered a lot of continuing education programs conducted by local and international experts in chosen topics in physical therapy. Also in pursuit of professional development, PPTA initiated the establishment of special interest groups. Research regarding employment of physical therapists was also discussed. A scientific journal for physical therapy was almost released middle of this year. Equally addressed was local and international policy-making. We saw progress in the revision of Republic Act 5680. We saw to it that our voice was heard regarding charter change, the General Agreement in Trade in Services, the ASEAN Framework for Agreements in Services, and definition and classification of disabilities by the Department of Health. We also participated in international policy-making, as member organization of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy and the Asian Confederation for Physical Therapy. Issues on which PPTA took a stand included world history of PT, management of patients with high-risk infectious diseases, relationships with other health professionals, informed consent, landmines, rights of the child, etc. From the secretary’s report, it was also evident that the least addressed concern was public education and provision of physical therapy services.

In reviewing the accomplishments of the Association over the past two years, I think that the members can be well pleased with the progress we have made. I am most proud of a number of specific feats. Allow me to share with you this sense of pride as I go over briefly these achievements. However, I will not be talking about the activity per se as you have already heard our secretary enumerate them. Instead I shall give you the “thinking” behind these highlights. Why did we choose to embark on such activities? In the process of discussing these points, allow me also to share with you some of my insights.

Organizational Matters

As I already mentioned, it was clear to me that the first task of the board would be to review the status of the association, the professionals and the profession. If running the association were to be compared with driving in a new, unfamiliar highway, it was clear that the first thing that PPTA needed at that time was a vision and mission to provide the road map, to indicate where we are headed and how we could get there. New routes have been available for this driving experience since PPTA’s birth in 1964. Thus a new road map was needed. With this in mind, the first thing the PPTA board did was to draft the vision and mission statement. At the time we assumed office, a change in the membership classification has just been started. As you know, we did away with annual membership and instead had lifetime membership. This classification was an answer to the seeming complacency of members to renew their membership, or their physical incapacity to do so (for those working abroad). Affiliate members were also accepted, recognizing the need for PT graduates who have not taken or passed the licensure examinations to feel that their welfare is also being looked after. In the course of the long drive, a number of officers resigned for various reasons. Most of those who resigned had difficulty juggling their time between PPTA and their work. One resigned in an effort to avoid impeachment and another was impeached. Through these changes in the occupants of the vehicle, people were appointed to the vacated positions. And so PPTA managed not to lose sight of its end goal, its destination. Seemingly mundane concerns gave me a great sense of fulfillment for these strengthened the identity of PPTA as a legitimate organization. I am referring to renewal of registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, obtaining an official receipt, and acquisition of an office (shared with the Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines) located at Room 107 of the Philippine Medical Association Bldg, North Ave., Quezon City. PPTA was able to flow with the technological advancement. We are now accessible through e-mail, e-groups; and we now have a brand-new web page. These would definitely improve communication among physical therapists in the country and our communication with members of other health professions.

This morning we presented to you core documents of PPTA which long needed revision to respond to changes in delivery of PT services over time. These documents concretized our need to redefine the physical therapy profession. We have our newly ratified constitution and the code of ethics - documents which would provide backbone to the organization and to professionals. Hopefully with these documents, we would be able to better police our own ranks and thus ensure the public of services provided only by competent PTs. For the first time in the more than 40 years of PT being recognized as a profession by the government, we formulated, and now ratified, the standards of practice which would be also necessary in ensuring quality PT services in the country.

Proclamation of National PT Day

The National PT Day was an ambitious project that we chose to do anyway because we believed it was necessary. Declaring the National PT Day for the Philippines would give Filipino PTs a sense of oneness with the rest of the physical therapists of the world as the world cerebrates World PT Day. It would also serve to unify the Filipino PTs. Wherever we are, whether in Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao, we know that we are celebrating with our other fellow PTs. Most of all, Presidential Proclamation No. 15 declaring every 8^th of September as National PT Day signifies government recognition of the importance of the PT profession and its professionals. On more tangible terms, presidential proclamation on National PT Day obliges the government to provide funding for public education and services related to PT at least once every year. The proclamation was signed in 1998 and three National PT Days have gone by but we have yet to see a full-blast celebration on a national scale.

Special Interest Groups

The SIG was conceived at a time when Filipino professional physical therapists numbered 5,555. By the time the first SIG was operational, the number had risen to about 9,129. Now the professionals total 11,483. We know that the rise in the number of professionals does not have a corresponding increase in number of positions / employment opportunities. At the same time, globalization has been inching its way to the physical therapy world. With this scenario, it is necessary to encourage specialization among physical therapists to enhance competencies of the physical therapist and to sort of ease competition among graduates of B.S. Physical Therapy. Specialization also signifies our recognition of the maturity of our profession. It is hoped that the PPTA would have a mechanism to certify these specialists in the future. I am confident that these SIGs would be the heart of the Association in terms of providing service to the public service as these may be vehicles for such activities.

7^th ACPT Congress

The Philippines was originally scheduled to host the Asian Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress in 1998. PPTA went ahead and planned for the said congress despite doubting its own capability to mount the event. When economic recession hit the entire Asia in 1998, PPTA saw it as a justifiable reason to postpone or cancel the congress; and PPTA did just that. In 1999, however, when ACPT members met in Japan, Philippines was lovingly “bullied” into continuing with the congress. One ACPT representative (from Taiwan) suggested the use of “Kaya natin ‘to” as the congress organizing committee battle cry. The other member countries pledged support to the organizing committee. And so with nothing but sheer determination and great ideas, the Philippines heeded to the “demand” to host the 7^th congress. At that time, there was no other choice, actually. And so September 8-10, 2000 came and went. PPTA pulled through as the host of the congress. On hindsight, I was glad to have accepted the responsibility to host the congress, the first international assembly for PTs held in the Philippines, for it gave Filipino PTs the opportunity to be exposed to what goes on in international conferences. Feedback we got from participants of the convention highlighted their heightened awareness on the importance of research to our practice. Most of all, the congress showed the participants that yes, there is diversity among different countries in terms of PT practice and yet there are similarities despite this diversity. Just when Filipinos thought that we were so odd being the only PTs being afraid to do research and utilize whatever research we have, we learned that we were not alone in this boat. Just when Filipinos thought that our practice was peculiar because we have to contend with misconceptions regarding our practice, the convention enlightened us to the fact that other countries were experiencing the same thing.

Revision of RA 5680

When you come to understand what it takes to have a law revised, or more accurately – abolished and then replaced by a new one, it would be very tempting to just maintain status quo. The process is very frustrating. But of course the Board believed that it was a fight worth fighting for and so we continued the work that our predecessors initiated in the early 90’s. It is fulfilling knowing that we have progressed in this endeavor. Now it is apparent that there is a conclusion to this seemingly endless struggle. It may take a long while but for sure, that day when we reach the finish line would come. That day when we have our new PT Law would be a day for a grand celebration for Filipino PTs as the law recognizes and redefines the new role of physical therapists and the profession.

MOA with Bantay-Bata Foundation

Our linkage with Bantay-Bata solidified our respect for the rights of the child, our concern for the welfare of children with special needs. This partnership also served as an opportunity for physical therapists to render public service.

Tie-up with Volunteer Service Overseas and Career Asia

PPTA’s linkage with these two organizations provided venue for PPTA to assist Filipino physical therapists in finding work. Volunteer Service Overseas provide opportunities for Filipino PTs to experience what it is like working in other third world countries while Career Asia provides a link between jobseekers and employers. Considering that starting and maintaining a career in PT in the Philippines has not been as easy as it used to be at least 10 years ago, it would be helpful for physical therapists to explore and maximize these tie-ups.

Groundwork for Chapters

It is unfortunate that the geography of the Philippines prevents us from reaching all PTs easily. The concept of setting up of PPTA chapters was revived in 1998. We realize that each region has its own peculiar concerns. And so the present board actively addressed this by visiting areas in the Philippines which we deemed most needed or were most ready to establish chapters – namely Bicol and Cebu. I believe that we have been successful in laying the foundations for the establishment of these chapters. However, I cannot overemphasize the importance of being cautious in this process, as we would not want to be instrumental in the emergence of several PT groups. In such unfortunate case, we would only be dividing our resources. If I go back to my driving analogy, having several fragmented organizations doing the same thing would just be like having a car race where each driver wants to reach the same finish line but each ends up going in different directions. No one really wins and everyone loses.

First Visayas-Mindanao Conference

It has been a dream also to bring PPTA to other parts of the country outside Metro Manila. We are aware of the reality that not all PTs have the logistic means to go to Manila conferences. Of course we realize that holding a conference outside Metro Manila required a lot of funds. Anyway, holding the first Visayas-Mindanao Conference in November 1999 actualized this dream. Such conferences proved important in reaching out to professionals in non-Metro Manila locales while chapters have yet to be firmly established. We hope more conferences like this could be done in the future.

We faced, and fortunately prevailed over, challenges which came along the way as we tried to achieve what we set out to do from March 1998 onwards. If I may digress a little, it is interesting to note that I am the only remaining officer among the original roster elected in March. It gives you a picture of priorities of physical therapists, choices which a professional has to make, and the level of commitment of a professional to the association. And I said that not to question priorities of other people but just to state a fact. I made a secret vow to myself, at the start of my term, that I would not run a one-man association, not even attempt it. Through all these changes in composition of the board, I always knew that what PPTA lacked in quantity of warm bodies was more than made up for by the quality of work put in by the few warm bodies.

Status of the PPTA

As I end my term, I am confident that we have been able to lay the groundwork for important mechanisms. As I reach the end of the long drive, I feel fulfilled knowing that we were able to move along the vision and mission of the PPTA, toward where we wanted to go. The PPTA is now equipped with improved administrative support because of the new office, the membership database, and the webpage. With the webpage, plus the e-mail and e-groups, PPTA is now more accessible to members and non-members. The establishment of chapters would further enhance this accessibility of PPTA. PT professionals would soon be ready for specialization due to the establishment of special interest groups. We have a redefined PT profession and role of professionals because of the revised constitution, code of ethics, and the new standards of practice. The approval of the new PT law would seal this change in the profession. PPTA now has strengthened relationships with government organizations like the Commission on Higher Education, the Professional Regulation Commission, Department of Health, even the Senate and Congress. This, plus PPTA’s sustained relationships with non-government organizations like the Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines, Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists, the Council of Professional Health Associations, the Association of PT and OT Schools, Pfizer; and fresh relationships with Volunteer Service Overseas and Career Asia would allow PPTA to function better through cooperative efforts.

We have never wavered in our efforts to strengthen the organization. With all due respect to previous officers and active members in the past who have ceased to be active, I believe that PPTA is now a stronger organization than ever. However, it is still one aspect that I shall look back on with sadness as we have wanted a much stronger organization than this: we have wanted more members, more participation from the members, more committed officers and board, and a mature attitude of Filipino PT graduates toward the Association and the profession as a whole. Much also has to be done in terms of increasing the funds of the Association. The fact that we now have more than PhP 100,000.00 in the bank compared to the bankrupt status when we assumed office is something to revel about. However, we need more funds to be able to accomplish more activities. The reality that lack of funds hinders us from doing things as beautifully and as meticulously planned often stared us in the face.

Aware of the accomplishments of PPTA over the past two years and nine months and cognizant of the organization’s weaknesses, I am still mighty proud that the PPTA is the respectable, relevant organization that it is today. I am confident that the new officers and board would be able to address our weaknesses and build further on our strengths and utilize these strengths to achieve the mission and vision of PPTA.

Challenges would definitely come to the new board. We can look forward to these challenges, with much anticipation for moments of trial bring to fore the best in everyone and everything. Generally speaking, such challenges would be most likely be related to changes in the global and national health care delivery system.

In the face of such challenges, I hope the new board would still consider bringing to fulfillment the unfinished business of this term namely, the signing of Memorandum of Agreement with Career Asia, finally publishing the imPeTus, publication of history of PT in the Philippines and of PPTA, research regarding employment e.g. on distribution of professional physical therapists, and research on institutions providing PT service, and the appointment of regional representatives while chapters have yet to be established.

On a more personal note, being the PPTA president was never my ambition. But I nevertheless fearlessly took on the responsibility given me. On hindsight, I am thankful that I managed to make concrete contributions to the profession early on in my career as a PT, by being a member of the PPTA, and then by actively involving myself in the organization, later on becoming the secretary and editor of the newsletter, before becoming the president. My early involvement in PPTA prepared me for leading the organization. Being the president gave me an opportunity to find expression for my insights, be of service to fellow physical therapists, and to grow as a physical therapist. I know I would look back to this experience as something which redefined my niche in the physical therapy world.

Over the past two years, I have learned what one philosopher meant when he wrote that one should not go through life with a catcher's mitt in both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.  Serving in the PPTA as president, and in varied capacities before that, gave me an opportunity to throw something back at a profession which has been very kind to me, which has thrown a lot of blessings my way, which has provided me a unique niche in the professional world.  I also learned that idealism and good intentions are not enough to achieve one’s objectives.  I learned to hold on to my ideals while working with whatever is there in times when circumstances are not ideal.  I learned that sometimes it is better to move on and take on a different path, a path different from what you had in mind, when challenges are not realistically surmountable.

I take this opportunity to thank the Board Members, past and present, during my term of office. Ernesto Padre, Kahirup Habana, Allan Magno, Jeric Uy, Conrad Villareal, Blesilda Borero, Martin Aguda, Jeanette Lee, Catherine Macapagal; and to the present board members: Cheryl Ramos, Paolo Manuel Jimenez, Ricardo Roman Ariston, and Michael Jorge Peralta. Also to Rafael Obusan, Anne Marie Co, and Dexter Aseron who have been “honorary” board members, whom the board relied on for last-minute help. Thank you for putting up with my slave driving for the past two years. I know you have silently cried and whined over my attention to details. Of course there were occasions when you made sure I would hear such whining. I know you have, at one time or another, been sorry for having a cellular phone and/or pager or any contact number, which I know, for these made my nagging a lot easier. I have immensely enjoyed working with all of you and will be forever grateful for the friendships I have developed with you. I hope the feeling is mutual. It made all the challenges seem surmountable. Thank you too to Policarpia Magpili, Bernadette Reyes and Jocelyn Agcaoili, my predecessors in the PPTA presidency, for always having PPTA as part of their personal concerns. Thank you for always feeling comfortable airing your views. I know you know that I have always welcomed your wisdom. I thank the OTAP led by its president Delia Pabalan for being a partner in a lot of activities particularly in the revision of RA 5680, and for being a source of motivation, especially on matters concerning the revision of the law. Thank you to the members of the PRC Professional Regulatory Board, Dr. Joy Evangelista, Raul Agustin, Agnes Estrada, Mercedes Caluag. Thank you for recognizing the importance of PPTA and for being partners in policy-making. I am fortunate to have been the PPTA president at a time when people in the associations that have linkages with PPTA are people who trust the leadership of PPTA and who are genuinely concerned with the welfare of the Association, the physical therapy profession and the professionals. I also would like to thank the UP College of Allied Medical Professions and the UST Institute of PT for having been extremely generous and supportive in providing the PPTA with logistic support: rooms for meeting, fax machine, fax paper, computer, computer ink, slide projectors, slide carousels, microphones, etc. Special mention goes to my colleagues at UP CAMP for always being supportive of the association, and understanding me when I had to prioritize PPTA on a few occasions over being a CAMP faculty. I also thank the numerous groups who have invited me to be part of their PT-related celebrations: administration and student councils of various schools. Thank you for providing a venue for PPTA to invite members and make students aware of the association and understand the profession better. I thank my family for logistical support, the ever-reliable Precious-the-pick-up, our family office supplies, for the emotional and spiritual support, for believing in me when I doubted my own capabilities, for understanding me when PPTA would have to come first before family matters, and for not saying anything whenever I would become difficult to live with when PPTA matters preoccupy me.

Lastly, I thank you members for your support. I realize that there is more than one way of showing one’s cooperation, assistance and encouragement. Your commendatory words after a PPTA project, or your simple smile always serve as my insulin shot during crunch time. You don’t know how much those gestures make my day and make all the efforts worth it.

I know that I leave the PPTA in the very safe hands of any of the nominees. With the continued support of all of you members, I am confident that the PPTA can overcome the challenges it would face.

It has been a very exciting ride. I had fun driving with and for you. Thank you for the pleasure of being in the front seat for this ride. Thank you for your trust in my ability to steer the wheel, for being patient riders, sometimes backseat drivers. I am glad we somehow got to our destination. From the pits of my hypothalamus, it has been my privilege to be your president. Thank you very much!