President's Message

To my beloved family, dear colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen.

Standing before you today, I am humbled by mixed emotions of trepidation and awe. Trepidation because of the immense responsibility that this position entails; awe because in your noblest intention, you had entrusted me to be at the helm of the society at this crucial and momentous period. With that, I am profoundly grateful.

Seventy years ago, the founding leaders had made a covenant to set the highest standards and ethical ideals in the practice of medicine through the Philippine College of Physicians. And these, my dear colleagues, are what we will continue to uphold. PCP’s 70th year will focus on ensuring that the IM practice will always be the standard in the pursuit of excellence and competence, optimizing the value-based healthcare delivery, and be the leading resource of education and expertise by both the government and the private sectors. We will continue to partner with the Department of Health, PhilHealth, the Professional Regulations Commission, and the medical community to ensure that the training, accreditation, and practice of the members will always be at par and competitive in the global setting. We will likewise strengthen our partnership with our ASEAN colleagues to advance training and research in internal medicine.

Being a doctor is a privilege. But it is also a profession of dedication and sacrifice. The lengthy years of studies and training had hopefully led us to be more selfless and hardworking; that in one way or another, we are creating a helpful impact in the well-being of our patients. Hence, we make use of this privilege to formulate disease prevention strategies, precise diagnosis and improve treatment outcomes.

The implementation of the UHC Law and the current Congress deliberation on the amendments of the Physicians Act had given us a broader outlook on the future of healthcare and medical practice in this country. While we endeavor to serve even the most marginalized communities, it is only imperative to ensure high-quality and cost-effective healthcare delivery. The roadmap of these laws is daunting and encompassing but no matter how difficult the odds, we are expected to never give up until we serve those who need us the most.

An anonymous writer once wrote that this is a “profession where knowledge, power and heart come together.” The knowledge we gained will only be truly relevant if we also recognize the values of compassion, respect for human dignity and service above self.

The PCP has given me the opportunity to serve and, on a larger scale, be an active voice and a keen advocate of healthy lifestyle and utmost well-being. The dynamism and values that the College had impart in us will always be our bright beacon to be leaders and experts in our fields; that in the expanse of our medical practice we were able to maximize our potentials, train and share our knowledge to our young colleagues and serve the Filipino people.

In the months ahead we will craft a roadmap for the College in the next 5 years. This will already include the planning for the World Congress of Internal Medicine which we will be hosting in 2028.

So together let us move towards a more relevant PCP and may this mantle that you had given me be an instrument to further our advocacies and steadfast to our mission and vision.

Thank you very much and good evening!