Eileen G. Aniceto, MD, FPCCP
PCCP President, 2023-2024

Inaugural Speech of the 53rd PCCP President

My dear colleagues.

I started this journey long before I became part of the board. When Dr Camilo Roa I still don’t know in what capacity, encouraged north Mindanao fellows, previously part of the only chapter in Mindanao, Mindanao Chapter based in Davao to form our own chapter. In 2011, I became the founding president of the Northern Mindanao Chapter. Our first Midyear convention, under the administration of Mae Campomanes, was a blast. Literally. I think you all remember the bombing that took place right after a very successful fellowship night. That was, traumatic to say the least. We lost friends and colleagues. That was in 2012.

But I guess that’s why my name became known enough to earn me a seat in the board in 2015. In truth, my mentor, Dina Diaz, has been nominating me for, like, years before. Results were always a bittersweet experience: relief and disappointment rolled into one. I was scared when I first became part of the board… questions like, am I going to be good enough, will I make a difference, plagued my mind. But, joining as the youngest in the group means that there always will be someone older and wiser, to show you the ropes. From my experience, it’s always been a team effort. And I’ve learned from every president who led every year. From Eric Moral, innovativeness, from Vince Balanag patience and connectedness (he’s the only one who completed the board on the road meetings with different chapters), from Charles Yu, businesslike efficiency, from Leni Fernandez charm and diplomacy, from Malbar Ferrer steadfastness, from Ivan Villespin, that age is not a deterrent to getting things done! Seriously, Ivan was consultative and people oriented, from Greg Ocampo, how to be cool under pressure, and from Imee Mateo, the importance of collaboration and external connections.

I’m not an academician, although for a while I taught in MSU College of Medicine and UERMMMC, and I’m a novice in the field of research, but what I bring to the table is my organizational skills. Before my time in the board, I’ve organized huge medical missions, concerts, tri-city simultaneous workshops, and in my first few years in the board, the Kilusang Malusog na Baga, the Watsons partnership for health education, and the Handshake partnership with CHEST PD.

And all these years, going through and chairing the different committees has somehow prepared me for this… Leading the organization on its first year after 50 years of existence. This has made the coming year more significant, with higher expectations, as it will set the tone for the next 50 years. We have to be able to cull from the past, best practices that made PCCP what it is today, and at the same time, innovate, improve, and level up, become more professional in the conduct of our business and bring us closer to our vision….

By 2030, PCCP, as the acknowledged and leading authority in Pulmonary Medicine, sets the benchmarks of excellence in the country and is at par with international medical community.

Some of you might say, “but it’s always been our vision” re-affirmed every time we have a strategy planning. Ah, but before we never established measures of success. How do we know we have achieved our vision and that we are living our mission. So, I’m extremely lucky that on our 50th year, our most recent strategy refresh has established:

Our strategic impact: to align our goals with Sustainable Global Development Goals for lung health: essentially efforts for Tobacco Control, Air Pollution, Tuberculosis and Climate Change

Our strategic position: Socially relevant expertise in lung health to provide best patient outcomes for the Filipino people. So, for this year, we will be giving due attention to our training efforts not only for fellows in training, but create opportunities for updating skills and knowledge for the general membership, through quality PCCP-directed CME activities, taking advantage of the shift to digital age to full use.

We maintained 3 Pillars on Advocacy, CME/Training and Research as our core processes and the rest as support processes: membership, governance, finance, international relations and branding. And for all of these, we established targets, one year to 3 year targets, and more importantly, and I think this is where we will make a difference, that we identified performance measures we vow to monitor.

Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” — Fitzhugh Dodson

This quote shows the importance of having goals to reach and plans to achieve them rather than just aimlessly wandering through life. It’s the difference between being in control of where our organization goes and not having any control at all – being a subject and victim to the circumstances around you.

Having put the strategy implementation system in place doesn’t mean we accomplish everything in one year, it just means we don’t have to re-invent the wheel with every change in leadership but that there’s going to be continuity in the efforts of the group as a whole, and a uniting vision and direction for all the units that comprise the whole, from chapters to councils to training institutions, down to the last individual member.

“Agree on the destination, negotiate the path.” People can bring different ways of doing things to the workplace if they all share the same goals. Caroline A. Wanga is an influencer, Thought Innovator, HR Strategist to name a few of her positions.

For this year, we hope to:

1. Strengthen our external linkages both in the local and international field: more collaborations with policy-makers, partnerships with medical societies or health organizations, especially in our advocacy efforts. Specifically, we will be strengthening our relationship with DOH, DENR, PHIC to name a few in the local scene.

2. Prioritize our efforts on CPG development and disease registries

3. Cascade our strategy to every member, to strengthen our relationship with internal stakeholders: our members, they are, after all, the reason we exist: to hone, to train, to maintain expertise in respiratory health care, to the benefit of our community through improved health outcomes and promotion of clean air/environment.

4. Increase PCCP visibility through our branding activities

Lastly, let me thank my different families for all support you gave all these years and will continue to give in the coming years:

My family
My northern Mindanao chapter family
My Lung Center family
My friends for keeps
My brothers and sisters in the board of trustees
My advisers.

More power to PCCP. GalingLungs! Eileen G Aniceto, MD, FPCCP President, 2023-2024 Philippine College of Chest Physicians

Imelda Muriel-Mateo, MD, FPCCP
PCCP President, 2022-2023

Inaugural Speech of the 52nd PCCP President

Gregorio P. Ocampo, MD, FPCCP
PCCP President, 2021-2022

Inaugural Speech - Gregorio P. Ocampo, MD, FPCCP
51st PCCP President

It has been a challenging year for all of us and everyday has been action-packed. Most people imagine disasters as something that only happens in the movies. It’s like superheroes battling villains. After almost a year in quarantine and not going to cinemas, people think that what we doctors do everyday is what constitutes an action-packed life — – dealing with emergencies at the hospital, taking care of our patients and working tirelessly as the pandemic goes on especially those of us who are members of the PCCP. The commitment and hard work of everyone here rival or exceed the heroism that we see in films. Your dedication and perseverance will serve as my inspiration, as well as those of the colleagues we lost, as I serve as president of the PCCP.

Let me express how truly grateful and humbled I am to accept this, as this honor comes from you, my distinguished peers. I am aware that I do not fit the usual mold. I am not particularly accomplished in the field of research and academe and I have not extensively participated in gatherings both local and international. I have spent most of my professional life as a clinician with some training and administrative functions. Like most of us, I am an enthusiastic specialist, eager to learn more and keep abreast in my field. I promise that with my experiences and with inspiration drawn from my colleagues, I will do my best as we continue to fight the good fight.

I was initially anxious but, after much thought and prayerful consideration, I began to see the situation much clearer and I was able to draw a path moving forward. The unique and challenging context of the Covid pandemic demands a response of heroic proportions. A heroic response means not only bringing out the best in ourselves but going beyond ourselves and accomplishing more than we are able. We need to approach these challenges with a spirit of ADVENTURE for an adventurous spirit will always be open and will always ensure creative responses to the needs and concerns related to the pandemic. Conditions may become vague and seemingly insurmountable, but with all us working together, we will be sure to overcome all our challenges.

Called to service during a uniquely problematic time, I want my term to be characterized by a spirit of enthusiastic collaboration with all of us working, serving and learning side by side. Our committed service will facilitate our drive to learn as scientists during this pandemic. I propose that we embark on this year with an adventurous outlook , one that will reap fruits of generous service and valuable learning.

Before I end, allow me this opportunity to thank my family for the wonderful love and support that they have shown me through the years. I would not have accomplished any of my dreams without their inspiration.

With that, I thank you all for this honor and look forward to working with all of you. Stay safe and God bless.

-end-

Ivan N. Villespin, MD, FPCP, FPCCP
PCCP President, 2020-2021

BOD 2020-21 at the President’s Dinner

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