The Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) established on April 25, 1973 is considered the premiere specialty organization and leading authority in pulmonary medicine in the Philippines, setting the standards of excellence in the training and practice of pulmonary medicine. Realizing the need for improving the respiratory health outcomes especially in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the PCCP Council on COPD was formally established in 1993 with the goal of empowering and improving the quality of life of Filipinos afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

On CPG

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD continues to be a primary burden to Filipino patients and our healthcare system. To help improve the respiratory health outcomes of COPD patients in the Philippines, the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) Council on COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation initiated the creation of the clinical practice guidelines on the management of COPD. The first three guidelines were initiated last 2009, 2014, and 2021. The latest guideline released in November 2023 was done in collaboration with different societies, organizations, agencies, and institutions which aims to provide a simple guide to all health care workers who manage COPD patients within the Universal Healthcare (UHC) framework of the Philippines. On Research Research on COPD plays a vital role in healthcare, education, technology and social policy. It enables pulmonologists and other healthcare professionals to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements, ensuring that Filipino patients with chronic respiratory disease including COPD receive the best possible care. Over the years, our pulmonologists contributed to COPD research to help shape policies for the Filipino community. Two major research include the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) Study and COPD Profile and Survival Study (CPASS) of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP).

Members of the COPD Council actively participated in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study in 2007 and 2017. The BOLD study is one of several large epidemiological studies established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, identify its risk factors, and examined the health status in people with COPD across 41 sites in the world. Another major research in the field of COPD was the COPD Profile and Survival Study (CPASS) of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) launched in 2017. The study aims to gather and provide the necessary information, disease trends and statistics aimed to increase the understanding of physicians about the local phenotypic distribution of COPD and its survival pattern. These studies provide insight into the needs and concerns of the Philippine society, informing policymakers about the best ways to address social issues, evaluating the effectiveness of policies and programs, and ensuring that they achieve their intended outcomes. On various COPD activities.

The Council likewise, actively participated in activities to raise awareness, share knowledge, and discuss ways to reduce the burden of COPD. One such activity is the yearly World COPD Day. World COPD Day was organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in collaboration with health care professionals and COPD patient groups throughout the world. Each year, organizers in more than 50 countries have carried out activities, making the day one of the world's most important COPD awareness and education events. It was during the November 2020 World COPD Day, the Council on COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation launched the COPD Educational Booklet in different language versions: English, Tagalog, Hiligaynon Bisaya and recently, Ilokano. These booklets are valuable resource material for the Filipino COPD patients, their families, and healthcare professionals, particularly those living in remote areas. These booklets are available online at https://philchest.org.ph, the official website of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP). Other advocacy programs by the council to help Filipino COPD patients by promoting respiratory wellness through patient education were in collaboration with other PCCP council and agencies.

These include Pulmonary Rehabilitation Philippines YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@pulmonaryrehabilitation5284 and Breathe Freely Network (https://www.breathefreely.ph).

Conclusion

The PCCP mission-vision, as compassionate, committed, competent and ethical physicians, is to improve lung health in the Philippines and Asia. The PCCP Council on COPD achieve this by promoting uncompromising excellence in private and public practices pushing the boundaries of respiratory medicine through relevant, pioneering and state-of-the-art research, conducting lectures, workshops and symposia about the latest evidence-based innovations in the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, promoting professional development, and fostering connections among local and international societies. Ultimately, these activities translate to more effective patient outcomes and continuous improvement of our COPD patients within the Filipino healthcare community.

Chair, Council on COPD

1993 - 1998
Percival A. Punzal

1998 - 2001

Ma. Bella R. Siasoco

2001 - 2006

Lenora C. Fernandez

 
2006 - 2008

Norberto A. Francisco

2008 - 2010

Luisito F. Idolor

2010 - 2012

Tomas M. Realiza

2012 - 2019

Tim S. Trinidad

2019 - 2024

Bernice O. Dela Cruz

2024 - present

Stefanni Nonna M. Paraguas

 

 

COPD Educational Booklet