Valedictory Address of Outgoing APO President, Dr. Dennis C. Lim
To our distinguished guests, PDA executive vice president and PDA Past president and past HOD Speaker of the House, Dr. Maria Isabel Brual, PDA Board of Trustees, Luzon Dr. Mari Jennifer Yalung, PDA Executive Secretary, Dr. Loretta Cabrera, Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society President, Dr. Roberto Tan, and to my beloved APO members, good afternoon and welcome to the induction ceremony of the Association of Philippine Orthodontists.
What a journey it has been. Being an APO president is indeed no joke and for a person who was born an introvert, it really took a toll in a person’s lifestyle. When my term started last January 1, 2023 Sunday, just like when everybody was doing a countdown on December 31 for the coming New year, I am also doing a countdown to this day when I will turn over my presidency to a much abled president, in the name of Dr. Marie Joanne Susana Marañon. I would always wonder why in other association or organization, people are excited to hold the highest position? Is there something I don’t see or am I just too naïve to handle such position? However, there is something good I learned from this, and this is to make concrete decisions for our association and I hope all my decisions were fair and just. It really became more difficult because I have the tendency to also be competitive, thus would want to do as many things for our association. Last 2023, during the 113 th PDA Gawad Awards night, APO was awarded the humanitarian award and outstanding affiliate society and just recently in May 2024 during the 114 th PDA Gawad awards night, APO was awarded with 4 th place in best practice award, 2 nd place in twinning project with San Juan Dental Chapter, Most outstanding affiliate society in continuing dental education, Most outstanding Affiliate society and most outstanding affiliate president under the specialty category. The hard work we put into every project and activities were luckily recognized by the awards committee of PDA. For these, I am grateful to all who participated in all the outreach programs and volunteering projects of APO.
For the past 517 days, the executive board members were able to give all our members quality seminars and conferences as well as also help some marginalized sectors by providing oral health care to cleft lip and palate patients with Smile train Philippines, that started being our partner during the term of past president Dr. Ana Ramona Locsin. The twinning project with San Juan dental chapter was our first time to venture with a dental chapter. Wherein APO provided phase 1 orthodontic treatment to selected grade 2 students of Pedro Cruz elementary school. There is also another project, which APO to this day still recognizes the memorandum of agreement with Our Lady of Peace Craniofacial center. This was during the term of our past president Dr. Sandra Syliangco Adriano dated 2005. Recently, APO donated P100,000.00 to Noordhoff Craniofacial Center to help them continue with their mission and vision of providing oral and orthodontic care to the cleft lip and palate patients.
During my term, we were able to provide 8 general meetings and scientific seminars, 2 orthodontic congresses and several outreach programs with smile train Philippines and San Juan Dental Chapter. All of these would not be made possible without the help and advisesfrom all of my board members, who made sure that in every project or seminars we conducted, we will be able to impart orthodontic knowledge to our attendees and a big shout out to all the APO members for their support.
I would like to also thank my ninong Dr. Eustaquio or better known as Dr. E, he was the one who showed me the importance of proper biomechanics for the success of our orthodontic treatment. Dr. E was also the one who gave me the chance to venture into teaching. When he told me that he will just take a leave for 1 semester and if I can handle his subject in UP, I readily agreed, not knowing that he will never return to teaching in UP anymore. That was the start of my being an academician. To my ninang Dr. Quismundo or Dr Q, who gave me a chance to go to Japan to learn MEAW under Dr. Sadao Sato. I will forever be grateful to you. Dr. Q also served as my 2 nd mom who would always give sound advices to me. To my two idols in Orthodontics, I am not who I am now without the two of them.
I would also like to mention some key people who wholeheartedly help me in this journey. If you are familiar with movie plots, every hero or superhero will always have somebody to rely on and for me, I have my avengers. They are Dr. Annie Kopio, Dr. Liza Adriano, Dr. Chibelle Pike, Dr. Iris Panlilio and Dr. Mona Locsin. They have always been my wall that I can lean on, every question or needs I have, they would readily give advices and suggestions to me. Before I would share the designs of all the posters and themes of our general meetings, I would first get all the honest comments and suggestions from my avengers and they made my life as president of APO easier.
To my forever loyal supporter, my wife Bernadette, who has always been my backbone that I can rely on without fail. She has been there since day 1 up until today. She would do things that she normally won’t do but have no choice. In times that stress levels were very high, she would help me to overcome all these. Indeed, in every man’s success is a woman. And if orthodontists use Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADS) for the success of their treatment, I would consider her my PAD, my Permanent Anchorage device, who make sure that I am still sane with all the stresses I encountered.
Lastly, I would like to thank all our APO members, for trusting in me to be your president. I hope I was able to lived up to all of your expectations. In case I fall short in certain areas, I hope you can all forgive and understand me. We all learn from our mistakes and this journey I had with all of you, even if it is stressful, I will forever treasure the experience.
Please bear with me as I have 2 surprises that I personally would like to give honor to.
First, I would like to personally thank my forever confidante. On the first day of my term as APO president, this person was always there to help me and guide me as I know nothing about being a leader. As what I said 1 ½ years ago, I am more of a follower than a leader, but this person really made sure that I can do my job well. This person is indeed a very dependable person. To my forever chat or text mate, who would readily extend her helping hand to me any time in the day or night, she is no other than Dr. Mona Locsin.
The 2nd person is no stranger to all of us, this person has been present in all the general meetings and seminars during my term. How I wish that all our members will be inspired to see her dedication to our association. In reality, she doesn’t need to attend the seminars organized by APO because she doesn’t need to accumulate APO points, but still she made sure that she is present in all the seminars even during PDA. I will consider her an epitome of an APO member. She is an inspiration to all her students and if I am good at wire bendings and Ceph tracing, it’s because I learned from her. She is a grandmother to Camille and Micah, and a mother to Therese, Rachel and Randy and is considered as the 2nd mother of Philippine Orthodontics. One of my idols in the field of orthodontics, Dr. Ermelinda Sabater-Galang.
Before I end, I would like to share to all of you about life choices I saw in social media. Life is a series of choices. Just like hate has 4 letters, so does love. Enemies has 7 letters but so does friends. Failure has 7 letters but so does success and negativity has 10 letters but so does positivity. We always have a choice, so let’s choose the better side of it.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to serve as your APO President and for all your support.
Inaugural Address of APO President, Dr. Marie Joanne Susana R. Marañon
Honorable Merlin A. Go, Philippine Dental Association Executive Vice President Maria Isabel Brual and other PDA dignitaries, Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society President Roberto Tan, Association of Phil. Orthodontists’ Past Presidents and Officers of Our Association, esteemed members of Our Organization, and distinguished guests, good afternoon.
On behalf of APO, I would like to congratulate and thank Immediate Past President Dr. Dennis Lim for his exemplary leadership. Dennis, your dedication and hard work have set a high standard for us all, and we are deeply grateful for your exceptional contributions. I am deeply humbled and honored to stand before you today as we embark on this new chapter for our Association. I am grateful for the trust you have placed in my capabilities and the opportunity to serve.
Our theme for this year, 'Navigating the Future with Resiliency, Competency, and Inclusivity,' not only reflects our past achievements but also encapsulates our vision and steadfast commitment to shaping the future of orthodontics in the Philippines.
Resiliency has been APO’s cornerstone, especially as we navigated the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, in adversity, we found strength and grit, demonstrating remarkable innovation, integrating new technologies and approaches to ensure that our patients continued to receive the highest quality of care. This resilience and adaptability have not only sustained us but also fueled our determination to excel and innovate in our profession.
Competency remains at the heart of our organization. We are committed to staying at the forefront of our field by offering continuing education seminars that are in tune with the latest advancements and trends. Through the Continuing Professional Education Committee, we plan to provide educational opportunities that will ensure our members are equipped with cutting-edge knowledge and skills necessary to uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism, enriching our contributions to the field and the lives we impact.
Inclusivity remains fundamental to our mission. We celebrate the diversity within our membership and relentlessly strive to create an environment where every voice is heard. This inclusivity fuels collaboration and innovation, enhancing our collective expertise and amplifying our impact on communities across our nation and beyond our borders. Toward this goal of inclusivity, I am honored to acknowledge the leadership of Past President Janet Pandan and IPP Dennis Lim, and the dedicated efforts of the Judicial and Bylaws Committee, led by Drs. Mona Locsin, Irene Yu, and Grace Kwan.
Their collaboration has successfully ushered in significant changes for our association through the approval of the new APO Constitution and By-Laws by the Securities and Exchange Commission. These changes mark a pivotal moment by expanding voting privileges to include all APO members in good standing. Moreover, the new CBL has also ushered in the creation of the Welfare and Trust Fund to benefit our members. Under the stewardship of your new Board of Trustees, we are committed to finalizing the Implementing Rules and Regulations for this Welfare and Trust Fund, aiming to provide essential support to our members and further strengthen our unity and resilience as an association.
APO’s commitment to community service is exemplified by our enduring partnership with Our Lady of Peace in providing orthodontic treatment to less fortunate Cleft lip and palate patients. Over the past two decades, this partnership has provided CLAP individuals with much-needed orthodontic care, transforming not only their smiles but also their lives. We are grateful for the vision and leadership of past APO presidents who have supported this worthy cause. This agreement underscores APO’s commitment to community service and the betterment of lives through our profession. As we reflect on APO’s achievements and the lives this program has touched, we see an opportunity to build upon this legacy and adapt our efforts to meet the evolving needs of the community by amending the Memorandum of Agreement. With Dr. Cecile Tuano Cabrera as the New Orthodontic Chair of Noordhoof Craniofacial Facial Philippines Inc., we are confident that this renewed partnership will ensure that every patient receives the best possible care, making a significant and positive impact on their lives.
Building on the success of President Lim's twinning project with the San Juan Dental Chapter, we aim to sustain this initiative by partnering with another local dental chapter. Aside from these projects, we plan to emphasize the importance of preventive and interceptive orthodontics in our community outreach programs. These partnerships not only enhance our impact but more importantly reinforce our commitment to serving the broader community.
Looking forward, we recognize the need to address the rampant practice of illegal orthodontic treatment. Through our Publicity and Promotions Committee, we aim to raise awareness about the dangers of unlicensed practitioners and the importance of seeking treatment from qualified professionals. Our goal is to protect the public and uphold the integrity of our profession.
At this point, I would like t to extend our gratitude to the dental companies who have been supportive of APO’s endeavors. Your assistance has enabled us to achieve our goals, and we look forward to your continued partnership as we navigate the future together.
To my family, thank you for your constant support and understanding. Your encouragement and love have been my greatest strength.
Lastly, to my fellow APO members, thank you for your support and dedication to lifelong learning. I look forward to your active participation and engagement in our initiatives. You are the reason why APO exists today and your involvement is crucial to our organization’s collective success. With God’s guidance and your help, we can navigate the future with resilience, competency, and inclusivity, upholding the values that define the Association of Philippine Orthodontists.
Mabuhay ang APO!
World Federation of Orthodontists
Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society
Philippine Board of Orthodontics
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