Boracay, a tropical island south of Manila, served as an ideal venue for the Executive Committee Meeting of the Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society (APOS) held last March 5, 2009 at the Boracay Regency Hotel and Convention Center. The Association of Philippine Orthodontists (APO) under the able leadership of its dynamic President Dr. Jose Rivera, hosted the event graciously. Only one out of the fifteen member countries was not represented as Dr. Mostaque Sattar from the Bangladesh Orthodontic Society suffered a personal loss in the mutiny that transpired in Bangladesh.
The fourteen member countries in alphabetical order were represented by the following:
1. Dr. Somchai Satravaha:
President of the APOS, 2008-2010
2. Association of Orthodontists Singapore:
Dr. Kai Woh Loh, ECM
3. Association of Philippine Orthodontists:
Dr. Crissie C. Santayana, ECM
APOS Secretary General
Dr. Martin Reyes, Observer
3. Australian Society of Orthodontists:
Dr. Shane Fryer, President & ECM
4. Chinese Orthodontic Society:
Dr. Tian-Min Xu, President & ECM
Prof. Jiu Xiang Lin, Observer
5. Hong Kong Society Of Orthodontists Limited:
Dr. Alexander Tang, ECM
Dr. Franklin She, Observer
6. Indian Orthodontic Society
Dr. O.P. Kharbanda, President & ECM
Dr. Gurinder Singh, Dr. Askish Gupta, Dr. Nikhilesh Vaid – Observers
7. Indonesian Association of Orthodontists:
Dr. Halim Himawan, ECM
Dr. Erwin Siregar, Observer
8. Japan Orthodontic Society:
Dr. Kazuo Tanne, ECM
Dr. Toru Deguchi, Observer
9 . Korean Association of Orthodontists:
Dr. Dong Hwa Chung, ECM
10. Macau Association of Orthodontists:
Dr. Wei Lin, President & ECM
11. Malaysian Association of Orthodontists:
Dr. Noraini Binti Hj. Alwi, President/ Observer
Dr. Akbar Sham Hussin, ECM
12. New Zealand Association of Orthodontists:
Dr. Winifred Harding, ECM
Chair of 7th APOC
13. Pakistan Association of Orthodontists:
Dr. Amjad Mahmood, President / Observer
Dr. Mubassar Fida, ECM
14. Thai Association of Orthodontists:
Dr. Tanan Jaruprakorn, ECM
The Executive Committee Meeting, originally set from 10:00am – 1700, was officially adjourned in two hours. Due to the organizational skills of the APOS President Dr. Somchai Satravaha, discussions went smoothly, The constitution of the APOS was finally approved by 13 member countries. Plans for the upcoming 7th IOC and 7th APOC on February 6-10, 2010 were presented by Dr. Shane Fryer (President & ECM of the Australian Orthodontic Society) and Dr. Winifred Harding ( ECM from New Zealand Association of Orthodontists and Chair of the 7th APOC). The Indian Orthodontic Society also presented their plans for the 8th APOC to be held at New Delhi in 2012. The Hong Kong Society of Orthodontists LTD. presented the pros and cons of having the APOS officially registered in Hong Kong. The matter still has to be thoroughly studied to decide where best to register the APOS. After the meeting was officially over, we invited Dr. Yeong- Charng Yen from the Taiwan Association of Orthodontists (TAO) to present his views and intentions to formally apply to the APOS.
For fun and camaraderie, the APO hosted a Welcome Dinner by the beach at the Pearl of the Pacific where each one was free to introduce himself and interact with one another. The following night it was Luau Night emceed by Dr. JP Cadaing who entertained us with “Filipino” wit and humor. We also had a live Latin band and fire dancers to fully entertain our esteemed visitors. The following afternoon, an APO Adventure Race was planned which was an exciting way of getting to see for oneself, the reasons why Boracay remains one of the Philippines’ top tourist destinations.
It was indeed an honor to be part of this whole experience and to have been part of the planning committee. After all, this successful event is testimony to the fact that APOS is indeed a vibrant organization in promoting orthodontics in the Asian Pacific region.
Dr. Crissie Camara Santayana
APOS Secretary General 2008-2010
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