One of the best things that happened in the history of Philippine medical associations in America was the birth of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America in 1972. While other organizations are busy pursuing their social, economic, and political interests, SPSA has taken a different direction – one that focuses on the continuing medical education of its members and then, passing their knowledge and technology on to their counterparts in their homeland.

     Founded by a group of Filipino surgeons practicing in the United States and Canada, SPSA has, in the past three decades, emerged to be one of the most potent forces among Filipino-American medical societies. This has been achieved mainly through its role in upholding the standard of the medical profession and encouraging expertise among its members through its annual continuing medical education (CME) program.

     The continuing effort of its members to keep themselves abreast with the latest development and practices in their field through their annual CME is rooted in their desire to impart the same knowledge and skills to their colleagues back home, who will, in turn, translate these theoretical knowledge to benefit the larger Philippine populace.

     Beginning in 1986, SPSA has been sponsoring fellows from the Philippines for post-graduate surgical training in the United States and Canada. This training includes visiting and observing the practice of surgery by various members of the society situated in different cities. A number of these trained surgeons have returned to the Philippines to render service to their countrymen through various medical and charitable missions.

     Volunteer surgeons of the SPSA have been conducting their annual medical missions in various rural and marginal urban areas of the country despite difficult settings and poorly equipped environment. They have performed thousands of operations such as surgery for cataract, goiters, hernias, fibroid tumors, ovarian cysts, soft tissue tumors, cleft lip and palate, skin lesions and numerous pediatric procedures.

     Indigent patients, especially those from the rural areas, who otherwise could not afford medical services due to the limited rural health services available to them, have benefited from the numerous surgical missions sponsored by SPSA in different provinces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. So far, the estimated financial benefit to the Philippines of all the medical and surgical missions spearheaded by the SPSA from 1993-2005 reaches about P95,790,000.00.

     The impact of the SPSA’s medical missions is staggering, not only in terms of its monetary contribution but also through the knowledge that this group of physicians has been able to impart to their local counterparts. The SPSA’s surgical mission team insists on the participation of the local surgeons and physicians to ensure transfer of surgical knowledge and expertise. SPSA believes that teaching the local surgeons proper surgical techniques will enable them to continue to perform these major operations long after the surgical mission team leaves the area. The surgical missions place a high priority on teaching local surgeons and improving the medical facilities in the area.

     At a time when the continued migration of Filipino health professionals abroad is said to be causing a severe dent in the delivery of medical services to local patient population, the work of the SPSA offers hope and consolation especially to less fortunate and underserved Filipinos.

     In conferring the Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino Award to Society of Philippine Surgeons in America, the President recognizes its distinguished accomplishments and commitment to upgrading the standards of the medical profession, and providing surgical needs of the indigent population in various parts of the Philippines.