OUR HISTORY

Timeline

1970
1970

PSMID is born

It all began with twelve pioneers, who in 1970 started a series of discussions after an initial meeting at the Swiss Inn in Paco, Manila. These leading infectious disease specialists and practitioners at that time saw the need for an organization dedicated to the study of infectious diseases in the country.
1972
1972

PSMID formally organized

PSMID formally organized
On 27 January 1972, the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Disease (PSMID) was formally organized with the induction of the first set of officers were inducted by then Health Secretary Clemente Gatmaitan.  Inducted were Drs. Elpidio Gamboa (President-1972-1973); Lourdes E.  Campos (Vice-President); Ernesto Valdez (Business Manager); Pedro Chanco; Antonio Gonzaga; Benjamin Limson; Thelma Tupasi Ramos; Virginia Basaca -Sevilla; Joaquin Sumpaico and Cesar Uylangco, Council Members.   PSMID’s charter was signed on 23 May 1972 by eleven persons, namely, Drs. Elpidio Gamboa, Rodolfo Jao, Benjamin Limson, Pedro Chanco, Thelma Tupasi, Lourdes Campos, Ernesto Valdez, Cesar Uylangco, Virginia Sevilla, Joaquin Sumpaico..Read More
1978
1978

Growth

The years 1973-1978 saw the considerable growth in membership with the Society’s focus on CME and the establishment of professional standards. The PSMID Specialty Board was created and the Philippine Journal of Microbiology & Infectious Diseases was launched. Post-graduate courses were initiated by Dr. Cesar Uylangco (1974-1975) in collaboration with local medical societies throughout the country, which expanded to more scientific meetings under Dr Joaquin Sumpaico (1976). CME was further strengthened by Dr. Bienvenido Alora (1977-1978) with the establishment of a Trust Fund dedicated for that purpose, and the recognition of outstanding physicians in infectious diseases with the PSMID-Bristol Awards...Read More
1979
1979

Strengthening research

Strengthening research
Research was highlighted in the following years beginning with Dr. Luis Mayo-Lao’s (1979-1980) establishment of the PSMID-United Research Paper Contest. Under the stewardship of Dr. Urbano Mendoza (1981-1982) and Dr. Angeles Tan-Alora (1983-1984), the Society’s expanding scientific activities and post-graduate courses continued unabated.
1985
1985

International linkages

International linkages
Building further from the achievements of his predecessors, Dr. Benjamin Limson (1985-1986) added more impetus to research with the PSMID-Roche Award, and started international exchange of ideas during the 9th Annual Convention in 1986, when Asian leaders of infectious diseases and microbiology formed the short-lived Asian Federation of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Dr. Bienvenido Alora as President.   In 1987, the international involvement of PSMID continued to flourish with the assumption of Dr. Alberto Alcantara (1987-1988) into office. That year, the society sponsored the country’s first International Congress on AIDS and other STDs.
1989
1989

Tackling public health issues

Tackling public health issues
1989 saw the PSMID tackle issues of clinical importance. The President, Dr. Mediadora Saniel (1989) created working committees such as the Antibiotic Task Force and the Infection Control Committee. This in turn set the foundation for the Society’s later ventures towards establishing practice standards, and on policy positions related to public health issues.   By the ‘90’s, the Society emerged as an assertive leader and pioneering resource of infectious disease expertise. The initiatives of Dr. Thelma Tupasi (1990-1991) left imprints, which had influenced certain issues and blazed trails in standardizing the practice of infectious diseases in the country. PSMID officially..Read More
1994
1994

Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases (WPCCID)

Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases (WPCCID)
In 1992, Dr. Alberto Gabriel (1992-1993) took office, consolidating the gains of the previous years. PSMID was given the privilege to host the 4th Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases (WPCCID) in 1994 with Dr. Thelma Tupasi as Congress President. This meeting was dubbed “Event of the Year” by the Department.   Under the incumbency of Dr. Norma Abejar (1994), the Society saw the acquisition of a new property in Quezon City which became the official national headquarters. In addition, largely dictated by the administrative demands of WPCCID, PSMID became a DOST-recognized science foundation with a PSMID Trust..Read More
1996
1996

Instituting clinical practice guidelines

The incumbency of Dr. Julius A. Lecciones (1995-1996) sought to build upon the gains of the Society achieved thus far. Looking back at this Congress, he noted, “It is not so much what we can achieve individually, but what and how we accomplish together. And to succeed, there is no better way than to draw from our collective strength and common experience, and use lessons of the past to guide us confidently towards the future.” Inspired by the success of the 4th WPCCID, the members closed ranks to maintain the Society’s fine tradition of excellence in order to continue inspiring..Read More
2000
2000

Internal reengineering

Internal reengineering
With the organization’s internal reengineering, PSMID evolved into a stronger organization with the institution of programs that benefited fellows in training. Thus, Dr. Remedios Coronel (2000-2001) established regular CPC meetings hosted by different training institutions during the year, culminating in the Star Quiz during the annual convention when fellows from the different training programs engage in friendly competition. The turn of the millennium saw the need to review PSMID’s mission and vision, as well as examining the society’s relevance to the current issues in health care through team building workshops and activities. With this, Dr. Salvacion Gatchalian (2002) took the..Read More
2003
2003

Campaign vs. emerging infections

Campaign vs. emerging infections
Under the leadership of Dr. Jaime C. Montoya (2003-2004) PSMID was at the forefront in the campaign against SARS with its strategic programs in influenza and other emerging infections. In support of national information campaigns, the chapters hosted symposia during the annual convention. Likewise, through a strategic partnership with Manila Times, PSMID addressed relevant health issues through its own newspaper column, “What’s bugging me doc?”, as well as feature articles in the Times’ health magazine. In 2004, PSMID initiated and formed the Philippine Alliance for the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (PAPCID) as a venue for networking between private..Read More
2005
2005

24th International Congress on Chemotherapy (ICC)

24th International Congress on Chemotherapy (ICC)
Another major milestone was achieved in 2005 with PSMID’s hosting of the 24th International Congress on Chemotherapy (ICC) in Manila, the very first time that ICC was held in a developing country. Dr. Evelina Lagamayo (2005-2006) presided over this realization of the Society’s dream, which began with the unrelenting efforts of Dr. Thelma Tupasi and Dr. Julius Lecciones in the previous years never to give up PSMID’s bid to host this event. With Dr. Thelma Tupasi as Congress President, ICC was attended by 1,842 local participants and 503 international delegates. The Manila ICC produced 6 Congress Declarations, namely, statements on..Read More
2006
2006

New PSMID building

New PSMID building
PSMID Headquarters, used to be a residential bungalow office, had now become a 3 storey building in 2006, a long-awaited dream of the previous officers, was materialized also under the incumbency of Dr. Evelina N. Lagamayo (2005-2006). To date, PSMID has its own 3 storey building: the ground floor is intended for lease, the 2nd Floor is the PSMID Secretariat and a roof deck at the 3rd floor which can also be rented out. The PSMID building was inaugurated in May 2007, under the leadership of Dr. Lita Z. Vizconde (2007). Along with the inauguration, a symposium entitled “Are we Winning..Read More
2008
2008

Constitutional transformation and standardization

The leadership of Dr. Cecilia Montalban in 2008 has been painted with so much constitutional transformations and standardization. For the first time, the conduct of the Specialty Board examination has been institutionalized and amendments of the constitution and by-laws was eventually approved after the proxy votes had been practiced. It was a year of international recognition as the PSMID hosted the International Society of Chemotherapy (ISC)’s Disease Management Series on Meningitis in April 10, 2008. Also, on October 24, 2008, PSMID was recognized as one of the 105 country supporters of Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE). Recognition was held..Read More
2009
2009

Pursuing heightened advocacy programs

In 2009, the country experienced the first ever NCR-wide outbreak of leptospirosis due to typhoon Ondoy. With Dr. Manolito Chua in lead, PSMID created the Leptospirosis guideline that specifically addressed the issues on its treatment, prevention and managing its complications. This year also marked the heightened participation of the society in several advocacy programs such as the PCP-HERO, Health forums, the Antibiotic Optimization Campaign and the PSMID-PIDSP Journalism award.   The following year, 2010, marked the deeper involvement of the society in other advocacy programs with the launching of the Philippine HIV-AIDS Epidemic: A Call to Action, a pre-convention conference..Read More
2011
2011

Further pursuit to standardize the management of important infections in the country

In 2011, under the leadership of Dr. Rontgene M. Solante, additional subcommittees have been created that was approved unanimously by the Board of Councils such as Influenza, Invasive Fungal Disease, HIV, Tetanus and Typhoid Fever. Together with the existing clinical practice guideline of the society, Dr. Solante also appropriated a budget for each CPG as it is the vision of the Society that all subcommittees will eventually be able to come up with clinical practice guidelines in order to strengthen its role in standardizing the management of important infections in the country. Also, it was Dr. Solante who spearheaded a..Read More
2015
2015

Revisiting the Mission-Vision and Action Plans

In subsequent years, several educational workshops headed by Dr. Marie Yvette C. Barez were conducted to boost the Society’s advocacy on rational antibiotic use. During her term in 2015, the vision-mission statements of PSMID were revisited, along with its management action plan (MAP) goals: 1) active participation on issues of public health importance; 2) accurate information on important health issues; 3) enhanced ID Training Program; 4) improved performance in specialty board exams; 5) focused, unified research agenda; and 6) improved membership involvement & participation. At this time, the Society started giving subsidized funding or grant for selected fellow-in-training.
2016
2016

Strengthening involvement in issues of public health importance

From 2016-2017, under the direction of Dr. Mari Rose delos Reyes, PSMID continued to pursue its on-going activities and embarked on new undertakings particularly in strengthening the society’s involvement in issues  of public health importance. A collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) was done to establish additional private HIV treatment hubs to improve linkage to care of HIV infected individuals.  The PSMID national  and its chapters also conducted  HIV caravan in selected hospitals to promote awareness  of HIV and improve referral system among health care practitioners.   During this time, the National Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) on Antimicrobial Use..Read More
2018
2018

Furthering programs and public communication

Dr. Mario Panaligan intensified the character of PSMID, building its mark and recognition by many Filipinos, through the dissemination of facts, figures and essential information.  The Information Technology (IT) committee was enhanced, going digital in 2018, with frequent exposures in the Social Media through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, with various infographic materials and discussion tackling common infection-related problems like antibiotic use and sepsis, and the important infectious diseases including HIV, TB, dengue, leptospirosis, polio, rabies, typhoid fever and other tropical infections.  Webcast conferences involving the members and fellows-in-training were also started.  In addition, advocacy calls on immunization, HIV, rational antibiotic..Read More
2020
2020

Continuing to soar

Indeed, PSMID has gone a long way and from its humble beginnings find inspiration in the achievements of the present. As it gets stronger and explores new territories, it finds itself conquering more untempered horizons in both the national and international arena. As it continues to soar, PSMID remained committed to uplifting the lives of the Filipino people through the promotion of health consciousness and prevention of infectious diseases.  As we break new grounds and blaze pioneering trails, we move on forward with great things, all for God’s glory.