Philippine Society of Gastroenterology
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Fiscal Year 2010-2011
Dr. Diana A. Payawal, M.D.

As PSG changes the guards, PSG nurtures and discovers ways to secure a bright future for members. Our comprehensive programs support an opportunity to celebrate the PSG achievements through 50 years and to renew our commitment to the vision which seeks to expand and stabilize the power of science of Gastroenterology, and Hepatology with continuing active participation in general and specialized societies in the clinical, epidemiological, educational and research fields. In your kit is the committees in action.

On the personal side I have been ambivalent in serving especially in the last 3 years and I guess we all know why.  However, in the past 11 years that I have worked with the smart, creative, passionate people I just cannot just leave a society that I have literally grown with.  Together, we have built this society that have empowered people in the field of gastroenterology, I thank our Mentors, our relenting and optimistic members for this. Mentors not only in UST but having fortunately encountered people nationwide who I would not have met if not for this society. Advises were heed but at times I remained stubborn and I deeply apologize for individuals I have hurt greatly. I assure you that it was unintentional.

We’ve certainly gone through a lot of changes over the years. As our society has grown, our impact has grown so has the depth of the management, leadership and of course the friendship too especially if we move as one. The society serves as a forum not only for interchange of scientific knowledge  but a break to see old friends getting older and sexier. This was the reason that I have kept it in for 11 years. I sometimes joke Jun Aquino…Oh jun mas nakikita pa kita kaysa sa asawa ko…..

Of course, with the growth of PSG, PSG was given the gift of great wealth. I believe that with great wealth comes great responsibility, a responsibility to give back to society, a responsibility to see that those resources are put to work in the best possible way to help those most in need. We have just closed a commitment with DOH on colon cancer and a research partnership with Asian partners. However, before I leave I still believe that we should have a strengthened social corporate responsibility in the form of a foundation.

As we move forward, there are some basic principles that will continue to be the key to our viability. First, nurturing innovation in all its forms will remain our highest priority. We have several innovations every year. We nurture small teams, and we do large scale projects so I invite you to be active in our councils and lastly to innovate in development teams and incubation groups, as well as through external acquisitions of which we have to really develop a financial team. I guess by now we know this is not our core competency.

With the early success comes the challenge of scaling up and delivering these new approaches to everyone who can benefit. PSG has a great team of people. I believe we can make this transition without missing a beat. Needless to say we encourage this mutual commitment to everyone …so let us make PSG evolve, as we invite everyone to get involve.

Lastly, I thank the Board of Directors, the secretariat and the members for keeping up with all my idiosyncracies. We have some bumps but I assure you that these bumps will slowly be ironed out…just give us time.

With that I hope my husband, mom and children were here to witness the saying…I am back as your wife and mother after being gone for 11 years. I thank you.