Volume 31 No. 3 [email protected]/www.pcs.org.ph July to September 2011 CCOOMMEE AANNDD VVIISSIITT OOUURR PPHHIILLIIPPPPIINNEESS CONTENTS EDITORIAL PCS Newsletter Liife’’s Surges by Dante V. Lerma Go Wander MA. CONCEPCION C. VESAGAS, MD, FPCS and Wonder Editor-in-Chief GABRIEL L. MARTINEZ, MD, FPCS Ma. Concepcion C. Vesagas, MD, FPCS Regent-in-Charge GLENN ANGELO S. GENUINO, MD, FPCS JOEL U. MACALINO, MD, FPCS he world is shrinking. What used to be a journey of days, even months JOSE BRITTANIO S. PUJALTE, JR., MD, FPCS JEANETTE NORA I. SILAO, MD, FPCS (think ocean liners in the likes of the Titanic) has been reduced to mere DURES FE E. TAGAYUNA, MD, FPCS MA. CELINE ISOBEL A. VILLEGAS, MD, FPCS hours. And because of the influence of the internet, more and more are Editorial Staff T aware of a world outside their comfort world. The 5 other continents (Antarctica EDEN GRACE A. PAULE CARMELA S. CELERIDAD remains to be inaccessible) suddenly are just hours away, or at a maximum, 2 or 3 FREDERICK E. DABU Production Staff days away. The economic downturn and government regulations of the airline DANTE V. LERMA, MD industry should not hinder our wandering, specially in our own backyard. Artist The Philippines has geographically 7,107 Take Taal Lake. It is the the third largest lake islands and nearly 300,000 square kilometers of in the Philippines and located in the caldera of an land to visit. Politically, there are currently 17 extinct and ancient volcano. It is, however, about regions with 80 provinces ready to be explored. If 200 meters deep, making it one of the deepest in you want to stay urban, go wander through 138 the country. However, its elevation is only 30 chartered cities. For those who want to get away meters, and thinking further, that makes its depth from it all, go visit the 1496 municipal towns and even below sea level! Astounding, isn't it? To the 42,026 barangays all over the country. There are, west is the Puerto Princesa Underground River by the way, 254 airports to choose from and (PPUR), currently in the running for the 7 new 213,151 kilometers of roadways to get by. Or you natural wonders of the world. Yes, there are many can try riding the railways (we only have 995 underground rivers all over the world, but the kilometers of it, though). Being an archipelago PPUR has the longest (12 kilometers) navigable (the second largest in the world, next to Indonesia) river in existence. Biri Island in Northern Samar we have no land boundaries but there are 36,289 has rock formations that ooh and aah. Do you In this Issue... kilometers of coastline to explore. That makes our wish to join a fiesta? There is one somewhere country the 24th in the world in terms of the length every month. Across the Board 4 of our coastline. As to travel by water, there are at Legacy 6 least 5 major ports in the country and other minor We need not look far and travel further to PCS Metro Manila 9 ports. There are 75 ships to ride on and 12 roll on, widen our horizons. Indeed, travel enriches you PCS Southern Tagalog 13 roll off vehicles scattered in our country. and broadens knowledge. It makes one aware of PCS Bicol 16 different cultures, traditions, language (or PCS Cordillera 18 Just recently, the California Academy of dialects) and other riches waiting to be PCS Northern Luzon 24 Sciences conducted a biodiversity study between discovered. And with 11 regional chapters of the PCS Panay Island 25 April 26 and June 10, 2011 in the country and have PCS all over the country, think of the people PCS Cebu, Eastern Visayas 28 validated that indeed, the Philippines is one of the whom you can meet and discover, too. PCS Negros Occidental 34 biodiversity hotspots of the planet. Shallow PCS Davao 37 water, deep water, volcanoes (Taal, Makiling and Think land! Think beach! Think sand! Think The PCS Newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Philippine College of Surgeons, 992 EDSA, Quezon City Announcements 38 Banahaw), forest, jungle were visited. Every mountains! Think caves! Think fiesta! Think 1005, Tel. No. 928-1083. Comments and feedback indicating the writer’s full name, address, contact numbers expedition since 1992 has discovered new species Filipinos! and e-address are welcome. Letters to the Editor may be edited endemic and unique to our country. If that is not for reasons of clarity and space. E-mail to [email protected]. enough to interest you in exploring the country, Think Philippines! maybe the next paragraph will. 2 PCS Newsletter July - September 2011 July - September 2011 PCS Newsletter 3 CONTENTS EDITORIAL PCS Newsletter Liife’’s Surges by Dante V. Lerma Go Wander MA. CONCEPCION C. VESAGAS, MD, FPCS and Wonder Editor-in-Chief GABRIEL L. MARTINEZ, MD, FPCS Ma. Concepcion C. Vesagas, MD, FPCS Regent-in-Charge GLENN ANGELO S. GENUINO, MD, FPCS JOEL U. MACALINO, MD, FPCS he world is shrinking. What used to be a journey of days, even months JOSE BRITTANIO S. PUJALTE, JR., MD, FPCS JEANETTE NORA I. SILAO, MD, FPCS (think ocean liners in the likes of the Titanic) has been reduced to mere DURES FE E. TAGAYUNA, MD, FPCS MA. CELINE ISOBEL A. VILLEGAS, MD, FPCS hours. And because of the influence of the internet, more and more are Editorial Staff T aware of a world outside their comfort world. The 5 other continents (Antarctica EDEN GRACE A. PAULE CARMELA S. CELERIDAD remains to be inaccessible) suddenly are just hours away, or at a maximum, 2 or 3 FREDERICK E. DABU Production Staff days away. The economic downturn and government regulations of the airline DANTE V. LERMA, MD industry should not hinder our wandering, specially in our own backyard. Artist The Philippines has geographically 7,107 Take Taal Lake. It is the the third largest lake islands and nearly 300,000 square kilometers of in the Philippines and located in the caldera of an land to visit. Politically, there are currently 17 extinct and ancient volcano. It is, however, about regions with 80 provinces ready to be explored. If 200 meters deep, making it one of the deepest in you want to stay urban, go wander through 138 the country. However, its elevation is only 30 chartered cities. For those who want to get away meters, and thinking further, that makes its depth from it all, go visit the 1496 municipal towns and even below sea level! Astounding, isn't it? To the 42,026 barangays all over the country. There are, west is the Puerto Princesa Underground River by the way, 254 airports to choose from and (PPUR), currently in the running for the 7 new 213,151 kilometers of roadways to get by. Or you natural wonders of the world. Yes, there are many can try riding the railways (we only have 995 underground rivers all over the world, but the kilometers of it, though). Being an archipelago PPUR has the longest (12 kilometers) navigable (the second largest in the world, next to Indonesia) river in existence. Biri Island in Northern Samar we have no land boundaries but there are 36,289 has rock formations that ooh and aah. Do you In this Issue... kilometers of coastline to explore. That makes our wish to join a fiesta? There is one somewhere country the 24th in the world in terms of the length every month. Across the Board 4 of our coastline. As to travel by water, there are at Legacy 6 least 5 major ports in the country and other minor We need not look far and travel further to PCS Metro Manila 9 ports. There are 75 ships to ride on and 12 roll on, widen our horizons. Indeed, travel enriches you PCS Southern Tagalog 13 roll off vehicles scattered in our country. and broadens knowledge. It makes one aware of PCS Bicol 16 different cultures, traditions, language (or PCS Cordillera 18 Just recently, the California Academy of dialects) and other riches waiting to be PCS Northern Luzon 24 Sciences conducted a biodiversity study between discovered. And with 11 regional chapters of the PCS Panay Island 25 April 26 and June 10, 2011 in the country and have PCS all over the country, think of the people PCS Cebu, Eastern Visayas 28 validated that indeed, the Philippines is one of the whom you can meet and discover, too. PCS Negros Occidental 34 biodiversity hotspots of the planet. Shallow PCS Davao 37 water, deep water, volcanoes (Taal, Makiling and Think land! Think beach! Think sand! Think The PCS Newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Philippine College of Surgeons, 992 EDSA, Quezon City Announcements 38 Banahaw), forest, jungle were visited. Every mountains! Think caves! Think fiesta! Think 1005, Tel. No. 928-1083. Comments and feedback indicating the writer’s full name, address, contact numbers expedition since 1992 has discovered new species Filipinos! and e-address are welcome. Letters to the Editor may be edited endemic and unique to our country. If that is not for reasons of clarity and space. E-mail to [email protected]. enough to interest you in exploring the country, Think Philippines! maybe the next paragraph will. 2 PCS Newsletter July - September 2011 July - September 2011 PCS Newsletter 3 COLLEGE COLLEGE with the Regional College continue to enjoy the trust and Q3 2011 Presidents, the PCS formed the confidence of our friends and Joint Coordinating Committee benefactors as we embark on for the Accreditation Council newer paradigms to generate Scientific Program (JCCAC) to formulate the core resources.