CTQ Speech on PDA Convention

CTQ Speech on PDA Convention

 

A pleasant afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Today, you are all gathered once again for your yearly conference, and this is your 94th Annual Convention & Scientific Seminar. As I understand, dental practitioners, researchers, educators, and students come together on this occasion to gain knowledge in your field and to renew and establish professional connections.

But first of all, I would like to thank the Philippine Dental Association - Pangasinan Chapter for the invitation. It’s an honor and privilege for me to speak before you in this annual convention.

This significant gathering is surely another year of broadening your horizons so that you will be better able to serve our fellow citizens through excellent dental services.

Based on your theme this year, “PDA Strength in Unity,” I believe you have a goal towards having an organization that derives its strength from unity. I hope PDA Pangasinan is indeed an organization of unity through internal harmony and oneness of purpose.

I am not that familiar with your world, the world of dentistry, so let me just focus where I am coming from: the world of business, politics, public service, and governance. As you probably know, the world of politics, in particular, is a very colorful world, like a teleserye, with lots of bida, pa-bida, and kontrabida. I have seen first-hand how the lack of unity can prevent progress. For example, I was dismayed several times when I saw how people would lie to me, invent nuisance cases against me, which of course got dismissed, and what is worst is, they fail to implement my development programs on purpose – all for their own selfish agenda.

In this kind of environment where there is utter lack of unity, you need to have a strong set of values, a good moral compass, in order to see whether you are on the right side. You need to acquire inner strength, through God’s grace, to be able to fight for what you believe is right.

I hope that with the kind of leadership that you have at PDA, these things will never be a problem to you, because it is difficult to do good things if there are a lot of obstacles like the ones I faced as a local chief executive.

May this event then be an occasion of opportunities to learn, have fun, and reconnect with your peers.  Instead of disagreements and disunity, may this convention open doors to collaboration towards advancing dental expertise.

Ang seminar na ito nawa ay maging isang instrumento sa pagpapalawig ng inyong kaalaman at ibayong pagpapahusay sa inyong larangan. Nawa’y maging inspirasyon ang mga kaalamang maipapamahagi sa inyo upang mas lalo niyo pang paghusayin ang serbisyo sa ating komunidad.

We live in a more advanced time now, with amazing medical developments, improved methods, and more effective instruments. May you maximize the use of new technology, especially ICT and artificial intelligence.

At this point, I would like to thank you for your dedication and passion to serve our people’s dental health needs. In case you didn’t know, our LGU often conducts medical-dental missions, and from time to time, special dental missions. And these dental missions have opened our eyes to the kind of poverty and deprivation many of our kababayans suffer from. Nakita ko na mas titiisin na lang nila ang sakit kaysa magpatingin sa dentista, dahil sa pamasahe pa lang papunta sa bayan, kulang na.

Anyway, in closing, let us never forget that keeping healthy the dental and oral health of Filipinos is directly linked to their productivity and value to the nation, so your role in this life as dentists is very important. May you find deep meaning in your work; may you treat it as a calling from God.

I wish everyone a successful and meaningful convention and seminar. May all the knowledge and experiences shared here today encourage everyone to keep making a difference in each one’s life.

Mabuhay ang Philippine Dental Association!