IN ITS bid to continue providing good dental care services to the community, the Philippine Dental Association (PDA)-Bacolod City Chapter Inc. is strengthening its organization through one, fostering camaraderie among its member practitioners and further expanding its membership in the Negros Occidental capital city.
In its sixth year as a chapter, members of PDA-Bacolod City recently gathered at the Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod for the 6th Annual Convention and induction of officers and members themed “PDA within Reach.”
PDA-Bacolod City Chapter Secretary Dr. Anna Rose Ninto-Trocio, who is also the chapter’s past president and PDA trustee for the Visayas, said they want to make the organization more reachable especially to the new members alongside boosting the efforts to increase dental health awareness in the community.
Ninto-Trocio said the chapter does not only serve as a social organization for private dentistry practitioners but also an active partner for development through various community outreach activities it undertakes.
“One of our community-based program is the conduct of dental checkup, dental fluoride treatment and dental extraction for the children at our adopted orphanage at Barangay Sum-ag in Bacolod City,” she said, adding that “we, as an organization, assure the community we serve of good and competent dental services.”
Taking the helm as the new president of PDA-Bacolod City Chapter for 2022 to 2023 is Dr. Eltton Fritz Lim.
Elected as vice president was Dr. Mae Grace Dy. Other officers include Dr. Bryn Mawr Bermundo - assistant secretary; Dr. Abigail Gochuico - treasurer; Dr. Prudencia Dimple Araña - assistant treasurer; Dr. Jo-Anne Sapotin - auditor; and Dr. Rea Julieth Carcillar - public relations officer.
The Board of Trustee are Dr. Jan Michael Dacles, Dr. Maribeth Lee, Dr. Dianne Margaret Militante, Dr. Jeanette Cequiña, Dr. Aim Marie Funcion, Dr. Dominic Ferraris and Dr. Realeza Ludovice as the ex-officio. As the outgoing president, Ludovice received the leadership award.
The chapter also inducted Dr. Krina Jereza-Kim as the president-elect for 2023 to 2024.
Serving as keynote speaker during the activity was Dr. Cheryl Del Rosario, the national president of the Philippine Dental Association. Lim, meanwhile, administered the induction of the six new members.
The chapter’s annual convention also included a lecture on "To give or not to give: Prescribing medications to children."
Ninto-Trocio said the PDA-Bacolod City Chapter is actually a “new” organization. It was established in 2017. Thus, they also would like to strengthen their presence in the community.
She said they continue to encourage the public to seek dental treatment from professional and licensed dentists and not from those doing DIY (do it yourself) as well as illegal and dangerous procedures.
“It is also the organization’s aim to further raise awareness, especially to the Bacolodnons, on the importance of dental health,” Ninto-Trocio said, emphasizing that having a healthy smile does not only boost a person’s self-esteem.
More than this, it is important for people to avoid other illnesses that pose more risks to their health, she added.