by Katerina Los Banos-Atlas, OTRP, MRS 1946 - two Filipino nurses were trained by US Army physicians and American Red Cross nurses in Rehabilitation and Arts and Crafts 1
1948 - Ms. Conchita Abad was given a fellowship pgrant to study OT at the Philadelphia School of OT at the University of Pennsylvania 1962 - the School of Allied Medical Professions (SAMP) of the University of the Philippines was formally established 2
1963 - World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) approved of the OT curriculum of SAMP 1964 - establishment of the Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines (OTAP) 1966 - OTAP was granted Associate Member status by WFOT 1969 - Republic Act 5680 known as the Act of creating the Board of Examination for PT and OT was passed (aka PT-OT Law) 3
1980 - American Occupational Therapy Certification Board (AOTCB) examination became available for OTs residing in the Philippines 1984 - a move to amend the OT-PT law (BP5680) was started by OTAP 14 schools are offering B.S. Occupational Therapy degree Approx. 70 graduates per year Average of 41% passing rate in licensure examinations Approx. 500 Filipino OTs 80% in major cities 80% in major cities 4
Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines (OTAP) General mission: 1. to foster strong fellowship and unity among its members 2. to enforce the observance of the OT Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics 3. to keep abreast of new developments in the profession, and to facilitate the exchange and dissemination of knowledge among occupational therapy professionals Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) responsible for the administration, implementation and enforcement of regulatory policies on the regulation and licensing of various professions and occupations under its jurisdiction 5
Psychosocial/ Academe/ CBR 10% Adult Rehabilitation 20% Pediatrics 70% Approximately 70% of Filipino OTs work in this setting Over 60 private pediatric centers within Metro Manila and nearby provinces Photo courtesy of GOALS, Inc. 6
Sensory Integration Behavior Modification o Techniques Photo courtesy of Quality Life Discoveries Neurodevelopmental Techniques (Bobath, etc.) Photo courtesy of Pilipinas Bobath 7
Aquatic Therapy Photos courtesy of Quality Life Discoveries Multi-Sensory Therapy Photos courtesy of Quality Life Discoveries 8
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Photos courtesy of Independent Living Learning Center 9
Photos courtesy of Independent Living Learning Center Approx. 20% of Filipino OTs are employed in this setting Common cases handled: Neurologic Stroke/CVA Traumatic Brain Injury Muskuloskeletal/Orthopedic Fractures Amputations Burns Cardiac conditions 10
Photo courtesy of Philippine General Hospital Occupational Therapy Section Photo courtesy of Contours Splinting Services 11
Photo courtesy of REACH Foundation Referral Screening Evaluation and Assessment Intervention Re-assessment Discharge 12
major problems of OT practice in the Philippines is the constant migration of Filipino OTs to other countries According to the Department of Health, an average of 40 Filipino OTs migrate to work in other countries per year 13
Most Filipino people still does not know the role and importance of OT Term therapist connotes doing massages love for research is lacking among Filipino OTs Researches are mostly done by OTs in the academe/ education field, with limited participation of clinicians Limited peer-reviewed publications Access to databases are limited (due to lack of fund) 14
No masteral or PhD programs directly related to OT Lack of certification courses for specific area of specializations These issues now poses a challenge to the OT professionals in the Philippines to overcome these problems and emerge as a truly competent and globally- competitive OT. 15