Hundred physicians and members of the allied health professionals joined the two-day 8th Anniversary and 2022 Annual Convention of the Catholic Physicians Guild in the Philippines or CPGP. The event was held October 23-24, 2022 at in a local hotel in Cebu City, Philippines. This was hosted by the CPGP Cebu.
The event carries the convention theme, “Revisiting Catholic Principles, Teachings, and Bioethics for the 21st Century Physicians”. It was the first full in-person gathering of Catholic medical professionals since 2020.
Various issues were tackled by the speakers which made a tremendous impact among the convention delegates. These includes the topics of natural fertility versus artificial family planning, updates on bioethics under the hyper-secularized society and the current threats and challenges of todays Catholic physician under a hostile environment.
Special discussion was also focused on the introduction in the House of Congress of the bills calling for the legalization of divorce, abortion, gay union and re-imposition of death penalty. The special role of Catholic physicians was taken into consideration.
Another highlight during the 2-day event was the induction of new CPGP members. There was also the induction of the Catholic Medical Students Guild as Junior CPGP members. These medical students are being trained, educated and exposed to the official teachings of the Catholic church as well as on the virtues of a Catholic physician. This is to prepare them to face the more challenging world ahead when they join the ranks as full-pledged physicians in 2 to 3 years.
Notably present in Cebu and who made the event more successful are the national CPGP officers headed by the ever-supportive current National President of the CPGP, Dr. Ramon Severino and Dr. Manuel Po, the former CPGP National President and representative to the AFMCA.
The Convention Chairman, Dr. Rene Josef C. Bullecer thanked the speakers and the delegates who offered their time and talent to fly to Cebu. Many of the participants came from the different parts of the country for their all-out support of the 2-day gathering.
