Press Release
May 24, 2009

SPEECH OF SENATE PRESIDENT JUAN PONCE ENRILE
29th Annual Convocation Pierre Fauchard Academy - Philippine Section
Sunday, May 24, 2009, 11:30 am
Edsa Shangrila Hotel, Mandaluyong

Dr. Boy Villareal, officers and members of the highly-esteemed Pierre Fauchard Academy, distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

Let me thank you for inviting me to this momentous occasion, your 29th Annual Convocation. It is indeed a privilege and honor to be with people who have the clarity of vision and commitment to pursue worthy goals.

Considering the numerous imminent threats to the survival of people, nations and our planet in general, it is heartwarming to note that there are people like the men and women of Pierre Fauchard Academy who band together and work together for a common good.

Yours is an organization recognized internationally for its effort in "recognizing outstanding dentists and celebrating their achievements." I consider your task a very challenging one as dental or oral health seems to be among the least prioritized health-related concerns in our society.

We have witnessed how the advancements in science and medicine have augured well for the tremendous progress in how various medical and health problems of our people are met and addressed more effectively. Yet our knowledge about, and concern for, oral health seems to have been stunted at the very basic stage of "brush your teeth three times a day, or else, the dentist will pull out your rotten teeth."

Consider a total population of 88.5 million people. Is it not alarming to know that there are only about 40,000 oral health professionals in the country? I am even being very liberal with such estimate, considering that there were only about 15,000 oral health professionals 10 years ago, according to statistics by the World Health Organization.

I myself am surprised to know that oral health covers a complex array of concerns such as "being free of chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that affect the mouth and oral cavity."

Even when the government endeavors to cover a bigger portion of the population under the national health insurance system, to enable our people to avail of dental services or oral health care services, we are clearly lacking in this respect.

I would like to commend, therefore, the officers and members of Pierre Fauchard Academy-Philippine Section, the valiant men and women who have been instrumental in maintaining the integrity and uprightness of the dental profession, and who have been active in reaching out and providing dental health services to our less fortunate citizens.

Incidentally, may I congratulate Dr. Boy Villareal for having been given the Top Dentist of the Century Award by the Philippine Dental Association for his exemplary work and dental leadership in his chosen profession. Congratulations, Boy, and indeed, and I am privileged and honored to be associated with you as one of your patients. Thanks to your excellent skills and friendly advices, I am proud to say that I do not have to wear dentures at my age of 85.

Levity aside, in my opinion, Pierre Fauchard Academy is fortunate to have someone as committed, hard working and upright as Dr. Villareal as a leader especially in these most trying times when, more than ever, we need to raise the level of awareness of our people on oral health and prevention of oral diseases.

Let me cite some oral health facts listed down by the World Health Organization, which I know you are all too familiar with:

  • 60-90% of school children worldwide have dental cavities;

  • Incidence of oral cancer ranges from one to 10 cases per 100 000 population in most countries;

  • Birth defects such as cleft lip and palate occur in around one per 500-700 of all births;

  • 40-50% of people who are HIV-positive have oral fungal, bacterial or viral infections, which often occur early in the course of HIV infection;

  • Traditional curative dental care is a significant economic burden for many high-income countries, where 5-10% of public health expenditure relates to oral health.

Even just based on this, I will not hesitate to say that oral health diseases pose serious threats to the public. In a poor country where the people would rather spend their hard-earned money on food, any health concern is just set aside and taking painkillers is almost always the easiest way of "curing" any ailment.

The Philippines is one of the 189 countries which adopted the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), aimed at reducing poverty by 50 percent and eradicating the worst forms of deprivation by 2015.

In line with our commitment to the attainment of the MDGs, the government, civil society and business sector are working closely in integrating these goals into policies and programs from the national down to the local level.

However, recent figures show that our country is still far from achieving some of the goals, especially the goals of providing basic education for all, reducing the incidence of major diseases and improving the health and nutrition of our children. Hence, we need to invest more in our children's health to ensure that our nation will have a better chance at a brighter future.

My dear friends, it is my sincere desire that we all work together so that our country will be able to break away from the poverty trap.

Be assured that your Senate recognizes that investments in health care, disease prevention, nutrition improvement, environment protection are core strategies for long term economic development.

We have already enacted fiscal measures that will help us increase our social investments to meet our MDG targets. I co-authored the Philippine Dental Act of 2007 and we will continue to deliberate on measures that will create an environment conducive not only for the successful practice of your profession, but also to help ensure that the health and well-being of our people are protected and safeguarded.

It is heartwarming and inspiring to note that despite these formidable challenges, there are people like you who are ready and willing to contribute to nation-building. In your own way, you can do so much to help our beloved Philippines overcome all the colossal challenges and become a fully developed and prosperous nation in the 21st century.

The future of our nation depends greatly on how serious and efficient we are in addressing the problems we face now. Hence, we must remain steadfast in our commitment and tireless in the pursuit of our collective goal of helping this country become a great nation once again.

Thank you very much. Mabuhay tayong lahat!

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