HISTORY

The specialty of Pain Medicine started in the Philippines in 1987 with the formation of the Pain Society of the Philippines by Dr. Cenon R. Cruz and colleagues through the guidance of Prof. John J. Bonica, the global father of Pain Medicine. The Pain Society of the Philippines was one of the earliest chapters in Asia recognized by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).
 

In 2006, the Pain Society of the Philippines, through a Board Resolution, set aside a fund to study the creation of a certifying body envisioned to be independent of it. A core group of pain physicians came together to form and review the creation of the Board. The members came from various specialties dealing with pain and were deemed to be able to work harmoniously towards a common goal which was to elevate the specialty.
 
After more than a year, the Philippine Board of Pain Medicine was finally incorporated and registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A legal counsel was part of the Board that led the group in structuring the newly-formed specialty Board.
 
Our logo shows the opium poppy, Papaverum somniferum, with the inscriptions of the Philippine Board of Pain Medicine and the year 2007 signifying its inception.
 
Several workshops were conducted for the members of the new Board. The UP NTTC, through Dr. Jose Alvin P. Mojica, was with the Board throughout this tedious task.
 
The Board approved a computer-based examination for potential candidates. Criteria on examinee qualifications were discussed. This was the first digital exam in the country for a specialty board examination.
 
In January 2010, the first conferment ceremony formally started professionalizing the practice of Pain Medicine in the Philippines. The Filipino Pain Specialist will now be acknowledged in the medical community as a resource person to other physicians in all aspects of pain management. He can work with multi-specialty health care providers towards improved quality of life for pain patients.