Milestones in the history of Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation in

the Philippines

Early concern for rehabilitation

1917 Concern for the disabled in the Philippines began as early as this time when
the government adopted the Revised Adminitrtaion Code which
provided for compensation benefits during the period of disability and
the payment ofmedical assistance, necessary transportation,
subsistence an hospital fess of a person in the service of the
government who was injured in the performance of his duty.

1923 A law was passed which provided the care and custody of disabled
children.

1926 The Workmen’s Compensation Act was passed prescribing compensation for
employees for personal injuries, death or illness contracted in the
performance of duty. However, rehabilitation was still a minor concern
of the government and most rehabilitation services were then
undertaken mostly by private agencies and volunteer group.

1937 The National Psychopathic Hospital (now National Mental Hospital), in

Mandaluyong, Rizal started its service and training through the so
called Push Therapy

WWII and immediately After: Emergence of OT as a Profession

1945 The United States Army established the Amputation and Training center at
the V. Luna Medical Center whose staff were trained on the techniques
of physical rehabilitation of amputees.

In February, the Philippine Civil Administration Unit I General Hospital (later

renamed to Mandaluyong Emergency Hospital) was created to care for
Filipino and American military and civilian casualties of WWII. Andre
Roche, a French therapist, introduces Occupational Therapy at the
PCAU I.

During this time, the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE)
took the staff, interns and students from the Philippine General
Hospital (PGH) on the day it was liberated to PCAU I in Mandaluyong.
This was a turning point for the demand of doctors and nurses during
WWII

1946 Conchita M. Abad and Gilceria andaya founded the Department of

Occupational Therapy at the PCAU I General Hospital after receiving
training in Rehabilitation and Art & Crafts under US Army physicians
and American Red Cross nurses.
1947 A long range program to upgrade hospital service was launched by sending
PCAU I medical and allies medical staff abroad for advanced education
and training.

1948 As a result, Conchita M. Abad was given a fellowship grant to study OT at the
Philadelphia School of OT at the University of Pennsylvania upon
recommendation of Andre Roche, UN consultant in OT in the
Philippines

The Philippine Civil Administration Unit I General Hospital was again renamed
to National Orthopedic Hospital with Dr. Jose V. de los Santos as the
first chief.

1949 Charlotte Aspuria graduated with a degree of BSOT at the Milwaukee Downer
College, University of Wisconsin after finishing a year of clinical
training at the New York Goldwater Memorial Hospital. She
immediately took and passed the licensure examination thus becoming
the first certified Filipina OT in the United States.

Dr. Henry Kessler (US Armed Forced consultant in rehabilitation in

Orthopedic surgery) visited thereby increasing awareness and
acceptance of the concept of rehabilitation in the Philippines.

1950 C.M. Abad was granted a certificate in OT and returned to the Philippines to
spearhead the reorganization of OT sections in various hospitals and
institutions.

The Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD) was
organized becoming the umbrella organization of private agencies
involved in rehabilitation programs.

The Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA) was established. Resident

typeof activities were employed as treatment modalities.

The Elk’s Cerebral Palsy Rehabilitation Center was opened by American

Businessmen of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk’s Lodge
761.

1953 Dr. Tamesis succeeded Dr. Jose V. de los Santos as NOH chief

1954 Charlotte Aspuri-Floro returned to the Philippines after working for several
years in New York, Hawaii, Texas and San Francisco.

1956 After 3 years as chief, Dr. Tamesis revealed the need for professional
training of OTs and PTs. Through the initiative of the National
 Orthopedic Hospital (NOH) the Philippine Government requested for
consultant to survey rehabiltaion work in hospital and other health
institutions in the Philippines. Dr. Henry Kessler, who was then with
the United nations, recommended among other the establishment of
OT and PT schools.

Soon thereafter plans of starting a PT school was explored. C.A. Floro and C.
Abad hearing about this plan negotiated with Dr. Tamesis to include OT
arguing that rehabilitation should be holistic and therefore should
include Occupational Therapy.

The Genesis of School of Allied Medical Profession

1959-61 C.A. Floro and C.M. Abad collaborated to produce an OT curriculum.

The draft curriculum was largely based on the curricula of their
respective colleges in the United States but incorporated Liberal Arts
subjects which were required at the University of the Philippines during
those times. One source states that as early as 1955 plans were being
made for an OT curriculum

May 1962 OT and PT curricula was drafted with Elizabeth Ahlberg and Robert
Jacques (WHO PT consultants)

Nov 1962 School of Allied Medical Profession was formally established occupying
a wing of the NOH at Maria Clara St., Quezon City. SAMP became the
first school in Asia to offer a baccalaureate degree in OT.

Evanina Estrada-Curan and Corazon Tablan-Santos were accepted as the first

batch of OT students. They were both sponsored by Elk’s Cerebral
Palsy Project.

1963 SAMP OT curriculum was approved by WFOT after the visitation of OT such as
Spackman.

1965 Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines was founded on

September. With the following members:
Charlotte Floro - President
Conchita Abad – Vice President
Corazon Tablan - Secretary
Fe Isaac Sano – Treasurer
Evanina Estrada – PRO
The temporary headquarters was located at the College of Medicine, Ma.
Clara St., Q.C.

1966 First batch of OT graduates

 March 11, the first OTAP symposium was held with the theme: Is it Time to
Establise a Comprehensive Work-Oriented Rehabilitation Center in the
Philippines. It was held at the WHO Conference Hall, United Nations
Ave., Manila

OTAP was granted associate member status of the WFOT during the 7th
council meeting in London.
1968 OTAP was admitted as FULL member organization of the WFOT during the 8th
council meeting in Sweden, with 22 member nations.

1969 Republic Act 5680 otherwise known as the Act of creating the Board of
Examination for PT and OT sponsored by Rep. Jose M. Aldeguer was
passed on June21. The project was chaired by Fe Isaac-Saňo who was
then OTAP President.

The Philippine Council of Homes for the Disabled (now Philippine Council of
Cheshire Homes, Inc.) was established by Fe Isaac- Saňo and Sis.
Valeriana Baerts to provide medical assitance and shelter for the
disabled.

1970-1980 Expansion and Consolidation

1970 Philippine Decade of Rehabilitation was declared (1970-80)

1971 Evanina Estrada went to Pittsburgh to become the first Philippine trained OT
to leave the country

SAMP was transferre to two Marcos type buildings at the back of the PGH
compound in Taft Avenue, Manila

1972 2nd OTAP Annual Convention: Bridging Communication among Health

Sciences through Professional Writing

June 1973 The first Board of Examiners were inducted. The following were the
first examiner: Dr. J. Mendoza, chairman; H. Pilog, F.I. Saňo, J. Rabino
and C. Abad. Fe Isaac- Saňo and Conchita Abad were the first OT
board examiners

First OT board exam was given

Tahanang Walang Hagdan was founded by UP OT graduate Sis. Valeriana

Baerts, to provide vocational training and employment for the
disabled.

1974 The UP Comprehensive Community Health Program was established in Bay,

Laguna
1977 BOR approved SAMP as an independent unit with Dr. Guillermo Damian as
First SAMP Dean

The OTAP 7th Annual Convention: Integrating Occupational Therapy in the

Community, was held at the PMHA Auditorium

June 1978 The National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP) was
established by virtue of Presidential Decree 1509. Among the
mandated tasks of the NCCDP was to prepare and adopt an integrated
and comprehensive plan for disability prevention and rehabilitation.

Emphasized in the general thrusts and guiding principles of the commission

of life, people and community-based development, self-reliance and
integrated development approach.

Towards EDSA: New Challenges, New Directions

1980 American Occupational Therapy Certification Board (AOTCB) examination
became available for OTs residing in the Philippines. As the economic
and political situation during the second term of then President Marcos
was very uncertain. This was significant in facilitating the processing
of work permits in the US and triggered a renewed exodus of the
Philippine trained OTs to the US. The lack of trained manpower was
starting to take a toll in the local OT market, hospitals which formerly
offered OT services were starting to convert OT units to PT units or
were abolishing OT items altogether.

1981 The year 1981 was declared by WHO as the International Year for Disabled
Persons (IYDP). At the same time, 1981-1991 was declared as the
Decade of Disabled Persons. This marked a growing international and
regional concern for rehabilitation in the community level.

The Community Based Rehabilitation approach was pilot tested in Bacolod,

Negros Occidental thru the joint efforts of NCCPD and WHO with Prof.
Susan Villegas as part of the training team and Prof. Floro as one of
the administrative planner.

Dec 27’ 82 BP344 known as Accessibility Law was passed providing for the
enhancement of the mobility of disabled persons in buildings,
institutions, establishments and public utilities. Members of the OT
faculty of CAMP acted as consultants in the drafting of the law.

1983 The five year plan for disability prevention and rehabilitation (1983-87) was
released
1984 A move to amend the OT-PT law (BP5680) was started by OTAP under the
current president Mrs. Querouz. This move was expected to enhance
the reputation of OT as a separate profession and counteract the
notion that OT is poor cousin of PT.

1985 The College of Perpetual Help,Biňan started its first year of operation with 7
students. Of the seven , 2 were able to graduate five years after. Prof.
Querouz (SAMO’67) was instrumental in pushing for this development.

1986 The Association of Philippine Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy

Schools(APPTOTS) was established with Dr. Ofelia Reyes as its first
president.

A national conference on the minimum standards for OT-PT curriculum in the

Philippines at the Lung center. The APPTOTS lobbied for a five year
curriculum for BSOT and BSOT arguing that a 4 year curriculum was
inadequate for training OTs and PTs in the schools. The CAMP
committee tasked with the review of the case asserted that the OT and
PT curriculum being used in CAMP was adequate.

The result of the above conference led to the December release of “Proposed
Policies and Standards for OT/PT Education upon recommendation of
the task Force Committee on Curriculum for OT and PT and the Bureau
of Higher Education.

1987 Perpetual Biňan was accredited by DECS

1988 Perpetual Biňan shifted to a five year curriculum

1989 UP CAMP Community Based Rehabilitation Program was inaugurated in

Montalban, Rizal. While the UP CAMP Rehabilitation and Research
Development Center was conceptualized. This signaled the
emergence of an interdisciplinary, and, later a transdisciplinary
approach to rehabilitation.

1990 The move the amend BP 5680 for separation of OT and PT was revived.

Perpetual Biňan was accredited by OTAP and WFOT

OT Onwards to the 21st Century

1991 The Emilio Aguinaldo College Manila opens its BSOT section. In Cebu two
schools, Cebu Velez and Cebu Doctors started accepting BSOT
students

Jan 1992 The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons(RA7277) was passed by Senate
and Congress providing for the rehabilitation, self development and
 self reliance of disabled persons and their integration into the
mainstream of the society.

1993 OT School of Pines City Educational Center in Benguet was recognized by

DECS.

The Western Philippine Colleges and Laguna Northwestern College both

located in Laguna, Cebu Doctors College and Medina College of Region
X were given permits to open OT schools by DECS.

1993-2002 was declared as the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons.
One of its aims is to provide equal educational opportunities to
disabled children.
1994 The Fatima Medical Foundation in Bulacan, Perpetual Help College of Las
Piňas and Manila were given permits to operate OT schools by the
DECS.

2001 First Thomasian graduate

2010 UST: OTAP & WFOT accreditation