Convergence had been reached with the legislative passage of the Philippine Dental Act of 2007, the 2008 PRC Dental Code of Ethics and the availability of university-based orthodontic programs locally–events converging with the publication of the 2009 World Federation of Orthodontist’s (WFO) Guidelines on Postgraduate Orthodontic Training that were adopted by the Philippine Board of Orthodontics wherein only graduates from accredited orthodontic programs may take the PBO certifying examinations to conform to a global standard.

In April 2011 communications were sent to all the local university-based orthodontic programs with two, seeking to be accredited by the PBO to formally partner with the APO.

In July 2011, evaluations of the orthodontic graduate programs including site visits and faculty interviews were conducted at the Centro Escolar University and the University of the Philippines to determine parity with the global standards set by the WFO. On August 7, 2011 the PBO Accreditation Committee headed by Dr. Kathy Dy announced the PBO recognition of the Graduate Orthodontic Programs of the Centro Escolar University (CEU) and the University of the Philippines (UP). The WFO was informed of this tie-up and this will be reflected in the APO/PBO websites. The PBO will do all it can to support these programs and the PBO exams themselves have been modified to reflect the university-training of the graduates.

Through Accreditation, the PBO seeks to formally partner with the orthodontic graduate programs so that their graduate students can integrate their orthodontic education with the PBO examination process. This would streamline their certification process as part of their professional career growth. Effective 2012, APO Graduate Student membership status will be given to only those full-time students enrolled in the PBO Accredited Programs allowing them to avail of subsidized rates in attending not only the seminars and congress’ of the APO but those of the WFO and its chapter societies like the American Association of Orthodontists Congress which will be held this year May 4-8, 2012 in Honolulu, USA or the 8th Asian Pacific Orthodontic Society Congress in New Delhi, India on Nov. 29, 2012.

The graduate student of these accredited programs may tap into the resources of the APO. Some research projects having been supported in-part financially and their papers published in the APO’s Philippine Journal of Orthodontics. Recently, “10 Years of the PJO/30 Years of the APO/PBO” as a journal library was compiled on DVD and given as gifts to the visiting orthodontic speakers during last year’s May 1-6, 2011 33rd Asian Pacific Dental Congress (APDC), to dignitaries of the WFO, the ABO and the American Association of Orthodontists during their 111th Annual Congress held May 13-16, 2011 in Chicago and to the Chairs of the PBO recognized orthodontic programs.
It is intended that the DVD will also be given to ALL the 26 dental libraries nation-wide. Some undergraduate dental faculty members received the DVD when they represented their college when they attended the recent APO sponsored PDA pre-congress Orthodontic Teachers Organization (ORTO) seminar last November 16, 2011.

During that ORTO seminar, Dr. Crysoine Marquez, Dr. Janet Pandan and PBO Vice- Chair, Dr. Marivic Reyes had their Case Presentations from their PBO Examinations on display for viewing by the ORTO attendees.

Dr. Sandra S. Adriano, Chair of the PBO Examination Committee announced that Dr. Annabelle D. Kopio, Dr. Teresa P. Goduco and Dr. Rachel Y. Lim successfully hurdled the July 27, 2011 PBO Phase IV Examinations and will be certified as Diplomate, Philippine Board of Orthodontics (DPBO). Thus in 2011 saw the PBO recognize two university-based programs and conduct certification examinations.

The PBO Chair also gave a talk at the Centro Escolar University December 7, 2011 to the Graduate Ortho Class of 2012.
On January 25, 2012 the PBO Phase II: Written Examination was held with 3 successfully hurdling the examinations. Future participation in these examinations is now expected to increase starting next year.

The PBO Chair acted as an External Examiner sitting as a member of the Master’s Thesis Panel of 8 orthodontic graduate students of the CEU Graduate Program in Orthodontics on Feb. 21, 24 & 28, 2012.