The Philippine Society of Digestive Endoscopy (PSDE) was founded in 1976 as twin society with the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology (PSG). It is a member of World Endoscopy Organization (WEO) and APSDE. It currently has 454 members, all Internists-Gastroenterologists. Together with the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology, the PSDE continues to certify new Gastroenterologists and GI endoscopists. There are a total of seventeen (17) training institutions scattered in the islands of Luzon, Visayas and soon Mindanao, accredited under the PSDE. We seek to expand membership and accredit more training institutions to be able to serve the 110M Filipinos in all the Regions of the country, and we aspire to have a more significant role in this part of Asia.
Regular monthly inter-hospital conferences for Fellows are hosted by the PSDE, and for this year we have shifted our much attended inter-hospital conferences to more time and resource efficient teleconferencing. In 2019, the PSDE also began a partnership with the Academy of Endoscopy under Prof. Roy M. Soetikno in conducting workshops to educate trainers and first year Fellows in basic endoscopy skills. We also actively collaborate with endoscope providers for various workshops in ESD and EUS. In the near future, the PSDE shall be moving towards providing curricula and accreditation for training in ERCP, EUS and other interventional endoscopic disciplines. The PSDE encourages innovation in endoscopy and fully supports research as a tool to further expertise in the country.
The PSDE participates actively and provides state-of the art lectures in endoscopy during the annual Philippine Digestive Health Week (PDHW). Every October, the society also holds a 2-3 day endoscopy conference called “ENDOSCOPYCON Philippines”. In collaboration with Telemedicine Development of Asia (TEMDEC), this annual conference has been showcasing demos from both local experts and foreign masters from various countries outside of the Philippines.
As the recognized authority on all things endoscopy related, the PSDE takes upon itself to disseminate appropriate information relevant to the local health situation. On March 10, 2020 (with update on March 19, 2020) the PSDE issued the COVID-19 Clinical And Procedural Guidance for the GI Endoscopy Unit and Team.