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II. Company Background
Philippine Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Inc.
In 1956, against overwhelming odds and formidable circumstances, an intrepid group of U.S. trained Otolaryngologists – all Fellows in good standing of the erstwhile Philippine Ophthalmological and Otolaryngological Society, inspired by Dr. Tierry F. Garcia – agreed it was time to incorporate a separate and independent group to establish a competent O.R.L. practice in the country.
Encouraged initially by Drs. Napoleon Ejercito and Angel Enriquez – the 2 other Otolaryngologists with the UP-PGH Medical Center then – the idea began to shape. When the final draft of the Constitution and By Laws was completed by the Troika of the talk of the Town of the Manila Doctors Hospital, the other 5 E.N.T. men in the country, Drs. Cesar V. Villafuerte Sr. (deceased), Jose Antonio L. Roxas Sr. (deceased), Vicente Songco (deceased), Antonio Vicencio (deceased), Macario Tan (deceased), were invited to join while Dr. Ariston Vicencio who was still at the State University of New York was inducted in absentia. This was how the group became known as the “Heroic Nine”, a quote attributed to Dr. Frank Co Tui – Creedmore Institute Science Director – who was the guest of honor and speaker at the inauguration rites. Under Secretary of Health Dr. Rafael Tobokon inducted the charter members, charter directors including the society’s President – Dr. Tierry F. Garcia at the Dao Room of the Manila Hotel on February 17, 1956. Hence, the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology and Bronchoesophagology, Inc. was born.
The group was re-baptized as the Philippine Society of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery during the annual meeting held at the Penthouse of the Hyatt Regency on December 3, 1981.
The PSO-HNS, together with its specialty board, the Philippine Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery is duly registered with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In 1957, a year after the society was formed, the Manila Central University (MCU) took the lead in the establishment of a separate and independent Department of Otolaryngology in its Medical School. Incidentally, Drs. Cesar Villafuerte Sr. and Angel Enriquez served as first and second chairman respectively. The creation of a separate Department of E.N.T. at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines and its teaching affiliate – the Philippine General Hospital on December 1961 gave the impetus and momentum in liberating Otolaryngology from its erstwhile partner, The rest followed suit at – Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Medicine-Ospital ng Maynila, Fatima Medical Science Foundation, General Emilio Aguinaldo College of Medicine, Philippine Muslim Christian College of Medicine. Considered a breakthrough and a great step forward was the creation of a separate Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Santo Tomas, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in 1984.
In 1989, there were only 5 fully accredited residency training institutions: UP – PGH, UST, PLM –OM, JRMMC, AND MCU. Later it became 9 with the addition of East Avenue Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center, University of the East, and Far Eastern University in 1991.
Since then, the accredited hospitals spread from the city center hospitals to the provinces in the whole of the archipelago. The Philippine Board of Otolaryngology spends time and energy to evaluate and visit hospitals applying for accreditation. This is the reason why competent residency training is now available for aspiring physicians in the provinces which has been a monopoly of urban centers before.
On December 10, 1991, because of the growing number of members in the provinces, the society’s general membership voted to create 3 regional chapters-one each for Northern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Because of the Society’s trust to serve the needs of the residents in the provincial areas, many graduates were encouraged to practice in these areas. With the increasing number of provincial practitioners, the initial 3 regional chapters have grown to 8, namely: the Northern Luzon Chapter, the Central Luzon Chapter, the Southern Tagalog Chapter, the Bicol Chapter (all in Luzon geographical area), and the Northern Mindanao Chapter (in the Mindanao geographical area). Each geographical area is represented in the Board of Trustees.