The Philippine Council for the Bone & Joint Decade successfully held its launching and motorcade last March 26, 2000 at the CCP grounds. The theme was “Kalusugan Para sa Buto at Kasukasuan” which was ably elaborated by several speakers led by the former Asian Sprint Queen, Mrs. Lydia de Vega-Mercado.

The event is a rousing result of the cooperation of five Council member societies and the strong support of the Department of Health (DOH) through Undersecretary Susie Pineda-Mercado and Dr. Ponciano Aberin, Chief, DOH Disability Division.

The event gathered over 800 participants coming from several sectors including the big contingent of physical therapists from various centers and hospitals, doctors, national team athletes (divers, weight lifters and water polo) and lay people led by the CCP Joggers Club. On hand to add color were Yosi Kadiri and Tiya Kulit mascots.

The guest speaker, Mrs. Lydia de Vega-Mercado emphasized the importance of maintaining physical fitness through exercises at least three times a week. She cited her weekly routine that has kept her fit as a mother of three.

Other speakers from the medical societies led by Dr. Tito P. Torralba of the Arthritis CaRe, Dr. Ponciano Aberin of DOH, Dr. Leilani Mercado-Asis of OSPI, Dr. Bee Giok Tan-Sales of PARM, Dr. Regalado dela Paz of POA, and Dr. Ester G. Penserga of PRA focused on bone and joint health and cited the international movement of the Bone and Joint Decade as supported by World Health Organization (WHO), as well as, different programs and facilities of the medical specialties on bone & joint diseases.

The Philippine Council for the Bone & Joint Decade is committed to bring consciousness to bone and joint health to the general public through public awareness program and medical research. The event was capped by a lively aerobic exercises led by Dr. Jenny Serrano and Mr. Rommel Kong both from the Sports Medicine Association of the Philippines as well aerobic instructors from the CCP Joggers Club.

The worldwide initiative started in July 1996, when Professor Lars Lidgren of the Lund University Hospital in Sweden met with some local experts on musculoskeletal conditions where the idea of a Bone and Joint Decade was discussed. For the next 2-3 years, worldwide contacts were made on a number of international musculoskeletal professional organizations. A Swedish Organizing Committee was established in 1997 that selected four major areas of concern, namely, Joint Diseases, Spinal Disorders, Osteoporosis and Trauma.

By January of 1999, at least 10 governments have signed the endorsement for the Declaration of 2000-2010 as Joint and Bone Decade. Soon after, an avalanche of endorsements was received from national professional organizations of many countries from Europe to North and South America, Asia Pacific & Australia to the Middle East and Africa. On November 30, 1999, the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan officially endorsed the declaration and the World Health Organization now works closely with the Steering Committee headed by Professor Lidgren and Bone and Joint Decade Ambassadors were named. On January 13, 2000, The Bone and Joint Decade was formally launched in Geneva, Switzerland. To date, more than 80 countries have established national coordinators regarding the decade.