Sibol: Growing Amidst Adversities

Seven long months since the pandemic started in the country and it has done nothing but expose the gaps in our healthcare system. It has been a wakeup call for all Filipinos to have a deepened social consciousness in medicine. For 39 years, Asian Medical Students’ Association – Philippines (AMSA-Phil) has continued to provide avenues for Filipino medical students to become agents of social change in pursuit for better healthcare in our country. While we are limited by the barriers from the quarantine, we are ironically brought closer together as we break the geographical barriers online. 

These days we talk about resilience when we need community the most. Sibol, meaning growth, is this year’s theme not only for the general assembly but also throughout the term. Guided by our core values, knowledge, action and friendship, AMSA-Phil aims to be a reliable organization for its members as we continue to promote active participation in pressing health and social issues in our country. We amplify our efforts and serve as a platform for growth and advocacy through capacity building in transforming aspiring physicians to be leaders of the future. 

The Asian Medical Students’ Association – Philippines is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, and non-profitable national medical student organization, with 23 member organizations and nearly 4,000 members. As an advocacy organization, AMSA-Phil is dedicated to inculcating greater awareness and deeper understanding of critical issues affecting health and the healthcare system. It also strives to instill social responsibility and to harness the potential of Filipino youth in effecting positive change in society as future physicians and leaders of the community. AMSA-Phil is also the country’s sole representative to two of the largest international medical student organizations: the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and the Asian Medical Students’ Association – International (AMSA-I).