World Psoriasis Day in Philippines

Thanks to Mr Josef de Guzman for providing the following information about activities in the Philippines:

The Psoriasis Philippines (PsorPhil) Online Support Group was created in August 2005 by Mr Josef de Guzman with the encouragement of Dr Vermen Verallo Rowell. Since then, more and more Filipino people who have psoriasis, not only in the Philippines but throughout the world, find comfort and support from the online members who share their insights about dealing with psoriasis.

The National Support Association for Psoriasis Patients (NSAPPI) is the umbrella organization of the Psoriasis Clubs in the Philippines and they and PsorPhil work together in all endeavours - their joint celebration of World Psoriasis Day 2006 has been a tremendous success!

In preparation for the World Psoriasis Day 2006 celebrations held on 29 October, the planned activities were broadcast on radio, television and in print media. The promotional activity was a huge success raising awareness of psoriasis and World Psoriasis Day and also encouraging many people to turn out for the festivities.

Funwalk@Baywalk

Held on 29 October, Funwalk@Baywalk enjoyed its second successful year. Registration started early on Sunday morning - hundreds of patients, doctors, families and friends took part in the event. As the morning wore on people kept arriving - some participants had to travel for 10 hours by car/bus to join the festivities!

The participants - dressed predominantly in orange and blue - set off from Rajah Sulayman Plaza in the morning for a parade along the streets of Roxas Boulevard. Ten of the largest hospitals and psorclubs were represented by their members and they contributed to the colourful occasion. With balloons, banners and special T-shirts for the event, the atmosphere amongst all the walkers was amazing - not even the drizzle could dampen the high spirits!

The walk ended by returning to Rajah Sulayman Plaza where the National Anthem was sung and an Invocation delivered. A series of lectures was delivered by various doctors and patient leaders, then VIP guests - including the City Mayor - gave short messages.

Further to the speeches, an awards ceremony was conducted to recognize outstanding contributions to the cause of psoriasis. Awards were made to Dr Lorna Frez (President of the Philippine Dermatological Society) and Dr Teresita Gabriel. An award was also presented to our image model, Lolo Eduard, who was met with thunderous applause. Lastly, a member of the PsorPhil team, Emmylou Casanova, was recognized with an award for her dedication to psoriasis advocacy.

The Philippine Dermatological Society provided free clinics/consultations during the celebrations for the general public. In addition, tickets from a raffle were drawn throughout the day and led to the last part of the program: an all-favorite singing competition where patients and doctors joined the friendly contest. The competition was eventually won by a patient named Weng.

• The Philippine Dermatological Society
• Dr Lorna Frez, Dr Gabriel and Dr Vermen Verallo Rowell
• The wonderful online community
• The PsorPhil team: Ms. Mylou Casanova; Mr. Art Allado; Ms. Marj Platilla