October 25, 2022

TO: ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE SPSA COUNCIL OF PAST PRESIDENTS (COPP)

FROM: Hernan M. Reyes, MD, FACS, Chairman, COPP

Greetings:

First of all, I want to thank Dr. Honorio Cruz for his steadfast stewardship of SPSA during the last three years. I am also grateful to Philip and Danny for the wonderful golden anniversary celebration held in Las Vegas, NV last week. Am sadly disappointed In my failure to attend what has been dubbed as a terrific affair,

In accordance with the provisions of the Amendments to the CBL of SPSA approved last year by the SPSA Governing Board, I will take on the responsibility as Chairman for the incoming year. My focus is to help transition the leadership of the Society to younger and more energetic members of our organization, sooner rather than later. I am also going to work on trying my best to improve the finances of the Society in order to continue the two programs of the Society: 1. Annual Surgical Mission to the Philippines and 2. The Rural Surgery Outreach Program in partnership between SPSA and PCS SURE Commission which we hope to launch in January of next year. To achieve these goals, I need the full cooperation and support of the members of the Council.

My first act as Chairman is as follows:

1, I am requesting that the following officers of the Society be reappointed by the COPP governing board to their respective positions. They are: Executive Director, Dr. Daniel Fabito; Treasurer and Chairman, Surgical Mission Committee, Dr. Ed Barcelona; Membership Chairman, Dr. Ed Gamboa; Convention Chairman, Dr. Philip Chua; Liaison to PCS, Dr. Juan Montero and ByLaws Committee Chairman, Dr. Bayani Ignacio.

2. I interpret the amended CBL (Provision 6 of the amended CBL) that as Chairman of the Membership Committee and reappointed to that position, Dr. Ed Gamboa, despite not having served as Past President of the Society automatically becomes a member of the COPP upon approval of the above re-appointments by the COPP.

3. I request approval of the Board to appoint Drs. Aimee Mabini of Canada and Jay Seldera of Las Vegas, Nevada as members of the COPP representing the membership.

4. I will in the next few weeks make additional appointment of Committees required to run the affairs of the Society specially dealing with the leadership of the Society to achieve the goal regarding the need to transition the Society’s leadership to a younger generation of members.

5. I will send a letter to inactive Past Presidents who may wish to consider being active members of the COPP.

6. I wish to appoint Dr. Ed Barcelona as Vice Chair of COPP to represent me in any in-person officially sanctioned meeting of the COPP.

Lack of a dissenting response to the above recommendations in a week from today will be considered as a yes vote to my recommendations. Thank you,

Hernan M. Reyes, MD, FACS