(From left to right): Dr. José Ma. C. Avila, National Journal Selection Committee Chair, Dr. Ricardo S. Guanzon, Vice President for Internal Affairs, Prof. Dr. José Florencio F. Lapeña, Jr., President, Dr. Filomena S. San Juan, Vice President for External Affairs, Dr. Madeleine M. Sosa, Secretary and Dr. Gerard Fabian Goco, Treasurer and Philippine Medical Association Vice President, Dr. Mardave S. Martinez.
Last May 5, 2011, the Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE) was formed during a meeting of the Western Pacific Region Index Medicus (WPRIM) Philippines hosted by Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Executive Lounge, Bicutan, Taguig City.
PAMJE’s elected President was Dr. Jose F. Lapeña Jr., editor of the Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and Secretary-General of the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors (APAME). Elected Vice Presidents were Drs. Ricardo Guanzon and Filomena San Juan, editors of the Filipino Family Physician and the Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, respectively. Dr. Madeleine Sosa of the Philippine Journal of Neurology was elected Secretary and Dr. Gerard Goco of the Philippine Journal of Nuclear Medicine was elected Treasurer. Dr. Jose Ma. Avila, editor of Acta Medica Philippina, remains as Chair of the National Journal Selection Committee.
Other founding members of PAMJE were Dr. Mardave S. Martinez, Vice President of the Philippine Medical Association and editor of its journal, and Dr. Linda Varona, editor of the Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine.
Present also were Ms. Alma Prosperoso of the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region Office (WPRO) and the Medical and Health Librarians Association of the Philippines (MAHLAP); Ms. Merlita Opeña, Ms. Violeta Intia and Ms. Jovy Ann Casamorin of PCHRD-DOST.
PAMJE is envisioned to be a non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit organization that strives to raise the quality of medical and health journal publishing in the Philippines in partnership with the PCHRD-DOST, Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Philippine Dental Association (PDA), Philippine Nursing Association (PNA), among others. PAMJE also has mission to contribute toward elevating the quality of medical and health journal publishing in the Asia Pacific Region in official association with the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors (APAME) and support the WPRIM and Global Health Library (GHL) Initiatives of the WHO-WPRO.
Philippine editors, previous editors, editorial staff, editorial assistants and reviewers of peer-reviewed medical and health-related journals and those working in any branch of health-related scientific and technology communication in the Philippines may qualify for PAMJE individual membership.
Those qualified for organizational membership are Philippine peer-reviewed medical and health-related journals, scientific publications or publishing bodies, libraries and librarians’ organizations and related organizations.-30- Rachel Nadal, PCHRD, DOST
