Filipino dental hygienists group launched

Filipino dental hygienists group launched

Officers of the Filipino-Canadian Dental Hygiensts’ Society, from left: Rosanna Villaluna, Liwayway Javier, Filipina Cortez, Joy Mance, Maryann Halili, Noreen Ocampo, Michelle Baquiran, Mary Jean Cabugao, Marietta Pranada.
(Photos: Ralph R. Photography)

By Bruce Gates

A new organization aimed at promoting the careers of Filipino dental hygienists launched Feb. 10 in Toronto.

The new non-profit organization is composed of registered dental hygienists who volunteered their time to organize continuing education opportunities and provide peer support to members in the Filipino community.

“The reason we created the organization was we saw a need to provide Filipino-Canadian dental hygienists with the ability to enhance both personal and interpersonal skills, stay up-to-date and be competitive through continuing education, peer mentorship and interprofessional collaborations,” Noreen Ocampo, the organization’s founder, said in an email interview.

She said one facet of the Filipino-Canadian Dental Hygienists’ Society (FCDHS) is a series of continuing workshops, with guest speakers covering a variety of topics relevant to the profession, such as job-search strategies, the latest developments in treatments and infection prevention, and quality assurance.

The organization’s website, https://filcanrdhsoc.wixsite.com/mysite, will be updated to provide visitors with the latest information about lectures and other activities, she said.

“All current Registered Dental Hygienists of Ontario, Dental Hygiene students, and Dental Assistants are welcome to be a member,” Ms. Ocampo said. “The society is also open to non-Filipino Canadians who wish to share our vision and stand with us as one group.”
Membership fee is $100 for registered dental hygienists and $25 for dental hygiene students and dental assistants. The fee includes eight continuing education lectures, peer mentorship, job-search support, peer support and collaboration, and product samples from various dental companies.

Ms. Ocampo said membership fees cover educational materials and other related costs, and the plan is to hold charity events to give back to the community.

She added that the FCDHS is planning to liaise with the Filipino Dentists Society of Ontario to further develop its potential as an organization, and added that, to acknowledge their support, and those of other sponsors, “we would advertise them in all our social media platforms.”

Ms. Ocampo said current membership stands at 50 registrants, “but we have high hopes that our membership will grow exponentially with the target to reach out to all the Filipino Canadians registered in the profession.”

Registered Dental Hygienists Joanne Jorge Moore of Johnson & Johnson; FCDHS founder Noreen Ocampo; Ana Jamal; Francine Gordon.

Group shot of all the new Filipino-Canadian Dental Hygienists’ Society officers and registrants.