In May 2000, a group of orthopedists, headed by Dr. Emiliano B. Tablante, established the Philippine Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (POFAS). The initiative was started by Prof. G. James Sammarco, one of the American foreign speakers during the Philippine Orthopaedic Association (POA) 50th Anniversary Convention and was followed up by a small group of orthopaedic surgeons who were interested in the problems of the foot. They gathered to share knowledge, orientation, and ideas on the proper treatment of foot ailments. 

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The initial years were difficult times since not many of our senior colleagues in POA had any formal advanced training in the current and ideal management of foot and ankle problems, particularly in the adult foot. The tenacity and perseverance of the society’s leaders allowed them to maintain their primary objectives and mould a formal foot and ankle society. Thus, forming the First Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society in Southeast Asia and the third in the entire Asian region.