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Filipino Physical Therapist Overview

Physical therapy or physiotherapy is the provision of services to people and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout their lifespan. It also includes the provision of services in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by the process of aging or that of injury or disease. Physical therapists (PT) provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease. They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health. They provide care in hospitals, clinics, schools, sports facilities, and more.

In the Philippines, physical therapy programs are generally 5 years in length. A student is awarded a BS Physical Therapy degree after graduation. The program consists of 2 years of general education, 2 years of physical therapy subjects, and a final year of internship. Some schools require students to complete a full 12 months of internship while other schools only require 10. During the internship year, students are required to fulfill clinical affiliations with hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities. Due to the healthcare structure in the Philippines, clinics and therapy departments are often headed by a Physiatrist who writes out specific treatment orders for the PT to follow, and majority of the treatments are cash-based since not a lot of people have health insurance.

Once a student graduates from the BSPT program, he/she is then required to pass a national licensure exam administered by the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission. The said paper-based exam is a grueling 2-day ordeal, which consists of approximately 730 questions. It is only administered twice a year and the names of those who pass the exam are published in several national newspapers. Those who pass the exam becomes a licensed PT in the Philippines and are then entitled to add the initials PTRP (Physical Therapist Registered in the Philippines) after their name.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, Philippines has the M.S. Physical Therapy post baccalaureate masters program. The applicant must be a graduate of BS Physical Therapy from a recognized school, a holder of a current professional license from the Philippine Professional Regulations Commission, must possess at least one-year professional practice experience as a physical therapist, either in the academic or clinical setting and must pass a written entrance examination administered by UST.

A professional organization of Filipino physical therapists who forefronts for the advancement of the physical therapy profession in the Philippines is headed by the Philippines Physical Therapy Association. It is accredited by the Professional Regulations Commission and member of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.