By Dr. James Paul S. Gomez

The Philippine Glaucoma Society (PGS) conducted its 2026 postgraduate course on March 14 at St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City. The event served as the culminating activity of World Glaucoma Week and was attended by over 200 participants from multiple institutions. Residents and fellows predominantly comprised the crowd, but there were also a number of consultants, general practitioners, and medical students in attendance.

Under the theme “Glaucoma: Core Principles for Your Practice,” the course emphasized the integration of foundational concepts with evolving clinical strategies. Plenary sessions addressed key diagnostic principles, including optic disc assessment, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and automated visual field (AVF) interpretation, highlighting their complementary roles in disease evaluation. Lectures also discussed important surgical management principles, such as laser therapies, trabeculectomy, glaucoma drainage devices, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

Industry-supported symposia complemented the scientific program, presenting developments in intraocular lenses, phacoemulsification in glaucoma, preservative-free pharmacotherapy, and advanced diagnostic technologies for glaucoma monitoring.

A distinctive component of the course was the engagement of newly inducted PGS members in case-based debates alongside senior clinicians, promoting critical appraisal of common clinical challenges. This was followed by small-group breakout sessions on trabeculectomy, OCT, and AVF interpretation, which facilitated interactive, practice-oriented learning.

Beyond physician education, the event championed public engagement through a glaucoma awareness social media contest focusing on diagnosis and management. Winning entries were submitted by Ospital ng Makati, The Medical City, East Avenue Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, and St. Jude Thaddeus Eye Center. All submitted materials will be disseminated in PGS digital platforms.

Overall, the course underscored the commitment of PGS to advance glaucoma care through structured education, collaborative discourse, and community outreach.