| Genoveva "Gene" P. Santander Montreal, Quebec, Canada The First Filipina to Practice the Art of Dentistry in the Province of Quebec A Committed, Dedicated and Energetic Community Leader |
Born and raised in Manila the sixth child of seven children of the
late Maximino Santander of Imus, Cavite and Felipa Polintan of
Mexico, Pampanga, DR. GENOVEVA P. SANTANDER obtained
her degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine at the Manila Central
University in the Philippines in 1959 through an athletic
scholarship established by the university. Despite her hectic
schedule with her sports and activities, this never became an
obstacle for her to obtain her Dentistry degree with flying colors.
She was a member of the MCU Volleyball, Basketball & Track &
Field Teams and was a first national record holder in the Discus
Throw event during the P.R.I.S.A.A. (Private Schools League)
meet in 1959.
After practicing for five years in Manila as a full-fledged dentist,
she came to the United States and first worked at Truesdale
Hospital in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts. Later, she was granted a
fellowship in Children’s Dentistry at the Murry & Leonie
late Maximino Santander of Imus, Cavite and Felipa Polintan of
Mexico, Pampanga, DR. GENOVEVA P. SANTANDER obtained
her degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine at the Manila Central
University in the Philippines in 1959 through an athletic
scholarship established by the university. Despite her hectic
schedule with her sports and activities, this never became an
obstacle for her to obtain her Dentistry degree with flying colors.
She was a member of the MCU Volleyball, Basketball & Track &
Field Teams and was a first national record holder in the Discus
Throw event during the P.R.I.S.A.A. (Private Schools League)
meet in 1959.
After practicing for five years in Manila as a full-fledged dentist,
she came to the United States and first worked at Truesdale
Hospital in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts. Later, she was granted a
fellowship in Children’s Dentistry at the Murry & Leonie
Guggenheim Dental Clinic in New York City and took refresher Post-graduate courses in Oral Pathology at
Columbia University in New York. She instantly became popular among many Filipinos in both cities because
of her dancing and singing abilities. She also choreographed several folk and ballroom dances for various
Filipino gatherings in New York. In 1966 she was given a certificate of Award for successfully qualifying for
appointment and for serving as Dental Staff in Clinical Pedodontia at the Murry & Leonie Guggenheim Dental
Clinic in New York City.
Two years later, she was given a Certificate of Award for taking specific clinical instructions in
Roentgenology at the Henry Gross & Associates Dental Clinic in Brooklyn, New York. That same year, 1968,
she came to Canada and practiced in Sherbrooke, Quebec as an intern in General Dentistry at St. Vincent de
Paul University Hospital. Later, she became a junior intern in Pedodontics at the Montreal Children’s
Hospital which lasted for three years at that time . She organized the “Santander Choir” with her family for the
hospital chapel’s annual Christmas midnight mass.
In 1977 she became the first Filipina to practice the art of Dentistry in the province of Quebec. She
immediately landed a job as the attending Dental Surgeon at three dental clinics in the Montreal area: the
Clinique Dentaire St.-Joseph, the Polyclinique de Montreal and the Clinique Dentaire Ville St-Pierre.
She is currently a member in good standing of the l’Ordre des Dentistes du Quebec, l’Association Dentaire
Canadienne, Federation Dentaire International, Societe Dentaire de Montreal as well as the Academy of
General Dentistry, American Dental Association, Eastern Association of Filipino Dentists in America and the
National Association of Filipino Dentists in America. Two years later, she established her own private practice
in General Dentistry in Montreal.
She studied French Phonetics at the LaSalle Conservatoire in Montreal and while studying the French
language in 1978, she was awarded a certificate by the Regie de la langue francais du Quebec, a
requirement by the Quebec government to practice one's profession in the province.
In 1981 she attended and participated in the 22nd International Quintessence Symposium in Kyoto, Japan as
one of the Dentists representing the province of Quebec and in 1983 at the 9th Congress - International
Association of Dentistry for Children-Scientific Programme in Melbourne, Australia.
That same year, she adopted her godson, 11 year old Daniel Pantaleon, the second son of her youngest
sister from the Philippines to provide him with better education and opportunity. The Quebec Order of
Dentists awarded her a Certificate in 1986 for continuing dental education and for acquiring 149 hour
credits surpassing the minimal standard recommended 90 hour-credits. That same year, she was invited by
the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Manila Central University in the Philippines to conduct a lecture on
the subject: “Post & Core” and Table Clinic on the subject “Restoration and Re-use of Endodontically
Treated Teeth” and was presented an Award of Appreciation for her invaluable time spent in the university.
While in Manila, she donated a full set of World Book Encyclopedia for the library of the High School where
she graduated as the Most Outstanding Senior, the Jose Abad Santos High School. Two years later in 1988,
she conducted a lecture and table clinic on the same subject, “Post & Core,” at Les Journees Dentaires du
Quebec’s Annual Dental Convention held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. That same year, she
participated in the Federation Dentaire International Convention in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and at the Canadian
Dental Association in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the following year, 1989, at the Federation Dentaire
International Convention in Amsterdam, Holland and Kenya, Africa as one of the representatives of the
province of Quebec.
In 1990, the Manila Central University Alumni Association presented her an award of Recognition and an
Outstanding Alumnus Award development of the College of Dentistry, benefiting many students and the faculty
as well. In 1994, she went back to the Philippines to participate in the Asia-Pacific Dental Convention -
Scientific Programme held in Manila.
Her dedicated services tot he Filipino community in Montreal led to her election as president of the Philippine
Association of Montreal & Suburbs (FAMAS), the largest Filipino organization in the province of Quebec, from
1984-1985. The first ever public voting members of the Filipino community. While FAMAS President, she
fought for the rights and privileges of Filipino contract workers and organized a seminar entitled “Reach Out.”
She appeared on CFCF Television - Montreal in an interview conducted by Mutsumi Takahashi, one of
Montreal’s top journalist now an anchorwoman, regarding problems facing Filipino contract workers in the
province of Quebec. Through her effort, dedication and commitment the FAMAS 1984-1985 Executive Board
raised and turned-over the largest amount to date that year to FAMAS’ biggest project, the Philippine
Community Center.
In 1990 she was elected the 5th president of the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec
(FFCAQ), the umbrella organization of all Filipino-Canadian Associations in Quebec.While FFCAQ
President, she launched the project “SAVE”, for the victims of the Philippine earthquake and organized the
participation of various print and electronic media in the Montreal area and raised an overwhelming amount of
$16,000 for the victims of the calamity.
In 1991, another disaster claimed the lives and homes of thousands of Filipinos, the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic
eruptions. She immediately coordinated the community efforts in raising funds for the victims of the calamity,
through her effort all the necessary permits and authorization were obtained from the city of Montreal and the
Canadian Red Cross Society to conduct this biggest ever appeal to the public for financial contributions. A
whopping $16,900 were raised in fourteen days naming it the biggest and most successful fund-raising
project ever taken by the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec under her leadership.
She organized the first Filipino Women’s Volleyball Tournament and the first Montreal Women’s Volleyball
Team and led the team to four consecutive Championships in the Inter-City Tournament against the teams
from Ottawa, Kingston & Toronto. She was also one of the founders of the United Filipino Homemakers
Association of Quebec and the Philippine Tennis Association of Montreal and initiated the project “The
Philippines - Pearl of the Orient Seas” for the 350th anniversary of the founding of the city of Montreal
involving the various Filipino- Canadian associations in the city.
She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Association of Montreal & Suburbs and
the Philippine Benevolent & Scholarship Society of Quebec, the Adviser of the Canadian Association of People
Helping People from the Philippines, member of the Filipino Golden Agers Association, co-founding
member of the Fil-Can Tennis Association of Quebec, member friend of Folklore Canada International,
pioneer member of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce - Montreal Chapter, and member of the Advisory
Council of the Philippines-Canada Tourism Montreal.
As an energetic community leader, she received several awards and distinctions from the various Filipino
and other ethnic organizations including the Special Awards for outstanding community service from the
Philippine Benevolent & Scholarship Society of Quebec in 1988, the United Filipino Home-makers
Association of Quebec in 1988 and 1991, the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec in
1990, 1992 and 1995, and one of the first recipients of the Philippines-Quebec-Canada Community Service
Award from the Philbecan Community Association in 1997 in recognition of her invaluable contribution to the
advancement of the association and the Filipino community at large. A Certificate of Award was also given to
her in 1992 by the Commission on Canada’s Birthday for her invaluable contribution to the Canada 125
Celebration.
That same year, a Certificate of Merit was also presented to her by the Black Community’s Quebec Amateur
Netball Federation for her contribution and excellent performance in their annual Multi-Cultural Extravaganza
and in 1993 from the Filipiniana Dance Company of Montreal in its “Sights & Sounds” benefit concert for the
promotion of Philippine culture throughout Canada.
This year, she was nominated and selected as one of the Ten Most Outstanding Filipinos in Canada by the
Bb. Pilipinas of North America Pageant Inc. for her exceptional community service and personal
achievements and was presented the award on April 26, 1997 in Toronto. She was also presented a
certificate by the Union United Church-Montreal for her participation in the Heritage Week 1997 Celebration
on June 11, 1997.
She became active on the entertainment scene in the 90’s, performing in various fund-raising events and
socio-cultural activities of the Filipino and other ethnic communities in Montreal such as the Caribbean
Pioneer Women of Canada, the Trinidad & Tobago Association of Montreal, the Jamaica Association of
Montreal Inc. Community Women’s League, the Union United Church of Montreal, St. Pauls Anglican Church
and the Quebec Amateur Netball Federation. Known today as the “Singing Dentist”, her powerful voice and
enormous stage presence has won the hearts of many Filipinos and Canadians.
The Fil-Am Image is proud to welcome Dr. Genoveva " Gene" P. Santander from Montreal, Quebec, as one of
the Twenty Most Outstanding Filipino-Americans in the U.S. and Canada and to the "Circle of Leaders." #
Columbia University in New York. She instantly became popular among many Filipinos in both cities because
of her dancing and singing abilities. She also choreographed several folk and ballroom dances for various
Filipino gatherings in New York. In 1966 she was given a certificate of Award for successfully qualifying for
appointment and for serving as Dental Staff in Clinical Pedodontia at the Murry & Leonie Guggenheim Dental
Clinic in New York City.
Two years later, she was given a Certificate of Award for taking specific clinical instructions in
Roentgenology at the Henry Gross & Associates Dental Clinic in Brooklyn, New York. That same year, 1968,
she came to Canada and practiced in Sherbrooke, Quebec as an intern in General Dentistry at St. Vincent de
Paul University Hospital. Later, she became a junior intern in Pedodontics at the Montreal Children’s
Hospital which lasted for three years at that time . She organized the “Santander Choir” with her family for the
hospital chapel’s annual Christmas midnight mass.
In 1977 she became the first Filipina to practice the art of Dentistry in the province of Quebec. She
immediately landed a job as the attending Dental Surgeon at three dental clinics in the Montreal area: the
Clinique Dentaire St.-Joseph, the Polyclinique de Montreal and the Clinique Dentaire Ville St-Pierre.
She is currently a member in good standing of the l’Ordre des Dentistes du Quebec, l’Association Dentaire
Canadienne, Federation Dentaire International, Societe Dentaire de Montreal as well as the Academy of
General Dentistry, American Dental Association, Eastern Association of Filipino Dentists in America and the
National Association of Filipino Dentists in America. Two years later, she established her own private practice
in General Dentistry in Montreal.
She studied French Phonetics at the LaSalle Conservatoire in Montreal and while studying the French
language in 1978, she was awarded a certificate by the Regie de la langue francais du Quebec, a
requirement by the Quebec government to practice one's profession in the province.
In 1981 she attended and participated in the 22nd International Quintessence Symposium in Kyoto, Japan as
one of the Dentists representing the province of Quebec and in 1983 at the 9th Congress - International
Association of Dentistry for Children-Scientific Programme in Melbourne, Australia.
That same year, she adopted her godson, 11 year old Daniel Pantaleon, the second son of her youngest
sister from the Philippines to provide him with better education and opportunity. The Quebec Order of
Dentists awarded her a Certificate in 1986 for continuing dental education and for acquiring 149 hour
credits surpassing the minimal standard recommended 90 hour-credits. That same year, she was invited by
the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Manila Central University in the Philippines to conduct a lecture on
the subject: “Post & Core” and Table Clinic on the subject “Restoration and Re-use of Endodontically
Treated Teeth” and was presented an Award of Appreciation for her invaluable time spent in the university.
While in Manila, she donated a full set of World Book Encyclopedia for the library of the High School where
she graduated as the Most Outstanding Senior, the Jose Abad Santos High School. Two years later in 1988,
she conducted a lecture and table clinic on the same subject, “Post & Core,” at Les Journees Dentaires du
Quebec’s Annual Dental Convention held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. That same year, she
participated in the Federation Dentaire International Convention in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and at the Canadian
Dental Association in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the following year, 1989, at the Federation Dentaire
International Convention in Amsterdam, Holland and Kenya, Africa as one of the representatives of the
province of Quebec.
In 1990, the Manila Central University Alumni Association presented her an award of Recognition and an
Outstanding Alumnus Award development of the College of Dentistry, benefiting many students and the faculty
as well. In 1994, she went back to the Philippines to participate in the Asia-Pacific Dental Convention -
Scientific Programme held in Manila.
Her dedicated services tot he Filipino community in Montreal led to her election as president of the Philippine
Association of Montreal & Suburbs (FAMAS), the largest Filipino organization in the province of Quebec, from
1984-1985. The first ever public voting members of the Filipino community. While FAMAS President, she
fought for the rights and privileges of Filipino contract workers and organized a seminar entitled “Reach Out.”
She appeared on CFCF Television - Montreal in an interview conducted by Mutsumi Takahashi, one of
Montreal’s top journalist now an anchorwoman, regarding problems facing Filipino contract workers in the
province of Quebec. Through her effort, dedication and commitment the FAMAS 1984-1985 Executive Board
raised and turned-over the largest amount to date that year to FAMAS’ biggest project, the Philippine
Community Center.
In 1990 she was elected the 5th president of the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec
(FFCAQ), the umbrella organization of all Filipino-Canadian Associations in Quebec.While FFCAQ
President, she launched the project “SAVE”, for the victims of the Philippine earthquake and organized the
participation of various print and electronic media in the Montreal area and raised an overwhelming amount of
$16,000 for the victims of the calamity.
In 1991, another disaster claimed the lives and homes of thousands of Filipinos, the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic
eruptions. She immediately coordinated the community efforts in raising funds for the victims of the calamity,
through her effort all the necessary permits and authorization were obtained from the city of Montreal and the
Canadian Red Cross Society to conduct this biggest ever appeal to the public for financial contributions. A
whopping $16,900 were raised in fourteen days naming it the biggest and most successful fund-raising
project ever taken by the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec under her leadership.
She organized the first Filipino Women’s Volleyball Tournament and the first Montreal Women’s Volleyball
Team and led the team to four consecutive Championships in the Inter-City Tournament against the teams
from Ottawa, Kingston & Toronto. She was also one of the founders of the United Filipino Homemakers
Association of Quebec and the Philippine Tennis Association of Montreal and initiated the project “The
Philippines - Pearl of the Orient Seas” for the 350th anniversary of the founding of the city of Montreal
involving the various Filipino- Canadian associations in the city.
She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Association of Montreal & Suburbs and
the Philippine Benevolent & Scholarship Society of Quebec, the Adviser of the Canadian Association of People
Helping People from the Philippines, member of the Filipino Golden Agers Association, co-founding
member of the Fil-Can Tennis Association of Quebec, member friend of Folklore Canada International,
pioneer member of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce - Montreal Chapter, and member of the Advisory
Council of the Philippines-Canada Tourism Montreal.
As an energetic community leader, she received several awards and distinctions from the various Filipino
and other ethnic organizations including the Special Awards for outstanding community service from the
Philippine Benevolent & Scholarship Society of Quebec in 1988, the United Filipino Home-makers
Association of Quebec in 1988 and 1991, the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec in
1990, 1992 and 1995, and one of the first recipients of the Philippines-Quebec-Canada Community Service
Award from the Philbecan Community Association in 1997 in recognition of her invaluable contribution to the
advancement of the association and the Filipino community at large. A Certificate of Award was also given to
her in 1992 by the Commission on Canada’s Birthday for her invaluable contribution to the Canada 125
Celebration.
That same year, a Certificate of Merit was also presented to her by the Black Community’s Quebec Amateur
Netball Federation for her contribution and excellent performance in their annual Multi-Cultural Extravaganza
and in 1993 from the Filipiniana Dance Company of Montreal in its “Sights & Sounds” benefit concert for the
promotion of Philippine culture throughout Canada.
This year, she was nominated and selected as one of the Ten Most Outstanding Filipinos in Canada by the
Bb. Pilipinas of North America Pageant Inc. for her exceptional community service and personal
achievements and was presented the award on April 26, 1997 in Toronto. She was also presented a
certificate by the Union United Church-Montreal for her participation in the Heritage Week 1997 Celebration
on June 11, 1997.
She became active on the entertainment scene in the 90’s, performing in various fund-raising events and
socio-cultural activities of the Filipino and other ethnic communities in Montreal such as the Caribbean
Pioneer Women of Canada, the Trinidad & Tobago Association of Montreal, the Jamaica Association of
Montreal Inc. Community Women’s League, the Union United Church of Montreal, St. Pauls Anglican Church
and the Quebec Amateur Netball Federation. Known today as the “Singing Dentist”, her powerful voice and
enormous stage presence has won the hearts of many Filipinos and Canadians.
The Fil-Am Image is proud to welcome Dr. Genoveva " Gene" P. Santander from Montreal, Quebec, as one of
the Twenty Most Outstanding Filipino-Americans in the U.S. and Canada and to the "Circle of Leaders." #
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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