The two-day forum showcased four simultaneous parallel sessions for each days, an open forum, poster viewing and plenaries for the participants.
Day one featured a ribbon-cutting for the opening of the Poster Exhibit with Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco T. Duque, DOH Undersecretary (USEC) Dr. Mario C. Villaverde, DOH's Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau (HPDPB) Director Maylene Beltran, and Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya.
The program started with 2008 English Speaking Union (ESU)'s International Public Speaking Contest Champion Gian Karlo R. Dapul of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) giving a Keynote Address. Dapul's winning speech in the competition was entitled Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus.
Ivy Razel Ventura, Janine Cindy Santiago and Mara Elaine Villaverde of the PSHS, and Melvyn Carlo Barroa of the Capiz National High School were also given recognition for placing fourth at the 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Ventura, Santiago and Villaverde won the fourth place slot with their group research entitled Screening, Isolation and Characterization of Fluorescent Proteins from Nudibranchs (Sea Slugs), while Barroa's individual research entitled FISH MUCUS: Its Potential Antimicrobial Effects on Human Pathogens and Possible Role in Innate Immunity landed fourth place in Microbiology.
Four parallel sessions were conducted simultaneously in the afternoon which featured research papers done by academic institutions, non-government organizations (NGOs), development agencies, as well as collaborative activities of the DOH with other government agencies. These sessions aimed to provide venue for enhanced sharing of information and evidence, as well as to formulate recommendations for action, policy and research by various stakeholders including local government units (LGUs), DOH, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), other government agencies, the academe, the private sector and development agencies.
Day two's Parallel Sessions featured DOH's Research Fair themed "Conretizing Research and Policy Actions". It highlighted key findings and recommendations of research projects either conducted by staff from various DOH offices or which have been managed by DOH in collaboration with other agencies, specifically HPDPB's Sectoral Management Cluster Team (SMCT), the Center for Health Development (CHD), the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), and the National Epidemiology Center.
Research themes focused on governance, performance measures, human resource requirements, and essential research interventions on common infectious diseases. These sessions generally highlight relevant research results aimed at improving program operations, performance and interventions for disease prevention and control, and draw out specific actionable points to further inform policymakers and researchers.
A Plenary was held in the afternoon at the Pacific Grand Ballroom where Dr. Reijo K. Salmela, Medical Officer of the Situation Analysis for Policy of the World Health Organization (WHO), delivered: Addressing the Global Health Challenges Through Research. Viewpoints from policymakers represented by National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)'s Social Development Staff and Director IV Erlinda M. Capones, and researchers represented by Dr. Jaime Z. Galvez-Tan, University of the Philippines (UP) Manila College of Medicine professor.
The Closing Ceremonies of the two-day program was graced by San Isidro, Nueva Ecija Mayor Sonia R. Lorenzo and HPDPB Director Maylene M. Beltran, where DOH USEC Villaverde gave the closing remarks.
The National Forum on Health Research for Action is an annual event organized by the Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau of the Department of Health, in support of the goals of Fourmula One for Health, Evidence Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet), and the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS).