A collaborative, cross-sectoral framework that engages stakeholders from human, animal, and environmental health formed the central theme of the session, “Home-grown Inter-agency Initiatives towards Optimal Collaborations,” during the 18th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week Celebration held on 13 August 2025 in Albay.
The session focused on the One Health approach, a strategy that integrates efforts across sectors to address health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface.
The event highlighted locally developed inter-agency programs and projects that apply One Health principles, with the objective of strengthening cooperation for more integrated, innovative, and sustainable health solutions. Through the presentation of success stories and lessons learned, the session also examined common challenges and identified actionable recommendations to support the institutionalization and expansion of One Health initiatives in the country.
Opening the session, Mr. Charlie V. Balagtas, Founding Member of the Philippine One Health University Network (PhilOHUN) and Vice President for Administration and Finance at Partido State University, underscored the persistence needed to break down institutional silos. He emphasized the role of community health workers as vital links between people and systems, illustrating how their grassroots contributions embody One Health principles in action.
Dr. Phillip A. Alviola, Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, highlighted the importance of aligning these community-level initiatives with national frameworks. He presented the 2023–2028 National Strategic Plan on Zoonoses as a blueprint for coordinated agency action, noting that such alignment enhances preparedness and resilience against emerging threats at the human-animal-environment interface.
Concluding the presentations, Ms. April Rose B. Macandog, Pharmacist III at the Department of Health’s Pharmaceutical Division, discussed antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a pressing One Health concern. She stressed that tackling AMR requires the active engagement of not only the health sector but also agriculture, trade, and environmental stakeholders. Her presentation of the Philippine National Action Plan on AMR 2024–2028 underscored the urgency of coordinated action to mitigate risks and safeguard public health.
Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), emphasized the significance of the session in advancing the country’s health research agenda. “One Health proves that when sectors work as one, research becomes real solutions for every Filipino. By breaking barriers and uniting our expertise, we turn knowledge into action, and action into lasting change for the health of our people, our animals, our environment,” he said.