President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. vows to push for the establishment of the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in his keynote speech during the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week on 11 August 2022 at Clark Marriott Hotel, Pampanga.

“As your president, I hope that my presence here today gives a clear signal that this administration continues to support your endeavors,” Marcos emphasized in his address to more than 200 health researchers representing the 17 regions of the country at the main conference of the PNHRS Week celebration.

Leading the VIP program, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has highlighted the importance of a research institute for virology in the Philippines, especially in future pandemic responses, as it will also provide more support such as human resource development through more scholarships and world-class research laboratories, especially in the regions.

“I have presented to both houses of Congress the proposed creation of the virology center of the Philippines so that we can consolidate, in a better way, all sources of research and new data,” Marcos stated.

“Secondly, of course, the creation of our own disease control center here in the Philippines so that we are ready for the unfortunate events, that this is not going to be the last pandemic, at least not in our lifetimes,” Marcos added. The CDC is envisioned to be the lead agency for developing communicable disease control and prevention initiatives, primarily responsible for controlling the spread of infectious diseases in the country. 

Hosted by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and the Central Luzon Health Research and Development Consortium, the PNHRS Week served as a platform for the health research community to share their insights and experiences in developing innovative solutions for achieving resilience through health R&D. 

In his speech, the President also expressed his gratitude to the health research community for its contributions to the country’s pandemic response. “There is nothing more heroic in my mind than what you have achieved, not only from me but from all the millions who somehow reaped the benefit of your hard work,” Marcos furthered.

Also present at the celebration are the heads of the PNHRS implementing agencies, namely: Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire of the Department of Health (DOH), Chancellor Carmencita Padilla of the University of the Philippines Manila, and Chairman J. Prospero De Vera III of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Meanwhile, DOST Officer-In-Charge Usec. Renato Solidum was represented by the DOST Region III Director Julius Caesar Sicat.

“Indeed, we look forward to a close partnership towards a resilient health system that fosters unity and cooperation not just with our four core implementing agencies and regional consortia, but across all stakeholders in health research,” PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya, says in his PNHRS report delivered by Dr. Sicat.

Themed, “Health Research: Responding to Challenges to National Recovery and Resiliency,” the PNHRS Week celebration was also attended by virtual participants watching through Zoom and Facebook live. The PNHRS Week is celebrated every second week of August in accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 1309 of June 2007.

Central Mindanao University’s (CMU) Jason Alcano wins first place at the Oral Research Paper Presentation Competition for the Grantees of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) Undergraduate Thesis Grant in Natural Products held via Zoom  last 9 August 2022.

Conducted as part of the 15th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week, the competition was participated by grantees of the program who received the top six highest average scores from technical evaluators in 2019 and 2021. 

Alcano’s winning research presentation entitled, “Exploring the Philippine Endemic Hornstedtia conoidea fruit and Etlingera elatior inflorescence: Its metabolite profile and antioxidant activity and its potential for functional powder development,” focused on the metabolomic profiling of two understudied edible ginger plants. Parallel to the theme of the 15th PNHRS week, he emphasized how “it is only fitting to tap our own biodiversity, our local plants, to look for alternative medicine and food sources.”

Meanwhile, Wenzel Perian of the Western Mindanao State University and Jerson Angelo Armecin of the Velez College Philippines bagged the 2nd and 3rd place in the competition, respectively. Their studies likewise focused on natural products, specifically on mango peels and seed extracts, and seaweed extracts. 

Highlighting how the research grant and competition serve as a platform to train young researchers, DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya explains the relevance of building a pool of well-rounded researchers. “Along with assisting our young researchers in the conduct of research, we believe it is equally important to allow them to gain experience in communicating their studies which is the focus of this activity,” he said. 

“Throughout the years, our researchers have proven that indeed, our talents across the regions are worth supporting. In turn, the Council will always support Filipino researchers of all ages in realizing their potentials and building their capacities in health research through programs such as the Undergraduate Thesis Grant and the Oral Research Paper Competition,” Dr. Montoya added.

A replay of the competition may be accessed here.

Both professional and student contenders from Western Visayas clinched the first place in the Oral Research Paper Competition during the 15th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week held on August 8-9, 2022 at Marriott Hotel, Clark, Pampanga.

Ms. Adrienne Marrie Bugayong Janagap of the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas bagged the first place in the Professional category with her research entitled, “Tubby and Hmgb2 Interaction and Potential Role in Adipogenesis,” while the winner in the Student category is Ms. Princess Jewel Guzman of Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, with her research entitled, “Practices and Challenges of Antimicrobial Stewardship among Pharmacists in Selected Community and Hospital Pharmacies in Bacolod City.”

Aiming to provide a platform for the dissemination and sharing of selected health research outputs conducted by both professional and student researchers, the PNHRS holds the competition yearly as part of the PNHRS Week celebrated every second week of August.

The other winners of the competition are as follows:

Professional

• 2nd place - Region 1: Ms. Sarah Jane Tan of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (Serologic SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Level and Factors Affecting its Production After COVID-19 VAccination Among Employees of MMMHMC)
• 3rd place - Region 10: Mr. Mark Lloyd Dapar of Central Mindanao University (Quantitative ethnopharmacological documentation and molecular confirmation of medicinal plants used by Monobo tribe of Agusan del Sur, Philippines

Student

• 2nd place - Region 5: Ms. Maedel Joice B. Castro of Bicol University (CoVfirm: A Web browser Plug-in for COVID-19 VAccine False Information Detection)
• 3rd place - CARAGA: Ms. Hazel Faith N. Pelpinosas of Caraga State University (A Type of SEIR Model with a Large Set of Undetected Asymptomatic with Short and Long Term COVID-19 Dynamics to Better Comprehend Vaccination Immunity and Treatment

The competition, held in a hybrid format, allows researchers to showcase their research outputs and highlight relevant findings that can be used and adapted to further realize a healthy Filipino community.