The Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortia conducted a review of its Strategic Plan for 2012-2014 and made Working Plan for 2013. It was conducted at the Ritz Tower De Leyte, Tacloban City .last December 20,2012 which started at 10 AM and ended at 5 PM. No less than the Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, graced the affair. His speech focused on the challenges ahead for the Health Researchers especially that DOH Secretary Enrique Ona, had requested PCHRD together with the Philippine Institute on Development Studies to manage the Research Funds of DOH. The plans of Sec. Ona are to mobilize all DOH Program Managers to identify researchable topics based on the NUHRA for funding next year. There are also Research Fellows who are engaged/ contracted to conduct research or assessment of DOH offices where they are deployed or do governance study. He also included the important role of the consortia which he considers as the “Brains, Heart and Soul” in encouraging and soliciting researches from the member agencies. He thanked the DOH and DOST8 in actively participated in managing the EVHRDC.The latest update on the O/L Trap Roll out were also mentioned like the soon to be signed MOA between DOST and DOH and the online submission of the OV Trap indices. He also encouraged the researchers to access the online Philippine Health Research Registry. He also thanked the assistance of Ms. Anicia Catameo, PCHRD coordinator for Eastern Visayas and also Ms. Wilma Santos also from PCHRD.
The Revisiting of the EVHRDC Strategic Plan for 2012-2014 was facilitated by Ms Elen San Juan of TOP. The process though was shortened as suggested by Dr. Marietta Sumagaysay of UPVTC, to directly go into planning for CY 2013 since the plan is still on its 2nd year of implementation. With that the different Committees grouped themselves and worked on their respective plans after which each Committee was requested to present their plans. Suggestions, queries and recommendations were noted. It was agreed that the Consortium would have a general meeting to refine the plans and submit to the Executive Committee before it will be submitted to PCHRD for funding.
To close the activity, RD Edgardo M. Esperancilla, EVHRDC Co-Chair and Regional Director of DOST8, gave his Closing Remarks. He thank Dr. Montoya personally came over to attend despite his very busy schedule. He enumerated the different activities which the consortium has done to which he mentioned attendance to the PNHRS Week Celebrations where entries from Leyte Normal University and Visayas State University got both 2nd prizes in the poster and student categories, respectively. Another good news for the Eastern Visayas is that it is one of the 4 regions where the TUKLAS Lunas Center was situated. He noted that there are a lot of researchable areas that the researchers can select from like finding the reasons why it is in the Eastern Visayas has the highest infant and maternal mortality occurred, however, Biliran had drastically lowered its infant and maternal mortality last year. It is worthwhile to know the reasons and the best practices of Biliran. He is suggesting to pursue the planned strategy of the Mentor-mentee in doing research to encourage neophyte researchers to do Health Research. The issue on sustainability of the consortium was brought up and he said that those members institution who are able can pay minimal membership fee which funds could be used as honoraria to encourage participation in activities of the consortia. He ended by thanking each one for their attendance and wished them a Merry Christmas.