TACLOBAN City, June 9, 2017 --- Professionals, health ambassadors, leaders and students from various public and private educational and medical institutions and organizations filled the venue for the 2017 Regional Health Research Symposium (RHRS) at the Leyte Park Resort Hotel last June 9, 2017.
With the theme: “Eastern Visayas Health Research and Innovations: Empowering and Transforming Committees”, the event aimed to raise awareness for the various health-related concerns of the region as well as holding the research contests for Oral Research Presentation (Professional) and for Poster Exhibit Contest (Undergraduate).
A total of 16 research entries; 6 for the oral presentations and 10 for the poster exhibits, from schools all over the region like LNU, SSU, EVSU, ESSU, VSU, RTRMF and EVRMC were confirmed for the symposium.
This year’s RHRS was conducted earlier compared to last year’s event, which occurred last October 6 at Ormoc City, to give the winners of the event a chance to prepare their winning studies as possible entries for the Philippine National Health Research Week celebration this upcoming August.
Mr. Willard Riveral, chair of Eastern Visayas Health Research Development Consortium – Research Information Committe (EVHRDC-RIC), led the introduction of participants and presenters, while Dr. Jonida Gumakay delivered the welcome remarks in lieu of Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez, who was not able to attend the event due to a prior speaking engagement in Manila.
EVRDC Executive Director Engr. Ernesto M. Granada presented the rationale of the activity, followed by an intermission folk dance to the movements of “Kuratsa” from Leyte National High School Students. The Keynote Speaker was introduced by Ms. Anicia P. Catameo, RPO of PCHRD.
Ms. Carina L. Rebulanan gave the message for the event, in place of erstwhile Keynote Speaker Dr. Jaime Montoya, who was in Korea. Presentation of the draft Regional Unified Health Research Agenda (RUHRA) followed which was done by Mr. Leonido D. Olobia, Chair of the EVHRDC-RMC.
The morning session concluded with the cutting of ribbon of the Posters Exhibit for the undergraduate entries, led by the different EVHRDC heads and participants of the said contest.
Meanwhile, the afternoon session was opened by the presentation of the mechanics of the contest and the introduction of the members of the Panel of Evaluators namely: (Oral Research Presentation - Professional Category) Dr. Noel R. Juban, Professor, UP Manila (Chairman); Dr. Jusie Lydia J. Siega - Sur, Professor, UPM SHS (Member); Mr. Leonido P. Olobia, Research Program Coordinator, DOH8 (Member); (Poster Exhibit Contest - Undergraduate Category) Sr. John Mary P. Fornillos, RSM Ph.D, Dean, College of Education, HIC (Chairman); Engr. Ernesto M. Granada, ARD-TO, DOST8, EVHRDC Executive Director (Member); Ms. Marilyn O. Radam, Senior SRS, DOST8 (Member).
For Professional Category, LNU topped the contest with the study entitled “Antibiotic-free farmed-raised shrimp: The safer and healthier diet choice.” The second and the third place were bagged by EVRMC for the study “Clinical Profile of Patients with First Onset Gastrointestenical Bleeding Admitted at EVRMC from January 1, 2010 to December 30, 2014”, and “Patterns of Chronic Disease admitted at the medical center after typhoon Yolanda,” respectively.