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Regional Updates
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The eHealth Training on Unified Resources Online (eTURO) project initiated by the Institute of Philippine Culture – Ateneo de Manila University and DOST – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST – PCHRD) has been providing online discussions on, “Sustaining the Conversation on COVID-19: How Do We Cope? The eTURO Webinar Series on Engaging Communities and Networks” or “WE CaN!!”. We CaN!! has been offering series of webinars to continually provide updated and accurate COVID-19 information, at the same time highlighting individual and institutional responses to help address the crisis.


In collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology Caraga, the Caraga region was featured in an eTURO episode discussing transitions in Social Health Insurance and Health Programs last 14 August 2020, facilitated by Ms. Patria Luwalhati D. Garcia, research assistant of IPC – Ateneo de Manila University. The discussion highlighted the challenges being faced by the Province of Dinagat Islands and Butuan City in regards to implementation of the Universal health Care in this time of pandemic and the measures being taken to overcome those challenges.

Dr. Jillian Francis Lee, Provincial Health Officer II of the Province of Dinagat Islands, presented in detail the problems that they encountered. She gave emphasis on the their lack of access to referral centers outside of the province, overburdened health resources, poor supply chain management, health service delivery limitations, misalignment of national guidelines to the actual situation in the locality, and the impact on social determinants of health. On the concerns of the implementation of UHC in the province, Dr. Lee also cited that there is a continuing dependence on local governance for public health interventions; poorer and smaller LGUs are also of disadvantage considering the fewer-to-none health providers and less funding for facilities catering to smaller patient populations; focus on mechanisms providing individual based or curative services; and the insurance not being necessarily the best mechanism for financing preventive care and public health measures. Despite the issues brought by the pandemic, the province still successfully practiced preventive and containment measures with interventions from multiple sectors, giving them zero cases up until this day.

Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada of Butuan City, also discussed the problems encountered and the measures taken with regards to COVID-19 in Butuan City. Mayor Lagnada pointed out that the City’s initial plans on UHC implementation was the organizational rationalization, highlighting City Health Office (CHO) as the primary health institute for promotive, preventative, and curative care; and Butuan Medical Center (BMC) as the specialty/therapeutic care. Part of the plan was also integrating primary health care units with smart technologies and institutionalized access to health experts. This includes continuing medical education with experts, and access to established best practices.

Like most of the other LGUs, the plans for Butuan City were challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Lagnada emphasized that the pandemic disrupted the playbook and delayed the programmed projects for the city. But, despite COVID -19 being a derailer, the pandemic also enabled organizational units of Butuan City to work together and taught valuable lessons on organizational dynamics. LGU Butuan City have responded to the war by strengthening the BMC Infectious Ward, establishing the City’s first molecular laboratory for COVID-19 screening, and observing health protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

Since 2019, eTURO has been co-producing webinars on various topics such as social health insurance, LGU scorecard on health, and the universal health care act. Last February 13 and March 13, the project has been hosting webinars covering emerging COVID-19 issues and concerns. Joined by speakers from the infectious disease research community, public health managers, and institutional leaders who are working on the COVID-19 issue.

Visit http://ipc-ateneo.org/ for more WE CaN!! webinars.

Regional Updates
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The Philippine Research Ethics Board (PHREB) in partnership with DOST Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), conducted a 2-day online training on Basic Research Ethics last 23 & 24 September 2020. The training aimed to capacitate committee members of the consortium in expanding their knowledge and skills in research ethics, for the pursuit of promoting ethical soundness of all the researches being submitted and produced from the consortium and in the region as a whole.



Dr. Sonia Bongala, Chair of the PHREB Committee on Standards and Accreditation (CSA) and Dr. Peter A. Sy, Associate Professor of the University of the Philippines Diliman, formally opened the event with an introduction to ethics and research, and its underlying fundamental principles. This was followed with interactive sessions of sample incidents pertaining to unethical research as well as small group works applying the principles of research ethics, and measuring the benefits and risks involved. Discussions on preparing an adequate and appropriate informed consent process and form was also conducted followed by analyzing scenarios on obtaining informed consent.

On the second day, Dr. Rhodora C. Estacio, also a member of PHREB – CSA along with Dr. Sonia Bongala, discussed about protecting vulnerability in research, fair selection of research subjects, factors to considering a qualified researcher, the international and national guidelines, and discussion on navigating ethics review process. Small group works were also provided after each lesson and open forum was done to address concerns related to the discussed topics.

At the end of the training, the participants were able to gain skills on how to properly scrutinize studies and documents pertaining to its technical and ethical soundness. This is important since Research Management Committee and the Ethics Review Committee of the consortium work hand-in-hand in evaluating research proposals, all in the name of reproducibility and transparency.

Dr. Gerna M. Manatad, OIC Assistant Regional Director of the Department of Health Center for Health Development Caraga, formally closed the event thanking the Resource Persons and Facilitators of PHREB for imparting their knowledge and skills to CHRDC.

Regional Updates
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In preparation for the 2019 Caraga Health Research Forum, CHRDC conducted a Joint Committee Meeting last October 21, 2019 at Watergate Hotel, Butuan City. It was attended by fifteen members representing each sub-committee of the consortium namely, Research Management, Ethics Review, Capacity Building, and Research Utilization. Ms. Anicia Catameo from the Philippine Council on Health Research and Development (PCHRD) was also present.

Discussions on the finalization of the forum’s activity flow, speakers, invitees, and contest and presentation entries were the highlights of the meeting.

This year’s forum is set to happen on November 5-6, 2019 at Father Saturnino Urios University, and will be participated by various institutions in the region especially those engaged in health research. The two-day activity will include plenary sessions on health updates and innovations, and parallel presentations for health researches in Caraga.

Included also in the agenda were the upcoming Strategic and Operational Planning, third quarter accomplishments, and selection of a new Capacity Building Committee (CBC) Chair where Mr. Frederick Amihan, ES II of CHED- Caraga, was chosen.

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PALO, LEYTE - A total of about 120 local government units in Eastern Visayas is now equipped with the knowledge and skills on how to effectively integrate nutrition of Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) programs and projects in the updating of Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP), Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and the Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) Fiscal Year 2020-2022.

The planning workshop on integrating nutrition in the PDPFP, CDP and LDIPs was conceived primarily to: (1) increase the understanding of provincial/city/municipal teams on the alarming problem of malnutrition in the country and its impact on national and local development, and the need to scale up nutrition in their plans and budgets by effectively making the case of why and how to invest in nutrition; (2) effectively integrate PPAN programs and projects in the updating of PDPFPs, CDPs and LDIPs FY 2020-2022;(3) further strengthen the capacity for factoring nutrition in the overall preparation of PDPFPs, CDPs and LDIPs FY 2020-2022 among development stakeholders; and (4) In the process of integrating nutrition in the updating of PDPFPs, CDPs and LDIPs FY 2020-2022, formulate local nutrition action plans for these local government units.

The government have strengthened the implementation of nutrition related programs through its policy issuances in 2018and 2019. The DILG and DBM issued national policies supporting nutrition actions at the local level – DILG Memorandum Circular 2018-42 dated 26 March 2018: Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Plan of Actionfor Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued two policies: (1) National Budget Memorandum No. 130 dated 13 April 2018: Budget Priorities Framework for the Preparation of the FY 2019 Budget Proposals under Tier 2, to guide departments and agencies in the crafting of their Tier 2 budget proposals and (2) Local Budget Memorandum No. 77 and 77a: FY2019 Internal Revenue Allotment and Guidelines on the Preparation of the FY 2019 Budgets of Local Government Units to prescribe guidelines in the preparation of the FY 2019 budgets of LGUs, identify priorities in the use of the IRA and other local resources. Republic Act 11037: “MasustansyangPagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act”, provides for a comprehensive national feeding program for undernourished children in public day care, kindergarten and elementary schools. Republic Act 11148:“Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” instructs national government agencies and local governments to scale up health and nutrition actions to secure the health and nutritional well-being of mother and children in the first 1000 days.

Regional Updates
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It has been nine successful years of celebrating and sharing health research results to partner institutions and health enthusiasts. The 9th Health R&D Expo, an annual activity spearheaded by the Regional Health Research and Development Consortium XI (RHRDC XI), was conducted on October 3 to 4, 2019 at the Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City. The health R&D expo is a venue to educate participants on completed and innovative health researches for utilization in Davao Region and in the Philippines.

This year, topics such as Biodiversity and Natural Products in Mindanao, Qualitative Research, and Sustainable Development Goals were conferred during the plenary sessions. Simultaneous oral and poster competitions for graduate and undergraduate categories were also the highlights of the R&D Expo. All of these plenaries were in line with this year’s theme: Achieving SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being through Research and Innovation. The theme is part of the contribution of a bigger spectrum which is achieving the health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs) by the year 2030.

RHRDC XI will continue to strengthen the research culture and capacitate its member institutions to harness new knowledge, innovations and technologies in improving the health conditions of the people in Mindanao.

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In line with the purpose of capacitating health researchers, CHRDC conducted a workshop on statistical data analysis: Phase II last September 26-27, 2019, at the Grand Palace Hotel, Butuan City. The lecturers are from the Mathematical and Statistical Computing Research Center of Caraga State University (CSU) namely, Ms. Karen B. Burdeos, Ms. Sheila Rae E. Permanes, Mr. Jan Niño G. Tinio, and Mr. Breix Michael G. Agua. They shared their knowledge on the fundamentals of statistical data analysis, as well as on descriptive statistical measures, inferential analysis assumptions, test for significant difference, test for significant relationships, and multiple linear regression.

The participants, whom the majority have also attended the Basic Research Module Training, were taught on techniques to properly identify the right statistical tools needed to quantify the data that they will be collecting in their research proposals. They were introduced on how to use the SPSS statistics software in analyzing sample data.  The CHRDC member-institutions participated the workshop include the Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU), Caraga State University (CSU), Surigao State College of Technology (SSCT), Saint Paul University Surigao (SPUS), Department of Health – Center for Health Development (DOH – CHD) Caraga, PhilHealth- Caraga, and DepEd – Caraga.

Regional Updates
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Cotabato City – Following their reorganization last June 2019, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Health Research and Development Consortium (BHRDC) held its second Management Committee meeting on September 24, 2019 at the Alu Hotel in Davao City.

Under the stewardship of its Chair, Engr. Aida M. Silongan, Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOST-BARMM), in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council of Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), the meeting was convened to  discuss pressing issues such as mobilizing the different BHRDC Technical Working Committees (TWCs) and implementing activities that are relevant in responding to the health problems besetting the region.

Minister Silongan was ably represented during the meeting by Dr. Norma A. Dalamban, Chief of the Technical Management Division of MOST- BARMM. Also in attendance were the Chairs of the Technical Working Committees: Ms. Nurhaya Sumaluyan of Capacity Building Committee; Dr. Fema Abamo of Research Management Committee; Ms. Lilian Macadupang of Research Ethics Committee; and Dr. Michael Macion of Research Utilization Committee. BHRDC Regional Coordinator, Ms. Nadjiyah Sinarimbo, BHRDC secretariat, Ms. Rohania Ibrahim and Ms. Marinell Mabazza, and Regional Project Officer of DOST-PCHRD, Ms. Maria Belen Balbuena participated as well in the discussions. 

Dr. Macion presented his committee’s initial plans while Dr. Abamo reported that 13 proponents were able to submit capsule proposals and will attend the upcoming Basic Research Methods (BRM) training on September 29-October 2, 2019 in Zamboanga City.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Dalamban assured the body that, as Chair of the consortium, Minister Silongan commits her full support to the consortium. The TWCs will also do their share in ensuring that all planned activities are implemented and monitored.

Written by: Ms. Rohania Ibrahim 

Edited by: Ms. Ullyann Garcia and Ms. Maria Belen Balbuena

  1. PHREB conducts Basic Research Ethics Training in Region 3
  2. RUC joins two research caravans this September
  3. Consortium conducts TOT for research educators
  4. First SUC in Davao Region to be PHREB Accredited

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