“Health and health research remain among the foremost concerns of government leaders,” said House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez in his keynote speech delivered by Atty. Mark Stephen Reyes during the 16th Philippines National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week Opening Ceremonies last 10 August 2023, at the Summit Hotel, Tacloban City.
Aligned with the theme of the 16th PNHRS Week, “Sustainable Development: Resilience through Health Resilience,” Speaker Romualdez extended the support of the House of Representatives towards building resilient health systems and inclusive healthcare. In his address, the Speaker underscored the vital role of research in the recovery from the pandemic, and shared some legislations pursued in the House that contribute to better health for Filipinos.
Speaker Romualdez cited House Bill 6522 or the Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Act, which supports the establishment of the Philippine CDC, an institution dedicated to strengthening the country’s capacities in disease control, prevention, and response. According to the Speaker, the bill has been approved by the House on its third and final reading.
The bill assigns the Philippine CDC as the “technical authority forecasting, analysis, strategy, formulation, and standards development for the prevention and control of all diseases” to help manage public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also highlighted the support of the current administration for healthcare, with approximately 150 billion pesos allotted to improve health systems and health care in its 2024 proposed expenditure program. Other legislations mentioned by Speaker Romualdez are bills strengthening basic research including research on health, institutionalizing a research and development Council that monitors proposals for government funding, and creating health facilities across regions in the country.
Further, the Speaker recognized the efforts of the PNHRS in forwarding health research and encouraged the System to take on more opportunities, “By all means, please do continue in your noble endeavor of promoting health research that is attuned and responds to the needs of our health system,” he said through Atty. Reyes.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez, who delivered his message through Tacloban City Councilor Dr. Maria Elvira G. Casal, also expressed support for health research and the PNHRS. “It is through collaborative efforts like the Philippine National Health Research System that we can transform knowledge to action, bridging the gap between research and impact,” he said.
This year’s PNHRS Week was hosted by the Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC). The four-day celebration featured plenary sessions, capacity-building activities, and competitions that gathered Filipino health researchers across the regions. Also, a highlight of the event was the launching of the updated National Unified Health Research Agenda 2023-2028.
To watch a virtual replay of the main conference sessions, visit the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) Facebook page at facebook.com/dostpchrd.
The updated National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) for 2023 to 2028 was launched during the opening ceremonies of the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) week celebration at the Summit Hotel, Tacloban City last 10 August 2023.
Covering a six-year period, the NUHRA provides focus and direction to health research and development initiatives in the country. In his speech, PNHRS lead coordinator Dr. Jaime C. Montoya emphasized how the agenda “is crucial in advancing health as it provides a clear direction for research and development and guides better decision-making of health research generators, funders, and end-users.”
Spearheaded by the PNHRS Research Agenda Management Committee (RAMC), the development of the updated document is born from 17 regional consultations and involves inputs from a variety of research stakeholders.
According to Dr. Montoya, the consultations serve as opportunities for research stakeholders to participate in government policy and decision-making. “This also meant developing the new agenda through the inputs of regional research stakeholders to ensure its relevance to their local context,” he said.
From these consultations, a total of 170 health research priorities were identified and consolidated into themes and sub-themes. The main themes under the updated NUHRA are as follows:
- Disease management;
- Halal in health;
- Health security, emergency, and disaster risk management;
- Health technology and innovation;
- Health of vulnerable populations;
- Health promotion;
- Health systems strengthening towards UHC;
- Maternal, newborn, and child health;
- Mental health;
- Nutrition and food security; and
- Sexual and reproductive health.
These themes will guide health research efforts in the country from 2023 to 2028.
For details on the NUHRA 2023 to 2028, visit pchrd.dost.gov.ph or healthresearch.ph.
Over five hundred Filipino health researchers from across the 17 regions of the Philippines came together for the 16th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week celebration, held on 8-11 August 2023 at Summit Hotel in Tacloban City.
Themed “Sustainable Development: Resilience through Health Research,” the event underscored the contribution of health research and innovation in propelling sustainable development, particularly in the post-COVID-19 landscape.
Hosted by the Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC), in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), the week-long celebration comprised a series of plenary sessions, committee meetings, health research competitions, a press conference, and a research poster exhibit.
Pre-conference highlights
The event commenced with the pre-conference sessions laying the foundation for the week-long collaboration and health research discussion. A series of committee meetings served as a platform for PNHRS Technical Working Committees (TWCs) to convene, where committee members deliberated on accomplishments, frameworks, tasks, and future trajectories, aligning their efforts to contribute significantly to the advancement of health research in the country.
One of the event’s key highlights was the Talakayang HeaRT Beat press conference which shed light on the intricacies of the PNHRS and the EVHRDC. Media participants and attendees were treated to insights about the consortium’s featured projects and initiatives, ensuring that the most current and authentic information reached the public.
In line with the spirit of the PNHRS Week, competitions and forums emerged as vibrant platforms for fostering innovation and knowledge exchange in health research and development.
In the Research Poster Contest, Mr. Prince Eroll V. Reyes of the Northern Mindanao Consortium in Health Research and Development (NorMinCoHRD) secured both the first prize and the People’s Choice Award in the Student Category. In the Professional Category of the same contest, Mr. Jibe Labenz L. Nebato and Mr. Khent Ivan M. Duerme, also from NorMinCoHRD, clinched the first prize and People’s Choice Award, respectively.
Meanwhile, Mr. Emerson Paul D. Somontan and Dr. Virginia S. Ariza, representing NorMinCoHRD and EVHRDC, respectively, emerged as the winners in the Oral Research Paper Presentation category, with Mr. Somontan taking the top spot in the Student Category, and Dr. Ariza leading the Professional Category.
In the 3-Minute Pitch to Policymakers Competition, Mr. Halid Tamano of the Zamboanga Consortium for Health Research and Development (ZCHRD) was awarded the first prize, while Dr. Krista Muralla of the Bicol Consortium for Health Research and Development (BCHRD) earned the People’s Choice Award. All finalists and winners received checks and certificates in recognition of their outstanding policy pitches.
Main conference sessions
The main conference on August 10 commenced with the opening ceremony and the PNHRS Recognition Ceremony followed by two plenary sessions, featuring esteemed experts in the field who engaged the audience in comprehensive discussions.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez in his keynote speech delivered by Atty. Mark Stephen Reyes highlighted the essential contribution of research in the post-pandemic recovery and discussed legislative initiatives in the House aimed at improving the health of the Filipino population.
The first plenary session entitled, “Strategic Health Research Directions for Sustainable Development” explored the crucial role of effective government leadership in establishing strategic frameworks to leverage health research for the betterment of human health and society. Dr. Maria Lourdes Otayza, Medical Center Chief of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center discussed the concepts. processes. and principles in setting research priority agenda in the development of the National Unified Health Research Agenda or NUHRA 2023-2028, including the following priorities:
- Disease management
- Halal in health
- Health security, emergency, and disaster risk management
- Health technology and innovation
- Health of vulnerable populations
- Health promotion
- Health systems strengthening towards UHC
- Maternal, newborn, and child health
- Mental health
- Nutrition and food security
- Sexual and reproductive health
“I would like to emphasize the importance of updating the health research agenda, which is essential for staying abreast of emerging health challenges, enhancing healthcare outcomes, promoting evidence-based practices, fostering innovation, ensuring resource allocation, and engaging stakeholders,” Dr. Otayza emphasized. Following this presentation, Mr. Pio Justin Asuncion, Chief Health Program Officer at the Department of Health (DOH), discussed the core processes being implemented in the DOH as well as future initiatives and directions of the department in the health research aspect.
In a special session, Dr. Vicente Y. Belizario, Jr. and Dr. Carlos Primero D. Gundran from the University of the Philippines Manila emphasized the interrelationship between health and the environment. Under the theme “Building Resilience at the Nexus of Health and Environment,” the discussions centered around neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), disasters, and their heightened impact due to swift environmental transformations.
To foster camaraderie and celebrate cultural diversity, the day culminated in a Fellowship Night, highlighted by a Cultural Fashion Show that showcased each regional cluster’s cultural heritage.
The final day of the main conference featured a plenary session entitled, “Developing Sustainable Solutions through Research and Innovation for Health” where Dr. Dennis Batangan, Research Associate and Program Director Institute of Philippine Culture, Ateneo De Manila University Philippines highlighted the importance of bridging governance, access, and technology issues in health. This was followed by the discussion of Dr. Filedito Tandinco, Dean of the UP Manila- School of Health Sciences on the public-private partnership towards sustainable development.
The third presenter in the session is DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development, Dr. Leah Buendia focusing on international cooperation in health research. “I would like to encourage everyone to make sure that health research is vibrant in the Philippines, partnership with others is not a crime, we just need to have safety nets when it comes to partnerships,” Usec Buendia said.
The celebration wrapped up with a closing ceremony, during which the announcement was made that the 17th PNHRS Week Celebration in August 2024 would be hosted by the Caraga Health Research and Development Consortium (CHRDC).
Following the formal proceedings, the Cultural Visits Committee, in partnership with the Department of Tourism – Region VIII, orchestrated a City Tour, providing attendees with the opportunity to discover the iconic landmarks and popular tourist destinations of Eastern Visayas.
“The 16th PNHRS Week was a testament to the commitment of Filipino health researchers to advancing healthcare and sustainable development through research and innovation. As the torch passes to the Caraga Health Research and Development Consortium for next year’s event, the future of health research in the Philippines looks promising, with innovation and resilience at its core,” says Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, PCHRD Executive Director, and PNHRS Lead Coordinator.
A replay of the 16th PNHRS Week celebration may be found on the DOST-PCHRD Facebook page.
