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This year's Training Awards in Health Research for Region VI Scholars of the Western Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (WVHRDC) has qualified nine training scholars who attended lectures on Technical Writing, Health Research Methods and Statistical Methods with complimentary research proposal presentations and one-on-one mentoring in every lecture topics. The following are the titles of the the research proposals developed and presented during the training program:

1. “Comparison and Cost-Effectiveness Between Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-Rich Plasma for Degenerative Knee Osteoarthritis Among Elderly Patients”

Proponent: Dr. Juan Agustin Coruña IV of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital

Mentor: Dr. Ma. Victoria c. Villareal

2. “Screening of Selected Microalgae Samples for Potential Angiotensin I – Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor Activity”

Proponent: Prof. Ann Selma Morata of the University of the Philippines Visayas

Mentor: Dr. Jane S. Geduspan

3. “Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) Leaf Extract”

Proponent: Prof. Janice L. Amarante of the Iloilo Doctors' College

Mentor: Dr. Myrna L. Abello

4. “Immobilization of Allantoin and Silver Sulfadiazine onto Poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) PVP-Kappa-Carrageenan Hydrogels as Wound Dressing”

Proponent: Prof. Sherwin Escayo of the University of the Philippines Visayas

Mentor: Dr. Jane S. Geduspan

5. “Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on Leprosy Care  and Control among Municipal Health Workers in Iloilo”

Proponent: Dr. Jennifer Farinas of the Western Visayas Sanitarium

Mentor: Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer

6. “Cigarette Smoking and Sexual Behaviour Among College Students in lloilo City”

Proponent: Dr. Romeo A. Orcajada, Jr. of the West Visayas State University- Medical Center

Mentor: Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer

7. “Involvement in Advocacy Activities for HIV AIDS of Medical Students in Western Visayas”

Proponent: Dr. Gregorio Anastacio Rufon, Jr. of West Visayas State University

Mentor: Prof. Lerma L. Paris

8. “Effects of Functional Training versus Aerobic Exercise in the Functional Status of Elderly Individual in Iloilo City”

Proponent: Mr. Armel James Altillero of the Iloilo Doctors' College

Mentor: Prof. Ma. Pilar Charmaine S. Malata

9. “Modelling Dengue Prevalence in Iloilo Using Hierarchical Generalized Linear Models”

Proponent: Mr. Elfred John Abacan of the University of the Philippines Visayas

Mentor: Dr. Philip Ian P. Padilla

These proposals are yet to be revised before the endorsement to funding agencies.

By Leonard T. Pineda I

Thursday 27th of June 2013

ILOILO CITY, June 27 (PIA) -- Filipinos can look forward for better health research and quality health service with the implementation of the Republic Act (RA) 10532, also known as the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Act of 2013. 

In a public consultation for implementing rules and regulations of RA 10532 held here, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Madeleine Valera said that the PNHRS aims to improve the health status, productivity and the quality of life of Filipinos through health research and development initiatives. 

Valera said that this law will promote good governance among health research organizations through efficient, effective, transparent and ethical health research management system. 

The Act also mandates the government to engage in international partnerships and networks for health research development and ensure the sustainability of resources for health research. 

Under this new law, the PNHRS will serve as an integrated framework between health researchers and their stakeholders in order to promote, sustain and strengthen the research industry in the country. 

The four core organizations namely the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Health (DOH), the Commission of Higher Education (CHED), and UP Manila National Institutes of Health, are tasked in creating and implementing guidelines to ensure that all the health research registered within the system would meet technical quality standards and will follow ethical research guidelines. 

The PNHRS will also provide financial, technical, and resource support for promising studies that would generate potential benefits for Filipinos. 

Valera said that with the passage of this new law, DOH has allotted a budget of P105 million intended for health research. 

The DOH official also said that this law will ensure the active involvement and the commitment of the private sector and the universities and colleges, for research has become a way of life especially in the academe. 

The public consultation held at Sarabia Manor Hotel here aimed to reach out to the health research stakeholders and other research communities to get their inputs in crafting the final draft of the IRR for RA 10532. (JCM/LTP/PIA-Iloilo)

PLAZA DEL NORTE HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER, Paoay City, Ilocos Norte, August 7-9, 2013 – the 7^th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week Celebration, hosted by the Region 1 Health Research and Development Consortium (R1HRDC), was attended by ~500 participants from the 17 regional health research and development consortia all over the country. With this year’s theme “People at the Center of Health and Health Research,” the conference serves as a platform for various stakeholders to come up with health solutions by way of research and development. The conference is continually reinforced by the four PNHRS’s core agencies namely the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the University of the Philippines Manila-National Institute of Health (UPV-NIH). The celebration of the PNHRS Week is every second week of August by virtue of the Presidential Proclaimation 1309 issued on 2007.

The three-day conference includes Pre-conference (August 7) sessions on Ethics in Health Research and Indigenous Peoples’ Health, roundtable discussion on Health System Shapers, Student Research Competition, mentoring session on Writing for Scientific Journals; Conference activities (August 8) where there are Opening of Exhibits on Student and Professional Research and Consortium Poster, Regional Research Paper Professional Category Competition, panel discussion on Research for Peoples’ Health, Fellowship and Cultural Night at Teatro Ilocandia; (August 9) panel discussion on Generating More Quality Health Research Proposals and Awarding Ceremonies for the Gruppo Medica Award, Student and Professional Research Oral and Poster Competition, and Best Consortium Poster Exhibit Contest. However, the Signing Ceremonies for the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the PNHRS Act (RA10532) shall be scheduled sometime this year.

During the event, the Western Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (WVHRDC) has actively participated in the mentoring session on Writing for Scientific Journals with Prof. Charmaine S. Malata (West Visayas State University) as one of the reviewers and Dr. Renato C. Ong, Jr. (WVSU-Medical Center) as one of the pre-selected participants. Meanwhile, in the panel discussion on Generating More Quality Proposals, the National and Regional Unified Health Research Agenda and some strategies on how to increase the number of researches funded were discussed. As one of the four panelist during the session, Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer, Executive Director of the WVHRDC, highlighted the Training Awards in Health Research for Region VI Scholars program of the Consortium which is building research competencies of 10 new health researchers every year at the same time producing quality health research proposals. If all 17 regional health R&D consortia would breed at least 10 new researchers every year with one research proposal each, there will be at least 170 quality health research proposals produced annually. After the session, Dr.Ferrer was interviewed on air by the DFWB Radyo ng Bayan Ilocos to synthesize the activities of the three-day celebration and highlighted the  importance of health research in our country.

In the Regional Research Paper Oral Competition (Professional Category), Dr. Irecson S. Casteel, a medical doctor from the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, won 2nd place with his study entitled “Case Series: Split Thickness Skin Grafting Via Continuous, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Using Aquarium Pump.” The competition has twenty-eight entries from the 14 regional health R&D consortia of the country.

The WVHRDC was also awarded with the Outstanding  Consortium Poster Exhibit for the second time since the competition started last year. The poster-making contest was undertaken in line with this year’s theme showcasing the activities of the consortium. This year, the WVHRDC poster highlighted the strategies of the Consortium in order to improve the quality of life of people in Western Visayas through health R&D. The tag lines on the poster were described as follows: “Research and Development: Generating Knowledge” located in the head of a human shape which implies that people in Western Visayas have unlimited concerns in order to generate knowledge about health problems and its solutions through conducting researches; “Human Resource Development: Developing Competencies” located in the right hand denotes that the Consortium is also giving significant attention in developing the interests and skills of local researchers with the continuing implementation of the health research trainings breeding quality researchers; “Research Utilization: Providing Solutions” located in the left hand accompanies the developing competency strategy in which the researchers are at the peak of contributing solutions to health-related problems and concerns highlighting the compilation of health research abstracts from 2005 to present; “Partnership and Linkages: Walking Together” found at the right foot of the human figure means continuing partnership among the members of the WVHRDC and other agencies whose mandate is anchored with the advancement of the quality of life of the Western Visayas people and; “Information Dissemination and Advocacy: Reaching Out” come across with partnership and linkages in order to spread the good news of solutions to health problems and to create awareness in health research through various media entities in fostering S&T based tools pursuant to healthier and more productive lives among Filipinos. In addition to these, inside the heart shape is the Kalusugan Pangkalahatan logo which serves as the heartbeat of the celebration.

The 4th National Medical Writing and Peer Review Workshop on July 25-26, 2013 will be held at the Iloilo Business Hotel, Benigno Aquino Avenue, Mandurriao, Iloilo City. This workshop, organized by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) and the Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE) in cooperation with the DOST VI and Western Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (WVHRDC), aims to help and guide health researchers in writing articles for medical journals.

This is a two-day intensive workshop with lectures and practical exercises that will equip health researchers and editors in medical writing and peer review process. The participants will be taught the structure of scientific paper, the individual components of the paper, and how to prepare a manuscript for publication. This event is limited only to fifty (50) health researchers around the country in which most delegates will come from Western Visayas.