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)