Standing at the forefront of the Philippine health research landscape, the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) will mark its 44th anniversary on 18 March 2026 at the Acacia Hotel, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The celebration will highlight the theme: “Shaping the Four Futures of Health,” reflecting the Council’s vision to advance Personalized, Preventive, Predictive, and Participatory health for the Filipino people. 

Head of AI and Innovation for the Asia-Pacific Region at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Ms. Astrid Dita, will deliver the keynote address. Bringing over 15 years of experience in leading government transformation, her talk will focus on harnessing technological advancements to fulfill the promises of P4 medicine for the Philippines. 

Experts from the academe and the industry will also gather to discuss cross-sectoral roles in defining the four futures of health. Speakers include  Dr. Sheriah Laine De Paz-Silava of the University of the Philippines Manila, Mr. Jan Vincent Sollesta of the GalenX, Inc., Dr. Annavi Marie Villanueva of the San Lazaro Hospital, and Dr. Marc Dexter Macalintal of the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine.

Diving further into the four pillars, the first parallel session, “No Voice Left Behind: Co-creating Research through Shared Power, Knowledge, and Lived Experience,” will highlight the preventive and predictive pillars, which emphasizes the relevance of proactive measures to reduce disease incidence and anticipate health risks. The session will identify challenges and explore opportunities in making healthcare both precise and people-centered, especially in low- to middle- income countries like the Philippines. Esteemed speakers include Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-De La Paz, Director of the Health Program of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), and Dr. Teresita D. Panganiban, President of the Friendly Care Foundation Inc.. 

Another session entitled, “Signals Heard, Actions Taken: From Research to Response, Integrating Diagnostics, Data, and Intervention Strategies,” will delve into the personalized and participatory pillars. The session will explore strategies to operationalize data, diagnostic research and interventions that strengthen early detection and timely response across the health ecosystem. Dr. Percival Ethan Lao, Assistant Head of the Ateneo Center for Research Innovation, and Mr. Arturo M. Ongkeko Jr., Director of the National Telehealth Center of the UP National Institutes of Health will lead the discussion. 

Other sessions include the annual PCHRD Scholars’ Society Convention and the Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE) Educational Forum and General Assembly. 

Mr. Paul Ernest De Leon, Chief of the Research and Development Management Division of the PCHRD (PCHRD-RDMD), underscored the synergy of this year’s theme with the Council’s vision to drive health research forward. “We understand the emergence of health issues and the changes it brings to the overall health system. By acknowledging that health research and innovation propel structural and technological transformations, we can make proactive interventions and forward-looking approaches that improve the lives of every Filipino. Thus, our focus on four futures of health on this year’s DOST-PCHRD anniversary.”

DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya also reiterated the Council’s commitment to advancing health research for the Filipino people. “Our work to improve health for the Filipino people started 44 years ago,” he said. “As we celebrate this milestone, we are also defining the trajectory of our initiatives to ensure that our efforts remain responsive, relevant, and impactful in addressing the evolving health needs and challenges of the country,” he added. 

The event will convene researchers, innovators, and leading advocates in health research from across the Philippines and international institutions. 

The anniversary celebration will be livestreamed via the DOST-PCHRD’s official Facebook page.