The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) shared health research milestones in the Philippines during the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) event this August 11-13, 2026 at the The Farm at Carpenter Hill in the City of Koronadal, South Cotabato.

The PNHRS is the country’s integrated national framework for health research, designed to coordinate, align, and promote health research efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos.  Established in 2003, the system was originally an agreement between the Department of Health and the DOST. It was formally institutionalized under Republic Act No. 10532 (the PNHRS Act of 2013).

For this year, the event emphasized how collaboration fosters a resilient and sustainable ecosystem for health research.

“The PNHRS is strengthened by the contributions of its pillars and partners,” he said. “From setting national research priorities and promoting ethical research to building research capacity, translating evidence into policy and practice, mobilizing resources, and strengthening governance, each contributes to a health research system that is responsive to the needs of our people,” said DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr.  “Collectively, these efforts create a stronger and more resilient foundation for improving the health and well-being of every Filipino.”

The event highlight is the report of DOST Undersecretary Leah J. Buendia who shared the System’s accomplishments from July 2025 to June 2026, citing major achievements such as the completion of the Mid-Term Evaluation of the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) 2023–2028 and the recent launch of the Health Research Capacity Building Grant Program.

Highlighting the role of the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) in guiding health research initiatives, the PNHRS Research Agenda Management Committee (RAMC) initiated the Mid-Term Evaluation of the NUHRA 2023–2028. “Key findings showed that the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) has solidified itself as an important framework for planning and funding health research. There is reported high awareness of NUHRA among health researchers, and an overall uptake rate of 83.66%,” Usec Buendia said.

Other RAMC initiatives mentioned include the Scoping and Mapping of All Health Research Agendas in the Philippines, Developing a Protocol for Agile and Responsive Health Research Systems in Times of Disasters and Public Health Emergencies; and Developing an Adaptive Playbook for Health Research Implementation and Risk Anticipation in Public Health Emergencies and Disasters.

The Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) was also commended for its continuous efforts to uphold the country’s commitment to adhere to the highest ethical standards in health research. Following its mandate, PHREB continues to promote the 2022 National Ethical Guidelines, implement the PHREB Accreditation Program for Research Ethics Committees (RECs), and conduct nationwide capacity-building initiatives. In the previous year, PHREB conducted 69 online and face-to-face training workshops across all 17 regions which benefitted 1,021 participants and granted accreditation to 63 RECs.

On capacity building, the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) recently launched the Health Research Capacity Building Grant Program, which provides support to building research capacity on emerging and enabling technologies, health research systems, and governance.

As essential components of the PNHRS, Usec. Buendia reaffirmed the DOST’s support to the Regional Health Research and Development Consortia (RHRDCs). “In 2025, DOST-PCHRD provided approximately P63 million in funding support, complemented by P18.7 million in counterpart contributions from regional partners,” she said. “With a network of 481 member institutions from government, academe, the private sector, and other key stakeholders, the RHRDCs continue to build local research capacities, generate relevant evidence, and promote health research and innovation across the country,” she added.

The PNHRS Research Utilization Committee (RUC) and the Resource Mobilization (ResMob) Committee also worked to translate research and secure sustainable funding. Notable achievements from the committees include the promotion and implementation of the HERDIN database, which now hosts 65,318 research records, and the development of a resource management framework aligned with the PNHRS Strategic Plan 2023–2028.

Lastly, the PNHRS Structure, Organization, Monitoring and Evaluation (SOME) Committee  initiated the development of the PNHRS Strategic Communication and Knowledge Management Plan and the PNHRS Monitoring and Evaluation System and Annual Review Process. These initiatives aim to “institutionalize a harmonized system for performance monitoring, reporting, communication, and knowledge management across the national and regional levels.”

In closing, Usec. Buendia expressed  the unwavering commitment of the PNHRS to addressing health needs in the country. “We reaffirm the PNHRS’ commitment to sustaining a resilient health research ecosystem that transforms knowledge, technologies, products, and policies for the wellbeing of all Filipinos,” she said.