The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) reaffirmed its leadership in driving national health research priorities during the  Human Well-being breakout session of the 8th National Research and Development Conference held at The Manila Hotel on July 23, 2025.

Five key presentations revealed the current status and direction of health research and development in the country, touching on themes such as genetics, disaster preparedness, indigenous medicine, health financing, and strategic agenda-setting. 

Mr. Paul Ernest N. De Leon, Chief Science Research Specialist of DOST-PCHRD, presented updates on the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) 2023-2028.  NUHRA  is currently undergoing a mid-term evaluation commissioned by the Research Agenda Management Committee (RAMC) of the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS).   The evaluation seeks to assess the agenda’s uptake and alignment with evolving health priorities.  “We encourage you to actively participate in NUHRA advocacy activities, whether through alignment of your institutional research priorities, submission of NUHRA-responsive proposals, or engagement in dissemination activities,” said Mr. De Leon. 

Dr. Carlos Primero D. Gundran of the University of the Philippines Manila shared updates on the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Health (DRRM-H) Program, which continues to train health responders through virtual reality simulations even after initial funding ended in 2021 under the Niche Centers in the Regions for Research and Development (NICER) initiative.  More than 1,000 personnel have completed the training. The program is now expanding into Visayas and Mindanao, and is developing a standardized documentation tool for emergency coordination. “Preparedness should not depend on proximity to disaster; it should be standard everywhere. Local health systems must take ownership of that responsibility,” explained Dr. Gundran.

Dr. Eva Maria C. Cutiongco-de la Paz of the University of the Philippines – National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) discussed the findings on X-linked Dystonia Parkinsonism (XDP), a rare neurodegenerative condition affecting individuals with maternal ancestry from Panay Island. Her team analyzed over 100,000 dried blood spots collected through the Newborn Screening Program using a qPCR-based assay to detect variants in the TAF1 gene associated with the disorder. The screening allowed them to estimate the prevalence of XDP across the country, which is a key step in generating population-level data that had not previously existed. According to Dr. Cutiongco-de la Paz, this data will support efforts to work with PhilHealth in developing benefit packages specifically for individuals diagnosed with XDP. “This research gives visibility to Panay Island that has long remained in the shadows. Our efforts are telling their story urgently, and with purpose,” she said.

Dr. Shirley Agrupis, Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), highlighted the DOST-PCHRD’s Tuklas Lunas Program, which supports state universities and colleges and higher education institutions in studying local plant species and indigenous medicinal knowledge. Recalling her experience as a project leader, she shared her vision of empowering the local health system through culturally-rooted pharmaceutical research. “Having a Pharmacist ng Bayan means having someone who understands both science and culture, someone rooted in the community who can help turn traditional knowledge into accessible medicine,” said Dr. Agrupis.

Altogether, the session marked a continued push toward collaborative, evidence-informed approaches in health R&D, emphasizing the role of partnerships and sustained efforts in shaping responsive programs for Filipinos across communities.

In a recorded presentation, Mr. Dennis Formadero, Acting Senior Manager at PhilHealth’s Corporate Planning Department, discussed the achievements of the PhilHealth Supporting the Thrust for Universal Health Care through Data, Information, and Knowledge Exchange Systems (STUDIES) Program launched in partnership with the DOST-PCHRD.  Since 2015, the Program has funded 31  research studies, trained over 140 personnel, and developed  the SHARE database, which now holds more than 120 research entries. “Strong policies come from solid evidence. I believe that the PhilHealth STUDIES, LEAD, and the SHARE database bridges what the data says and what the people need,” said Formadero.

“This session clearly affirmed that collaboration and sustained efforts are key to making health research truly responsive to the needs of Filipino communities,” concluded Dr. Lorraine Kaye Cabral, PCHRD S&T Fellow for institutional development and moderator of the session, as she underscored how the presentations reflected the various directions of health R&D is taking from its current status to its future initiatives that can help the Filipino people, one single project and program at a time.