The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) will conduct this year’s health research-to-policy translation workshop series, “Turning Evidence into Policy,” on June 24–26, 2026 via Zoom. The series aims to capacitate researchers in translating research findings into actionable policy inputs, contributing to a more informed and strengthened health policy landscape in the Philippines.

DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. highlighted how the workshop represents the Council’s steadfast commitment to ensuring that health research evidence is heard in platforms that are instrumental to translation and implementation. “Through this workshop series, we aim to provide our health researchers with the necessary tools and skillset to engage the public and decision makers, with the vision to move research findings from the shelves into active community use,” he said.

Designed for health researchers, the workshop will feature lectures, small-group mentoring sessions, and hands-on exercises, intended to strengthen their abilities in translating research findings into policy-oriented outputs and in engaging with policymakers.

The first two days of the workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Romulo Nieva, Jr.,  Associate Professor of the University of the Philippines Manila – College of Public Health (UPM-CPH).  He will be joined by two mentors: Dr. Ma. Esmeralda Silva-Javier, a professor at UPM-CPH, and Dr. Jason Ligot, an international health promotion specialist and the Director for Development Communications of Organic Intelligence Consulting.

On the third day of the workshop, a webinar will be held to discuss the local adoption of the study titled, “A Descriptive Study on the Knowledge, Attitude, Perceived Behaviors towards Suspected or Confirmed HIV/AIDS Clients and HIV Stigma of Barangay Health Workers among Health Facilities in Leyte.” The study was led by Janet Alexis Delos Santos of Visayas State University and supported by the Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC). The webinar will explore how the study’s findings can inform local policies and initiatives aimed at improving HIV-related knowledge, reducing stigma, and strengthening the capacity of barangay health workers in providing care for people living with HIV.

The panel will feature distinguished resource speakers, including Ryan Guinaran from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and Antoinette Dilay, HIV Program Coordinator of the Department of Health Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development. Together, they will share insights on translating research evidence into policy and practice to enhance HIV service delivery and reduce stigma at the community level.

“Our mission is to advance policies and strategies that are equitable and responsive to the needs of our communities,” continued DOST Sec. Solidum. “Gathering researchers from across different regions in the country, we hope that this workshop will prove instrumental in bringing forth policies and practices that will help improve our health services and programs, for better health and well-being of the Filipino people,” he added.

Interested viewers may also tune in to the webinar component of the workshop, which will be livestreamed on the official Facebook page of DOST-PCHRD.