The Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM), Southwestern University PHINMA, and the University of San Carlos (USC) welcomed the Health Research and Development Information Network (HERDIN) team of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) during a series of institutional and library visits held on  March 4-6, 2026.

During the visit, participants were introduced to HERDIN’s search and navigation features, demonstrating how users can locate health research studies. Librarians received training on uploading research outputs, enabling institutions to manage materials submitted to the database. Students preparing to publish their research were advised to review journal agreements before submission. Researchers were reminded to observe copyright, intellectual property, and data privacy requirements before making studies publicly accessible.

 Dr. Hester Gail Lim Bueser of CIM emphasized that while researchers often consult international databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, HERDIN complements these resources by focusing on locally conducted studies, making research more relevant to Filipino health conditions.

Southwestern University PHINMA expressed interest in collaborating on a HERDIN orientation to further explore the platform for organizing, accessing, and sharing health research outputs. Meanwhile, USC Library System Director Ms. Janice F. Berdin underscored the importance of familiarizing librarians with HERDIN, noting that despite its long availability, exploration of the platform has been limited. “Aside from guiding users on our online subscriptions, librarians should know how to navigate HERDIN ourselves. It has been available for a long time, but most of us are new, and our exploration has been very limited,” she said. 

The HERDIN team will continue coordinating with participating universities through follow-up discussions, including the upcoming HERDIN Research Camp. These engagements aim to ensure that health research studies conducted in the Philippines remain visible and accessible to researchers, students, and health professionals nationwide.