The Committee on Human Resource and Development of the Central Visayas Consortium for Health Research and Development chaired by Dr. Melfer R. Montoya conducted a “Forum on Challenges and Opportunities in Research” on January 31, 2013 at the Cebu Institute of Medicine Amphitheater 1.  This activity was conducted to increase awareness and knowledge on health research.

All member institutions together with the University of Cebu and the University of San Jose Recoletos who applied for membership in the consortium were invited and encouraged to send 15 participants per institution.

Three competent speakers were invited to share their expertise in the field of health research.  Dr. Asuncion M. Anden, the Director of the Department of Health Region VII, Dr. Alan B. Feranil, the Director of the University of San Carlos, Office of Population Studies Foundation and Dr. Frances E. Edillo, a faculty member of the Biology Department of the University of San Carlos.  Due to other important commitments, Dr. Anden was represented by Dr. Crisol Tabarejo, Epidemiologist of the Department of Health Region VII.

Dr. Tabarejo talked about the topic “Revisiting the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA)”.  She said that the NUHRA 2011-2016 is a product of consultation and consolidation of the research priorities of the four core agencies of the PNHRS (DOH, PCHRD-DOST, CHED, NIH-UPM).  She stressed the importance of the NUHRA that was designed for the following purposes:  1)To provide focus and direction on health research and development efforts that will address the country’s health concerns for 2011-2016, 2) To serve as a guide where policy makers, funding and donor agencies and researchers from public and private sectors should invest to ensure the health and productivity of the country’s productivity, 3) To assist in providing evidence based solutions to pressing local health problems, 4) To serve as basis to maximize resource utilization and minimize duplication of research efforts, 5) that NUHRA serves as the template for health research and development efforts in addressing the country’s health concerns for 2011-2016.

 Dr. Tabarejo also emphasized that the formulation of the NUHRA 2011-2016 is anchored on the following national and international commitments: 1)The Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), 2) The Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, 3) The “Aquino Health Agenda: Universal Health Care for all Filipinos”, 4) The Presidential Coordinating Council on Research and Development’s (PCCRD) National R&D Priorities Plan 2011-2016, 5) The DOST Five-Point Priority Program for 2011-2016. She ended her talk by encouraging the audience to come up with quality researches aligned with the NUHRA or RUHRA.

Dr. Alan B. Feranil discussed the topic “Looking for and Obtaining Funding for Health Research in the Philippines.” He shared to the group the different funding agencies coming from different sectors of the society.  Among the government agencies that fund health research are the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), Department of Health, DENR-Environment Management Bureau for environmental issues, and DOLE-Occupational Health and Safety Center for occupational health concerns.  Local foundations such as Gruppo Medica and Pfizer Foundation also fund health researches.  Foreign sources include Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA),   UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities), UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID, and many others.  Dr. Feranil emphasized that research funding is not a problem but focus should be on producing quality researches.

Dr. Frances E. Edillo focused her talk on the “Research Operational Mechanism in Academic Institutions.” The lecture encouraged all universities to become research universities. She also brought in the new typology of Philippine Educational Reform (cited by Salas, 2011) that for a University to remain a university, it should meet the following criteria: doctoral programs in at least 5 disciplines, 70% of BS programs with a thesis or project paper, International linkages, 10% of enrollment should be graduate programs, 30% of faculty be actively involved in research and 10% of faculty should have publications in refereed journals.

 A lot of participants showed their interest to know more on the different topics presented by the speakers that it led to a very lively discussion during the open forum.  Dr. Amelia Biglete, the Regional Director of the Commission on Higher Education Region VII confirmed that the Commission on Higher Education is very much willing to fund quality researches.

From http://region7.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42:cvchrd-forum-on-challenges-and-opportunities-in-research&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=6

Date 23 April 2013 15:08

Very keen on realizing its objective of capacitating local researchers interested in health and health-related studies, the BCHRD conducted the Research Evaluation Training with the twofold goal of aiding the Research Proposal Evaluation Team in developing a tool for evaluating research proposals, and assisting researchers in fine-tuning their revised proposals.

The consortium’s Evaluation Team is composed of the Research and Development (R&D) and Ethics Review (ERC) Committees.  The research proponents invited to the training were those who participated inthe Research Methods Training conducted on January 29-31, 2013 at Bicol University, Legazpi City.

The Research Evaluation Training, held on February 27-28, 2013 in Naga City, at the Universidad de Sta. Isabel (USI) College of Nursing Lecture Hall, was the second phase of the Health Research Proposal Packaging Process (HRPPP), which the BCHRD is implementing; the Research Methods Trainingin January was Phase I of the process.

The Participants were: Prof. Sandy C. Lasa of USI, chairman of the ERC; other USI faculty- Profs Janet S. dela Cruz, Teresa B. Pambid, Glenda C. Icaro,  Mary Ann Tumbado, and Mr. Rhandy V. Salvani; Prof. Elma R. Peralta and Dr. Ma. Clara Ll. Rubino Faculty and Dean respectively of Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU); Dr. Yolanda L. Castroverde and Dr. Carmelita S. Baylon of the University of Nueva Caceres (UNC); Dr. Raul G. Bradecina, Profs. Ana L. Vargas, and Emelina R. Padayao of Partido State University (PSU); Dr. Nilo B. Romeroso of Ago Medical Center-Bicol Christian College of Medicine (AMEC-BCCM); Prof. Joyce S. Obis of University of Saint Anthony (USANT); Prof. Athena G.  Masip of Aquinas University of Legazpi (AUL); researchers and BCHRD committee members who were part of the Bicol University delegation included Dr. Richard L. Bartolata (BUCN), Profs. Ida Francia H. Revale and Daile Meek Salvador-Membreve (BUCS), Profs. Michael Angelo D. Brogada and Aris J. Ordoñez (BU CS-CS/IT), Prof. Ma. Corazon R. Naz, (BUESC), Profs. Carina B. Orden and Dennis B. Gogola (BUTC), BCHRD Director Dr. Alma S. Banua, and the BCHRD Secretariat composed of Ms. Reizha O. Rito and Ms. Maria Vicenta Corazon B. Guidote.  Also present was Ms. Marie Jeanne “Gigi” B. Berroya, PCHRD-DOST Regional Project Officer for Region V.

Taken from: http://region5.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25:health-research-evaluation-training&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=6

Date: Sunday, 24 March 2013 15:22

The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) had formally awarded the Tuklas Lunas Center Program to the Visayas State University, Visca, Baybay City, Leyte. This was done during 31st PCHRD Anniversary at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel, CCP Complex, Metro Manila. Dr. Jaime Montoya, PCHRD Executive Director, together with Sec. Mario G. Montejo, DOST and Sec. Enrique T. Ona, DOH, handed the plaque to Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU President and Dr. Edgardo Tulin, VP and Center In-Charge.

Tuklas Lunas refers to the drug discovery research and development program, initiated by PCHRD in its desire to provide solutions to the countries' medical needs. Through this program, PCHRD aims to establish a Drug Discovery Database which will store information on all researches conducted on natural products. This will serve as a tool in guiding researchers as to which plant/animal species have the potential for further studies leading to the discovery of new drugs.

The first Tuklas Lunas Center was awarded to Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology.

Taken from http://region8.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31:pchrd-awards-vsu-tuklas-lunas-center&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=6

Date 10 April 2013 11:57

31 JANUARY 2013 | GENEVA - Adults should consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium, or 5 grams of salt, and at least 3,510 mg of potassium per day, according to new guidelines issued by the WHO. A person with either elevated sodium levels and low potassium levels could be at risk of raised blood pressure which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Sodium is found naturally in a variety of foods, including milk and cream (approximately 50 mg of sodium per 100 g) and eggs (approximately 80 mg/100 g). It is also found, in much higher amounts, in processed foods, such as bread (approximately 250 mg/100 g), processed meats like bacon (approximately 1,500 mg/100 g), snack foods such as pretzels, cheese puffs and popcorn (approximately 1,500 mg/100 g), as well as in condiments such as soy sauce (approximately 7,000 mg/100 g), and bouillon or stock cubes (approximately 20,000 mg/100 g).

Potassium-rich foods include: beans and peas (approximately 1,300 mg of potassium per 100 g), nuts (approximately 600 mg/100 g), vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and parsley (approximately 550 mg/100 g) and fruits such as bananas, papayas and dates (approximately 300 mg/100 g). Processing reduces the amount of potassium in many food products.

Currently, most people consume too much sodium and not enough potassium.

“Elevated blood pressure is a major risk for heart disease and stroke – the number one cause of death and disability globally,” says Dr Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development. “These guidelines also make recommendations for children over the age of 2. This is critical because children with elevated blood pressure often become adults with elevated blood pressure.”

The guidelines are an important tool for public health experts and policymakers as they work in their specific country situations to address noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Public health measures to reduce sodium and increase potassium consumption and thereby decrease the population’s risk of high blood pressure and heart disease can include food and product labelling, consumer education, updating national dietary guidelines, and negotiating with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of salt in processed foods.

WHO is also updating guidelines on the intake of fats and sugars associated to reduced risk of obesity and noncommunicable diseases.

For more information please contact:

Gregory Härtl

Coordinator, News, Social Media and Monitoring

Telephone: +41 79 203 6715

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Taken from: http://region9.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:who-issues-new-guidance-on-dietary-salt-and-potassium&catid=1:latest-news

Date: 05 February 2013 09:18