The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology – ARMM (DOST-ARMM), facilitated the 3-day ARMM Health Research Consortium Re-Orientation Meeting and Strategic Planning Workshop on December 17-19, 2012 at the El Manuel Convention Center, Cotabato City. The event, which aims to update and revitalize the consortium for it to address the current health situation and be more responsive to the health R&D needs in the region, was attended by stakeholders from the academe, health institutions, and the line agencies as well as the Office of the Regional Governor.

Ms. Carina Rebulanan, Chief of the Institution Development Division of PCHRD, presented an overview on the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS), conception of the Regional Health Research Consortia as well as their functions and provisions, and the mandates, programs, and projects of PCHRD, being the lead agency of the PNHRS.

Two of key team players of the consortium – DOH-ARMM and DoST-ARMM – presented their respective 4-year priorities pertaining to Health R&D for 2013 to 2016 during the re-orientation meeting conducted on the first day. In addition, the Regional Unified Health Research Agenda (RUHRA) for the next four (4) years was then formulated in consonance with those determined in the national level (NUHRA), but giving emphasis on the current regional health concerns of ARMM.

To revitalize and empower the consortium, participants identified goals of the AHRC for the next four years and drew strategies in order accomplish such goals. The event was then concluded with the formulation of “Next Steps“ to conduct succeeding activities particularly the MOA signing among stakeholders of the consortium.

With the recent convening of the stakeholders, and cooperation between and among AHRC members and PCHRD, DOST-ARMM OIC-Regional Secretary Dr. Abdulgalib I. Halud hopes that AHRC will indeed, as its mission statement conveys, “create and sustain an enabling environment for Health R&D in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao”. It is hoped that the planned activities will be realized starting the first quarter of this calendar year 2013.

Ms. Elenita San Juan, managing director of Transformation Optimizer Professionals, Inc., engaged participants in goal setting and strategic planning.

(View more photos HERE.)