July 31, 2019 — Acta Medica Philippina, the National Health Science Journal, celebrated its 80th anniversary with a short program held on July 17, 2019 at the Buenafe Auditorium, College of Medicine.
The journal was first published in July 1939 under the editorship of Dr. Antonio G. Sison. It was then the official medical publication of the UP College of Medicine and Institute of Hygiene (now College of Public Health).
Acta Editor-in-Chief Dr. Joven Tanchuco said that this is really the time to celebrate the 80th birthday of Acta as it was the 3rd oldest scientific journal in the Philippines with the Philippine Journal of Science as the oldest, followed by the Philippine Agriculture Scientist.
Chancellor Padilla congratulated Acta because the journal has actually raised the bar for the whole of UP. In fact, the ranking of the UP System went up because of UP Manila’s publications.
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Executive Director Jaime Montoya, in a video message, congratulated the Editorial Board, members, and contributors of Acta. He mentioned that Acta has published researches that were relevant to the pressing needs of the nation.
“In a way, it serves as a narrative of our journey in health research and development by documenting crucial findings that can be used in policy-making for target institutions towards a healthier Filipino community. Recognizing the need to constantly seek research-based solutions and address the current needs of our communities, the Department of Science and Technology through the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development provides funding for health researches that are in-line with the National Unified Health Research Agenda,” he stated.
For her part, CM Dean Charlotte Chiong sees a stronger future for Acta because of its role in UP’s elevated rankings and its important role in the health of the people. “When you see the history of Acta, you also see the history of medicine in the country. All the burning issues, advocacies, and breakthroughs in medicine can be seen in Acta. The ‘Rotor’ Syndrome by Dr. Arturo Rotor, Dr. Lourdes Manahan, and Dr. Angel Florentin were first described in the pages of Acta.”
She thanked PGH Director Dr. Gap Legaspi for supporting Acta by publishing two issues each year. She modified the business plan of Acta by increasing the publication fee for institutional issues from Php 100,000.00 to Php 250,000.00 to augment publication expenses.
In recognition of the dedication and invaluable contributions of former Editors-in Chief, certificates of appreciation were given to those who were present during the event: Dr. Augusto Litonjua (1964-1978), Dr. Cynthia Valencia (1994-2002) and Dr. Jose Ma. C. Avila (2003-2017). Other Editors-in-Chief were Dr. Antonio G. Sison (1939 – 1951), Dr. Agerico B. M. Sison, (1952 – 1959), Dr. Benjamin Barrera (1962 – 1963), Dr. Benigno S. Agbayani, Jr, (1978 – 1989), and Dr. Romeo R. Gutierrez, (1989 – 1994).
