Text by Charmaine A. Lingdas

Photos by Sarah Hazel Moces S. Pulumbarit

NTTCHP faculty, staff, alumni, guests, and students gather for a commemorative photo celebrating the Center’s 50th anniversary.

The National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions (NTTCHP) celebrated its 50th founding anniversary with a two-day research conference on Jan. 30 and 31, 2025, at the Manila Prince Hotel. Themed Sigasig, Integridad, Karunungan, at Husay: Adhikaing Yaman (SIKHAY) ng NTTCHP, the event showcased the institution’s contributions to health professions education (HPEd) and its role in the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.

A Pillar of Health Professions Education in the Philippines and Beyond

In his keynote message, Chancellor Michael Tee highlighted the center’s legacy in capacitating health professionals as educators, facilitators, researchers, and leaders. “For fifty years, NTTCHP has been at the forefront of our mission to enhance health professional education, not only in the Philippines but across the Western Pacific region. We have developed educators who are not only skilled course facilitators, course designers, facilitators of learning, and assessors of achievement, but also evaluators and researchers who shape the very foundation of health professions education in the country. Since its establishment in 1975, it has embraced the responsibility of ensuring that those who train our doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and other health professionals are equipped with the highest standards of pedagogical expertise.” 

Chancellor Tee expresses gratitude to the faculty, researchers, alumni, and students of NTTCHP for their dedication and contributions to the center.

“NTTCHP is one of the last standing among the NTTCs and we are the only one in HP [health professions]. We are the only one that has broadened the field to include not just medical education but all other health professions,” said Dean Maria Elizabeth Grageda. 

NTTCs were established as part of the World Health Organization’s global strategy to enhance healthcare delivery by developing competent and effective health professionals. As part of this initiative, national teacher training centers were set up worldwide, with the Philippines identified as a suitable location. The University of the Philippines (UP) Manila was chosen as its home.

On Jan. 30, 1975, during its 857th meeting, the UP Board of Regents officially founded the then-National Teacher Training Center for the Health Sciences, with Dr. Corazon Gonzalez as its founding director. Later, in its 899th meeting on March 13, 1978, the Board renamed it the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions, reflecting its broader role in health professions education.

“With the passage of Republic Act 11223, the universal healthcare act, the challenge before us is clear: to ensure that every Filipino has access to quality health care. We can best achieve this by addressing a fundamental issue—the shortage of human resources for health,” said Chancellor Tee, as he urged the NTTCHP to take the lead in the development of a unified research agenda in health sciences education that aligns with national health priorities and global trends. He said that a unified research agenda will provide “evidence-based insights for policy and curriculum development, bridge the gap between education and health care service delivery, enhance faculty development and institutional capacity building, and promote collaboration and innovation.” 

Dean Grageda highlights NTTCHP’s 50th anniversary as a proud milestone and a time to reflect on its impact on health professions education and public health.

Exploring Key Themes in Health Professions Education

The conference showcased key research from NTTCHP alumni, faculty, and partners, highlighting its impact on HPEd and healthcare. It featured five symposia, each tackling vital areas of health professions education:

• Sigasig explored innovations in pediatric and child protection education, with insights from Dr. Carmelo Alfiler on undergraduate pediatrics, Dr. Merle Tan on child protection in the Philippine General Hospital, and Dr. Bernadette Madrid on the Child Protection Network. Dr. Theodore Joseph Ablaza also shared his experience in the dual-track Ambulatory Pediatrics and MHPEd program.
• Integridad focused on professionalism, mental health, and resilience among health sciences students. Dr. Cherie Abu tackled professionalism, Dr. Evangeline Dela Fuente discussed mental health and mindfulness, Dr. Maria Lourdes Dorothy Salvacion emphasized resilience-building, and Dr. Maria Julieta Corazon Victoriano-Germar shared insights on mentoring medical students and residents.
• Karunungan highlighted research on effective teaching and learning strategies. Dr. Julius Ceasar Reyes addressed knowledge retention in health sciences, Dr. Maria Concepcion Cabatan presented findings from the APA-Q faculty study, and Erika Kae Ramos shared lessons from midwifery education. Dr. Monica Walet rounded out the session with a discussion on the impact of HPEd theses and dissertations.
• Husay examined continuing medical education and community-based training. Dr. Crisphin Casubha discussed pediatricians’ professional development through iCPeds, Dr. Maria Elizabeth Grageda introduced contemporary assessment methods, and Dr. Christian Earvin Bondoc emphasized training medical students in primary health care.
• Adhikaing Yaman showcased faculty research that shaped policies and programs in HPEd. Dr. Melflor Atienza spoke on clinical medicine and HPEd, Dr. Erlyn Sana presented interdisciplinary research on child and women protection, and Dr. Nemuel Fajutagana discussed NTTCHP’s contributions to medical education roadmapping.

The event also featured an alumni homecoming and a tribute to departed members of the NTTCHP community. Other highlights include the re-launching of the Philippine Association of Health Professions Educators, and the launch of micro-credentialing courses at NTTCHP: Assessment of Students’ Learning, Teaching Clinical Skills, and Simulation-Based Education. These courses are housed in the UP Manila Virtual Learning Environment (UPM VLE) platform open to the public. The first two courses will be piloted this month, with the results of the pilot and final revisions, the courses can already be offered in the second quarter of the year. There are also plans to collaborate with Griffith University in Australia for the offering of these courses either as a joint course or as an accredited course by their University.

As the center embarks on its next 50 years, the institution remains steadfast in its commitment to producing transformative educators who will shape the future of healthcare in the Philippines and beyond.#