August 30, 2019 — The week-long celebration of the Science and Technology Week at UP Manila opened on August 27, 2019 at the College of Nursing Auditorium which was highlighted by an event dubbed as TeknoLusugan held on August 28 at the UP Bonifacio Global City Auditorium.
In his message, Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Armand Crisostomo mentioned that the researchers who would be showcasing their studies and innovations during the S and T event can be regarded as heroes. “You will recognize and foresee that those presenters will be heroes who are doing at least initially small deeds that will eventually go down to the benefit and health of our people,” Dr. Crisostomo declared as he noted that the S & T event will help UP Manila move its research agenda forward.
He added that his office created the Office of Research Integrity which is tasked with ensuring that the conduct of research is of the highest order and mandate a code of conduct that will govern all researches in the university.
He recounted other milestones in the history of research at UP Manila such as the creation of the Office of Research Services in the 1990s to make known that research is a function of the university, the legislation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1998 during the term of Chancellor Perla Santos Ocampo, and the separation of the functions of the Vice Chancellor for Research and NIH director in 2018 under the administration of Chancellor Carmencita Padilla. All of these milestones pushed the research outputs of the faculty further.
DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara, in her keynote speech emphasized that health care is one of the most important areas of concern not only of health workers but also of policymakers and every institution since our country needs healthy citizens to pursue development and seek positive progress in other equally important areas.
“This year’s theme, Innovations and Interventions in the Health Sciences for the Filipinos, reminds us of two equally important aspects in our study and practice of health care: What we do and who we do it for,” she stated. Driven by the complex and varied nature of human health, she added that the health sciences have been proven to be one of the scientifically progressive fields in the area of research.
“In the Philippines, we have local health innovations supported by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. These local innovations post immediate and practical solutions to some of the country’s most pressing health problems and would serve as an inspiration most especially to our young innovators who are with us today.”
The science and technology undersecretary identified several health innovations and discoveries including the Biotech-M Dengue aqua kit, RxBox, and Lagundi and Sambong tablets that were pioneered in UP Manila.
“In the Philippines we have not yet started talking about the impacts of these technologies on health. I hope that UP Manila can spearhead this kind of conversation with the policy makers in government, the industry, and of course, the academe.” She urged researchers to make their research go beyond citations and recognitions by creating innovation-driven markets.
She mentioned that proof of DOST’s belief in UP Manila researches are its investments amounting to P770 million from 2014 until this year with P400 million as investment in 2019.
Apart from TeknoLusugan, the celebration consisted of forums on Community Health, Herbal Medicine, Education, Health Policy, Machines and Tests, Biochemical and Molecular Studies, and Patient Interventions; and workshops on Preventing Research Misconduct.
Charmaine Lingdas | Published in UP Manila Healthscape July – August 2019
