Text by Calvin de los Reyes and Joel Francis Guinto
Photo by Jericho Paolo Mabansag 

The University of the Philippines Manila (UP Manila) and the Department of Health–Center for Health Development Calabarzon (DOH-CHD Calabarzon) have formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening maternal, perinatal, and neonatal health initiatives in Region IV-A.

The agreement seeks to enhance existing cooperative relations between the two institutions and establish a framework for sustained collaboration in research, program evaluation, capacity building, health data systems, and the promotion of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook. The partnership is aligned with national efforts to accelerate the reduction of preventable maternal, perinatal, and neonatal deaths.

The MOU was signed last July 17, 2026, by Dr. Michael L. Tee, Chancellor of UP Manila, and Dr. Voltaire S. Guadalupe, Director IV of DOH-CHD Calabarzon. The signing was witnessed by Dr. Ma. Teresa G. De Guzman, Dean of the UP Manila College of Arts and Sciences (CAS); Dr. Calvin S. de los Reyes, Associate Professor of CAS and Board Member of the International Committee on MCH Handbook; Dr. Monica Stephanie N. Moreno, Safe Motherhood Program Medical Coordinator and Adolescent Health and Development Program Outcome Manager of DOH-CHD CALABARZON; and Vanessa B. Bebida, Safe Motherhood Program Outcome Manager of DOH-CHD CALABARZON.

“We are pleased to finally formalize the partnership between UP Manila and CHD4A, strengthening our shared commitment to advancing maternal and neonatal health through collaboration, research, capacity building, and evidence-informed action across the CALABARZON region,” Dr. de los Reyes said. 

From collaboration to a more sustained regional partnership

The MOU builds on previous collaborations between UP Manila and DOH-CHD Calabarzon, including the implementation of “Safe Beginnings: 1st Regional Conference on Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in Calabarzon” and the 14th International Conference on the MCH Handbook, both in 2024. 

Both institutions have also partnered in advancing the implementation of the MCH Handbook in Region IV-A.

Under the new MOU, the partnership will expand into six major areas of engagement: joint research on maternal and neonatal health; development of evaluation frameworks and monitoring tools; strengthening of maternal health data systems, particularly Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR); dissemination of evidence through policy forums, scientific publications, and community feedback sessions; training and mentoring of health workers and program implementers in data collection, analysis, and utilization; and promotion of the MCH Handbook throughout the region.

The collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of the two institutions. DOH-CHD CALABARZON will facilitate access to relevant program data, link researchers with local government units, health facilities, and other partners, and support the translation of research findings into regional planning and maternal health programs. UP Manila, meanwhile, will contribute its expertise in research design, methodology, data analysis, monitoring and evaluation, scientific publication, and capacity building while engaging faculty members, researchers, and students in collaborative activities.

A Joint Technical Working Group (TWG) will oversee the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of collaborative initiatives. Both institutions also committed to promoting ethical research and professional integrity, identifying priority maternal health concerns requiring research and programmatic responses, and jointly communicating evidence and advocating evidence-based solutions at the local, regional, and national levels.

The MOU will remain in effect for three years, providing a framework for the development of sustained research, capacity-building, and policy initiatives in maternal and neonatal health.

Linking regional research with the global MCH Handbook community

The signing comes at an important time for the international MCH Handbook community, coinciding with the 15th International Conference on the MCH Handbook, to be held from August 26-28, 2026, in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Convened under the theme “MCH Handbook: From Fulfilling Rights to Building Resilience,” the conference will bring together policymakers, public health leaders, healthcare professionals, researchers, and development partners from around the world. It will provide a platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and innovations on how the MCH Handbook can contribute to rights-based, people-centered primary healthcare and strengthen public health resilience, particularly for women, children, and adolescents.

Among the studies presented at the international conference was “The Role of the Maternal and Child Health Handbook in the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response of Region IV-A, Philippines.” The presentation was led by Dr. de los Reyes, Bebida, and Jorri Venico Reyes of the Graduate Program in Health Policy Studies–Health Social Science (MAHPS-HSS).

The study reflects the type of research collaboration envisioned under the newly-signed MOU. It investigates how the MCH Handbook is currently used, and how it can be more effectively integrated, within the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response system in Region IV-A.

Specifically, the research examines existing policies and guidelines on MCH Handbook implementation; healthcare officers’ perceptions of its use in MPDSR; its current utilization in MPDSR and maternal and child health services; and health providers’ recommendations for improving the handbook so that it can better support maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response. 

By addressing the relationship between the MCH Handbook and MPDSR, the study seeks to generate evidence on how a family-held health record can contribute to a more comprehensive and longitudinal understanding of maternal and child health histories. Such information may strengthen maternal and perinatal death reviews and help health authorities identify gaps in care, continuity, referral, and service delivery.

At the policy level, findings from the study can help inform policies that strengthen the relevance and utilization of the MCH Handbook within MPDSR services. At the program level, the findings can assist health managers and implementers in identifying barriers and opportunities for integrating the handbook into routine maternal and child health practice.

Research translated into better maternal and child health

More broadly, the MOU underscores a shared commitment by UP Manila and DOH-CHD Calabarzon to ensure that research does not end with data collection or publication, but contributes directly to stronger health programs, better-informed policies, and improved maternal and child health outcomes.

By linking the research and academic expertise of the University with the programmatic experience and regional health systems of DOH-CHD Calabarzon, the partnership creates opportunities to generate locally relevant evidence and translate it into practical interventions for communities across Region IV-A.

The partnership also positions the MCH Handbook as more than a home-based record of maternal and child health services. Through research, training, strengthened data systems, and its potential integration with MPDSR, the handbook can serve as an important tool for continuity of care, informed health decision-making, accountability, and ultimately, the prevention of avoidable maternal and perinatal deaths.

Through the three-year partnership, UP Manila and DOH-CHD Calabarzon aim to transform a history of cooperation into a more sustained platform for evidence generation, capacity building, policy translation, and action toward healthier mothers, newborns, and children in Calabarzon and beyond.

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