UP Manila Experts To Spearhead Capacity-Building Workshops on Health Research and Evidence Use at Cardinal Santos Medical Center

April 13, 2026

Text by: Jennifer Manongdo
Photos by: Sarah Hazel Moces Pulumbarit

Officials from the University of the Philippines Manila and Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) underscored the vital role of ethical research in navigating a world shaped by diverse and often conflicting ideas and beliefs. Through a series of workshops, they aim to address key research-related challenges and strengthen ethical practices in the field. In this photo are (from left): Vice Chancellor Michelle Dalmacio, Chancellor Michael Tee, CSMC Chief Medical Officer Antonio Say, and CSMC Chief Financial Officer Marivic Mabuti during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the University of the Philippines Manila and CSMC on April 7, 2026.

A Memorandum of Agreement signed between the University of the Philippines Manila and Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) on April 7, 2026, sets the tone for a series of capacity-building workshops on health research and evidence use.

The two-year program will be implemented from 2026 to 2028 and is designed for hospital administrators, members of research committees and ethics boards, consultant and trainee physicians, allied health professionals, research coordinators and assistants, data managers, and clinical trial staff. It seeks to develop CSMC’s research infrastructure and governance framework and develop the competencies of individual researchers to develop, implement, and translate research that is scientifically aligned with institutional and national priorities.

The National Institutes of Health will conduct the workshops and mentoring sessions for all the capacity-building modules. It will involve hands-on workshops, lectures and interactive discussions, small group exercises, coaching to policy developers, and mentoring for research development. These will be delivered through a blended-learning approach such as onsite sessions, asynchronous learning sessions (recorded lectures for participants who will be unable to attend the in-person workshops), and mentoring and coaching sessions. The program scope includes Research Governance and Institutionalization of Research, Clinical Trial Unit Organization, Research Protocol Development, Research Ethics, Research Project Management and Implementation, Technical Review of Research Proposals, Data Management and Analysis, and Scientific Paper Writing, among others.

The partnership agreement was signed by Chancellor Michael Tee and Antonio Say, CSMC chief medical officer.