February 15, 2021 — The scientific and technological cooperation in health between the Philippines and United Kingdom will be promoted and strengthened with UP Manila’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The virtual signing ceremony was held on 5 January 2021.

Under the MOU, DOST-PCHRD, LSHTM, and UP Manila will work together on various S & T collaborations on priority areas including genomics, modelling, diagnostics, clinical trials, epidemiology, and immunology. The partnership will also encourage the establishment of scientific and technological contacts among relevant organizations, research groups, colleges and universities, and firms in both LSHTM and UPM.

During the virtual signing, British Ambassador Daniel Pruce congratulated the PCHRD, UPM, and LSHTM; and recognized the importance of S&T in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in fighting the pandemic. Department of Foreign Affairs Office of European Affairs Assistant Secretary Jaime Victor Ledda commended the undertaking and thanked the British government for being a committed partner in the areas of education and support for technological innovations.

PCHRD Exec. Director Dr. Jaime Montoya acknowledged that the vision of providing research-based solutions and innovations to address health system needs will only be achieved by investing in more research collaborations and partnerships. He mentioned future steps under the agreement such as the conduct of a joint committee meeting to set the directions and priorities of the agreement and a symposium with British experts to identify and muster common research interests and specialties. These efforts are for a more synergistic and holistic approach to achieve higher standards of health research. Expanding the agreement with other local institutions through the help of UP Manila is also part of the plans.

UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla stated that the MOU is a very important step in moving forward the relations between UPM and LSHTM, with researchers of both institutions working formally and informally for a long time now. The agreement, she added, will put more power to their work because of the support not only of the Philippine government through DOST but of the UK through the LSHTM and other institutions.

“The agreement is not only for UP but the beginning of links with other institutions through expansion that I have committed to PCHRD. It begins a new chapter in the lives of our researchers,” she declared.

Witnessing the signing were Philippine Ambassador to the UK Ms. Arlene Gonzales-Macaisa, LSHTM Professor Martin Hibberd, DOST Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation Dr. Leah Buendia, and DOST-PCHRD Institutional Development Division Chief Ms. Carina Rebulanan.

Cynthia M. Villamor

Published in UP Manila Healthscape Special COVID-19 Issue No. 23