DOST program features the agency's mental health R&D studies in its pilot episode
By Dhel Nazario
The pilot episode of the Science & Technology (S&T) Features of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) showcased the research and development studies on Mental Health in the Philippines.

The pilot episode, which premiered on Tuesday, Oct. 25 via the Facebook page of DOST's S&T Fellows Program was conducted in line with the recent celebration of Mental Health Week in the country with the theme: "Mental Health is our Agenda".
The online discussion put a spotlight on the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development’s (DOST-PCHRD) efforts in creating the National Mental Health Research Agenda as well as their current R&D initiatives.
“Two years since the inception of the DOST S&T Fellows Program, the S&T Features will highlight the contributions of our brilliant hired S&T Fellows. By featuring the Fellows’ current R&D projects and programs, we hope to encourage more Filipino S&T experts to join us in the program and help us in shaping the country’s R&D landscape,” said Dr. Leah J. Buendia, Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation and Officer-in-Charge of Office of the Undersecretary for Research and Development.
“This is a good opportunity for us to discuss Mental Health as a research agenda. We have been hearing promotions and advocacies on Mental Health awareness but seldom on the research that is happening in the country,” said Dr. Sarah Jane Jimenez, S&T Fellows assigned to DOST-PCHRD. Dr. Jimenez will lead and moderate the online discussion.
In addition, among the guest speakers were Jules Carl Celebrado, Program Head of the Mental Health R&D Program in DOST-PCHRD and Dr. Arsenio Alianan, Jr., Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology in Ateneo De Manila University and a member of the Mental Health Research Advisory Group (MHRAG).
The S&T Features is an online activity that aims to promote the S&T Fellows Program by showcasing the accomplishments and involvement of the S&T Fellows in their respective DOST agencies.
The said program aims to engage the services of highly qualified researchers, scientists, and engineers in various DOST R&D Institutes and Councils to increase and strengthen the human resource complement of the Department’s R&D group.
Back in May, DOST conducted its its first S&T Fellows Convention; a way of promoting the agency's S&T Fellows Program. This five-year project of DOST under the Office of the Undersecretary for Research and Development (OUSecRD) offers competitive compensation to strengthen the R&D workforce in the Department.