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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOST-PCHRD to mark 44th anniversary with 'four futures' health vision

DOST-PCHRD to mark 44th anniversary with 'four futures' health vision

Published Mar 17, 2026 04:54 pm
(MB PHOTO/PIXABAY)
(MB PHOTO/PIXABAY)
The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) will mark its 44th anniversary on March 18, highlighting a forward-looking vision anchored on what it calls the “four futures” of health for Filipinos.
The anniversary celebration, to be held at Acacia Hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, will carry the theme “Shaping the Four Futures of Health,” focusing on advancing personalized, preventive, predictive, and participatory healthcare in the country.
DOST-PCHRD said the event will convene researchers, innovators, and health advocates from across the Philippines and international institutions to discuss how science, technology, and collaboration can help address evolving health challenges.
Serving as keynote speaker is Astrid Dita, the head of AI and Innovation for the Asia-Pacific Region at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, who is expected to highlight the role of technological advancements in achieving the goals of P4 medicine in the Philippines, which focuses on predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory healthcare.
Experts from the academe and industry are also set to join discussions on cross-sectoral collaboration in shaping the future of healthcare.
Among the speakers are Dr. Sheriah Laine De Paz-Silava of the University of the Philippines Manila, Jan Vincent Sollesta of GalenX, Inc., Dr. Annavi Marie Villanueva of San Lazaro Hospital, and Dr. Marc Dexter Macalintal of the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine.
According to the agency, parallel sessions highlighting the core pillars of the P4 health framework will be among the key features of the celebration.
The session “No Voice Left Behind: Co-creating Research through Shared Power, Knowledge, and Lived Experience” will emphasize preventive and predictive healthcare, underscoring the importance of proactive strategies to reduce disease incidence and anticipate health risks, particularly in low- to middle-income settings such as the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the session “Signals Heard, Actions Taken: From Research to Response, Integrating Diagnostics, Data, and Intervention Strategies” will center on personalized and participatory healthcare, focusing on strengthening early detection and response through data-driven diagnostics.
PCHRD officials underscored the importance of aligning research and innovation with the country’s health needs.
“We understand the emergence of health issues and the changes it brings to the overall health system. By acknowledging that health research and innovation propel structural and technological transformations, we can make proactive interventions and forward-looking approaches that improve the lives of every Filipino. Thus, our focus on four futures of health on this year’s DOST-PCHRD anniversary,” Paul Ernest De Leon, the chief of the council’s Research and Development Management Division, said.
DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya also reaffirmed the agency’s long-standing commitment to public health.
“Our work to improve health for the Filipino people started 44 years ago,” he said.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we are also defining the trajectory of our initiatives to ensure that our efforts remain responsive, relevant, and impactful in addressing the evolving health needs and challenges of the country,” he added.

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