On December 5, 2024, the Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium (MMHRDC) successfully convened its Advisory Board Meeting at the Belmont Hotel in Newport City, Pasay.

This breakfast meeting was presided over by Dr. Michael L. Tee, Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Manila. The event got together distinguished leaders, including university presidents, directors, and institutional heads. A significant milestone as the last Advisory Board Meeting was held in 2017.

The meeting began with the preliminaries, including a solemn invocation, the Philippine National Anthem, and then a roll call to declare a quorum. The event was also graced by Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).

During the meeting, significant presentations were made, such as an overview of the consortium’s operations, led by Dr. Eva Maria C. Cutiongco-De La Paz, the MMHRDC Steering Committee Chair and National Institutes of Health Executive Director. Dr. Hilton Y. Lam, MMHRDC Director, detailed the consortium’s milestones, including its numerous capacity-building programs, training workshops, and research initiatives. He noted the remarkable achievements of the consortium, such as training over 2,700 researchers in responsible conduct of research, successfully funding studies under the DOST-PCHRD Regional Research Fund.

Dr. Jennifer M. Nailes, Chair of the Structure, Organization, Monitoring, and Evaluation (SOME) Committee, presented opportunities and growth areas for the consortium. She identified challenges, including scheduling conflicts and funding constraints, but emphasized strategies to address these issues, such as improving communication channels, strengthening institutional support, and exploring alternative funding opportunities.

A key highlight of the event was the signing of the Membership Commitment Undertaking. This formalized the renewed dedication of MMHRDC’s member institutions to the consortium’s mission and vision of fostering impactful health research and addressing regional and national health challenges.

MMHRDC extends its deepest gratitude to all its Member Institutions for their dedication and hard work. The consortium’s achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the active participation and support of its members.

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