Cagayan de Oro – The Cordillera Regional Health Research and Development Consortium once again made history for being champions in health research as they bagged awards in the different research competitions during the recently concluded Philippine National Health Research System Week Celebration held on 13-16 August 2019 at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City, Northern Mindanao.

On August 13, Ms. Hannah Eunice Balbuena Laurel represented the Saint Louis University (SLU) as she presented their research study entitled “Characterization, Phytochemical, and Pharmacologic Screening of Amuet, an Indigenous Preparation of Buho” as the official entry of Region CAR for the Research Oral Presentation of Undergraduate Thesis on Natural Products. Ms. Laurel, together with the support of her adviser Ms. Mary Luz Fiangaan and the CRHRDC members, bagged the 1st place award for the said competition.

Another pride of SLU, Mr. Audrey Glenn Culliao presented their protocol entitled “Inhibition of quorum sensing in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Calvatia ssp. ethanolic extract” for the professional research poster presentation category which emerged as the first place winner for the said competition.

For the second time in a row, the CRHRDC also brought home the 1st Place Best Consortium Website Award for CY 2019. It can be remembered that this award was first instituted in 2018 to recognize the remarkable research utilization and dissemination work through the use of the consortium’s website interphase and this was also awarded to CRHRDC during the previous PNHRS Week Celebration. The award consisting of a Plaque of Recognition and cash prize was presented by the the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya to the CRHRDC members.

But more than these achievements, the consortium takes pride in honing these skilled young researchers who are passionate in health research, and who are highly competent in improving the health conditions of the region through their research works.

The PNHRS Week Celebration was attended by more than 1,300 participants. Said conference was anchored on the theme “Achieving Health-Related SDGs thru Research and Innovation.