Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST) acknowledged the need to step up and intensify collaborations and partnerships to combat cancer during the symposium “Global Call to Action: Public-Private Partnership of Cancer Care and Control” at the Diamond Hotel, Manila last February 3, 2012.

“Like any health problem, I believe solutions to the Big C will come from multisectoral cooperation – from prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, research to policymaking. The Global Call to Action is precisely what we need to accelerate research efforts so that Filipinos will have access to the best quality health care for the diagnosis, prevention and control of cancer,” Dr. Montoya said.

The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) is a forward-looking, partnership-based national body responsible for coordinating all health research activities in the country. The core strategy of the Council is public-private partnership.

For instance, â€œIn the area of research, we take cues from the ongoing work of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and its member organizations. The group’s work has contributed substantially to what we now know in detection, prevention and treatment measures. We can tap from this reservoir of knowledge through collaboration and twinning arrangements. If we can organize our institutions in like manner and undertake joint research, we can certainly find solutions to stop the rise in new cancer cases in the country,” said Dr. Montoya.

Over the years, PCHRD has funded a number of research projects focused on identification of genetic predisposition to the leading forms of cancer in the country. It supported the University of the Philippines Manila – National Institutes of Health (UPM-NIH) on its researches on identification and analysis of genetic polymorphisms associated with certain forms of cancer like breast, lung and cervical cancer in high risk populations in the Philippines.  PCHRD also funds the ongoing Antibody Biotechnology and Molecular Oncology Research Program or AMOR 2 of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman), a continuation research which aims to improve the low yields of antibody produced in AMOR 1 through the use of better culture vessels.

The Council recognized that availability of equipment and facilities is critical to encourage research and development in this field. Thus, support for the provision of equipment was given to research institutions like the UPM-NIH and UP Diliman.

“We have already installed a microarray facility at the National Institutes of Health which will enable us to screen populations or samples for specific genetic identifiers using microchip technology in record time.  We have also equipped the Science complex in UP Diliman with a Nuclear Magnet Resonance (NMR) which is critical in the study of arrangement and composition of protein molecules which may be targets for cancer diagnosis or therapy,” reported Dr. Montoya.

Dr. Montoya hopes to achieve more in the fight against cancer by intensifying public-private partnership.

“I believe we can do a whole lot more, if we have more partners and collaborators who will work with us. By working together, we can defeat cancer,” Dr. Montoya concluded.

The forum is a prelude to the nation’s observance of the World Cancer Day and a venue for the signing of the World Cancer Declaration. It was organized by the University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital, Chevron Geothermal Philippines Holdings, Inc. and the Cancer Institute Foundation.