Department of Science and Technology

PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR HEALTH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Alberto G. Romualdez, Jr. Outstanding Health Research Award

Nomination Form

1. PROFILE OF PROGRAM/PROJECT TO BE NOMINATED

Program/Project Title: Future Proofing Central Visayas Against Pandemics: A Roadmap Study

Project Leader: Dr. Laurence L. Garcia

Implementing Agency: Cebu Normal University

Address/Telephone/Fax/Email: Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City, Cebu, Region VII

0917-322-9167/ (032) 254-1452/ garcial@cnu.edu.ph

2. PERSONAL INFORMATION OF THE NOMINATOR

Name of the Nominator or the Representative of a nominating group:

DR. CELIA M. MABALATAN

Designation: Chief Training Officer; Head, Professional Education, Training, and Research Office

Affiliation: Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center

Affiliation Address: B. Rodriguez St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu

Address/Telephone/Fax/Email (Barangay, Municipality, District, Province, Region):

B. Rodriguez St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu
(032) 253 9891
vsmmc.doh.gov.ph/ mabalatan80@gmail.com/petru@vsmmc.doh.gov.ph
3. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

No nation in the world has been prepared to face the challenges brought about by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Some countries were better equipped to respond to the health crisis as
revealed by their ability to mitigate its ill effects and facilitate faster recovery. The Philippines is
24th in rank among 220 countries in the world in terms of cases and 26th in terms of deaths
(Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering). The impact of
COVID-19 has been of such magnitude that social, cultural, economic, educational, political,
and health institutions have been shaken (De Castro, Lopez, Hamoy, Alba, and Gundayao,
2020). The experience of the country shows the interconnectedness of every sector.

Health equity cannot be concerned only with health, seen in isolation and limited only to
the distribution of health or health care. Rather it must come to grips with the larger issue of
fairness and justice in social arrangements, including economic allocations, paying appropriate
attention to the role of health in human life and freedom (Sen, 2002). If the Philippines is to
move forward towards the achievement of AmBisyon 2040 of a “matatag, maginhawa, at
panatag na buhay” with the three pillars of “Malasakit” (Enhancing the social fabric),
“Pagbabago” (Effecting inequality-reducing transformation), and “Patuloy na Pag-unlad”
(Increasing potential growth), one can deduce that the direction of sustainable development
for the nation is parallel if not the same with strategies for future-proofing the nation and the
region for pandemics (National Economic Development Authority, 2021). The Philippine
Development Plan for 2017-2022 is geared towards laying the foundation for inclusive growth,
a high-trust and resilient society, and a globally competitive knowledge economy. It provides a
guide to all regions in the country to move towards a collective direction of development
including Central Visayas.
Central Visayas, which posted an average growth rate of 7.8 percent from 2010 to
2018, is the fastest-growing economy among the 17 regions (Philippine Statistics Authority,
2019). However, the region has not been spared from the onslaught of the pandemic. The
COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious public health crisis the Central Visayas Region has
ever faced. The highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu altogether
accounted for 65 percent and 70 percent of the region’s total number of cases and deaths,
respectively.

The pandemic has put an additional burden on an already strained healthcare system in
the region. While COVID-19 is essentially a health crisis, its effects have extended beyond the
realm of healthcare. Studying the impact of how health-related resources have been allocated
or distributed in this time of pandemic necessitates a closer look at the issues over a period
that precedes the onset of the COVID-19 emergency and extends beyond the expected end of
the current pandemic (De Castro, Lopez, Hamoy, Alba, and Gundayao, 2020). The COVID-19
pandemic has exposed not only the weaknesses of the healthcare system but also the need
for a blueprint to effectively and appropriately deal with a pandemic from the outset, effectively
manage it throughout its course, and recover from its economic and social disruptions. A
comparison of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and the Central Visayas Development
Plan (CVDP) would reveal the shared contexts and the peculiarities between the national and
regional settings. It can be noted that the midterm update of PDP reveals that changes have
been made to focus on a healthy and resilient country in light of what the country has learned
amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the CVDP has not made mention of specific changes
attributed to the said health crisis.

The Social Development Committee of the Central Visayas Regional Development

Council, recognizing the need for the assessment of the region’s health and emergency
response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the building of a roadmap for effective preparedness
for future pandemics has passed SDC Res No 24, s. 2020 requesting State Universities and
Colleges (SUCs) and the Central Visayas Consortium for Health Research and Development
(CVCHRD) to include in their research agenda the proposed Roadmap Study: Future Proofing
Central Visayas Against Pandemic. In response, Cebu Normal University (CNU) organized a
twelve-person research team to lead this research project. With the guidance of four research
mentors and consultants, CNU has worked with three other SUCs, five Local Government
Units (LGUs), and twenty government and non-government agencies in the span of two years
in order to (1) identify the critical sectors that need to be included in the future-proofing
strategies, (2) do a situational analysis/ assessment of the current Covid 19 pandemic and
identify lessons learned to segue into the identification of risks and vulnerabilities, (3) Describe
risks and "vulnerabilities" that will limit Central Visayas in the prevention or mitigation of
pandemics early, and (4) Identify key strategies to directly address the risks and
"vulnerabilities" of communities to (5) develop a playbook for pandemic preparedness,
response, and management.

The challenge for countries around the world is not just to build back but build back
better. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNODRR) has launched the
program for Making Cities Resilient (MCR) 2030 in 2021 which highlights a resilience roadmap
where cities need to know better, plan better and implement better. The variation of knowing,
planning, and implementing can help explain the difference of prevention, mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery in cities, municipalities, and provinces. Looking at cities
as complex adaptive systems (Olzabal, 2017), UNODRR challenges cities to plan to reduce
risk and invest in risk building as a hazard-by-hazard approach to risk reduction is no longer
an option. MCR 2030 has simplified the message from the Sendai Framework of identifying
the role of local governments in reducing disaster risks by creating that treat the local
government as a “system of systems” (technological, social, economic), encouraging
interconnectedness among the different sectors.

The preparation of a roadmap study to future-proof Central Visayas against pandemics

takes cognizance of the system of systems approach. In addition, the initiative for this
roadmap study is supportive of the call of the Updated Philippine Plan for 2017-2022 to focus
its strategies towards having a healthy and resilient Philippines while facilitating economic
recovery (National Economic and Development Authority, 2021). This undertaking recognizes
how local governments are at the forefront of pandemics and are key actors across the
disaster risk management cycle.

This project began with the identification of the critical sectors through a comprehensive
review of the literature. The process is necessary to prove that these sectors are essential in
the protection of the region against future disruptions. The governance, social, health,
economic, technology, and environmental sectors were identified to play a vital role in the
sustenance of the societal equilibrium during times of pandemic thus the need to assess their
status in the current time. The assessment of the status of the different provinces looking into
the critical sectors was further conducted. A situational analysis of the risks and vulnerabilities
was done through the review of databases, focus group discussions, and interviews. The
gathered data were substantiated by the inputs from the different agencies who further
explained in-depth the stories behind the figures. Learning from these data and the narratives,
scenarios were built as a basis for the actions to be undertaken should we try to future-proof
 the region. Best practices were showcased through case studies of the different provinces.
These case studies highlighted the prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and
recovery measures of the different provinces which the region can learn from. From this
document, a plan was developed with key actions on how to ensure a future-proofed region
within the next six years. It provided immediate actions, short-term plans, as well as long-term
plans.

Health was one of the sectors identified in the roadmap study to future-proof Central
Visayas against pandemics. People all over the world are confronted with a broad and varied
range of risks related to health emergencies and disasters which include infectious disease
outbreaks such as epidemics or pandemics. The health, societal, and economic costs of these
incidents can be devastating, both in the short and long term. The assessment and
management of hazards and vulnerabilities related to a pandemic are crucial to protect
people’s health, to ensure local, national health security, and to build the resilience of
communities, and health systems. During health emergencies and disasters, the health sector
has a central role in managing the risks and reducing the consequences of a pandemic. But it
can only fulfill these responsibilities with a whole-of-government and whole-of-society
approach. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored for the Philippines, in
particular, and all countries in general, the importance of a resilient health care system to be
able to manage health emergencies and disasters. The key areas identified under the health
sector for the risk and vulnerability identification were the testing, hospital bed, rural health
units, barangay health stations, health human resources, and vaccination capacity. Thus, in
order to address the current and emergent pandemics, there is a need to revisit the existing
health system and ultimately to future proof one of the central actors during such a crisis, the
health sector.
I hereby certify that all information provided as part of this application is true and correct to the best of
my knowledge. I understand that any false statement on this submission may subject the nominee to
disqualification or invalidation of the award.

I also give my consent to the organizing committee considering this nomination to use the information
provided herein only for the purpose of evaluation and selection for the award.

DR. CELIA M. MABALATAN

Signature over Printed Name of Nominator
Date: