Mariano Marcos
State University

CVM leads multidisciplinary NRCP capacity building, membership drive

By Ian Paul Villanueva

The Mariano Marcos State University – College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) hosted a National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) capacity-building and membership drive on September 22 at the Center for Flexible Learning.

The first in a series of NRCP visits with multiple universities, the event aimed to strengthen awareness and understanding among MMSU faculty members and researchers of NRCP membership, its programs, research grants, and other opportunities. As the host college, CVM, led by Dean Melvin Bagot, also extended the event to other units in the university to bring NRCP membership closer to the MMSU’s researchers and research centers.

The initiative gathered researchers from seven distinct colleges and research centers, including College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Health Sciences; College of Medicine; Center for Cellular and Molecular Medical Research; National Bio-Energy Research and Innovation Center; and the Research Directorate.

Titled “Capacity Building, Membership Drive, and Industry Collaboration Initiative,” the event featured Dr. Adrian Ybañez, Chair of NRCP Division XIII, as the primary resource speaker. He led sessions focused on NRCP membership orientation, research and innovation frameworks, and an introduction to veterinary grantsmanship.

Dr. Ybañez also introduced VetInnovate PH, a multi-regional collaborative platform for research, scientific engagement, innovation, and academe-practice-industry linkages in the country.

Two evening sessions followed, with over 25 participating veterinarians from Ilocos Norte. The cohort consisted of practitioners from local government units, private clinics, those from the Companion Animal Series caravan, and CVM faculty members.

The sessions tackled the topics, “Recent Philippine Vaccination Research and Updates towards Philippine Consensus Guidelines” and “Canine Vector-borne Diseases in the Philippines: Latest Diagnostic Approach and Treatment Protocols.”

Established in 1933, NRCP is a Department of Science and Technology-attached multidisciplinary collegial body that acts as a scientific advisory council to the Philippine government. It is organized into 13 distinct divisions, each encompassing a particular field. NRCP Division XIII is its newest addition, having been established in 2019.