The Faculty of Pharmacy, through its Department of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) and the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), formally launched the Trainers’ Certification Program on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on October 3, 2025, at the Collaborative Learning Space 2, Main Building, University of Santo Tomas.
This pioneering initiative marks a significant milestone in enhancing academic capacity in the field of Health Technology Assessment, which is a multidisciplinary process that evaluates the medical, economic, social, organizational, and ethical aspects of health technologies and interventions.
The certification program is an outcome of discussions between Rev. Fr. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, O.P., a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), and the President of the Philippines, regarding the importance of capacity-building in evidence-based health decision-making. Recognizing this national need, and under the directive of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Prof. Cheryl R. Peralta, DrPH, Prof. Aleth Therese L. Dacanay, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, spearheaded the development and implementation of the Trainers’ Certification Program.
According to Fr. Austriaco, initiatives such as this will address critical challenges in evaluating and deciding on the inclusion of new and emerging health technologies in the country’s healthcare packages, ensuring that these decisions are guided by robust scientific evidence and sound ethical considerations.
The program aims to:
- Enhance the knowledge and skills of academic staff in evaluating various health
technologies; - Provide hands-on training on the actual process of conducting HTA; and
- Develop the capacity to assess new and existing health technologies to ensure their
suitability for improving public health outcomes.
Upon completion, participants may become health technology assessors and future trainers for
the Health Technology Assessment Certification Program, which is currently being developed by
the Faculty of Pharmacy to contribute to a stronger, more sustainable ecosystem for evidence-
based healthcare decision-making in the Philippines.
The launch was graced by representatives of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC)
led by Dr. Jacinto Blas Mantaring Jr., MSc, Chairperson, and Ms. Anne Julienne G. Marfori, and
the representatives from the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines.
They were formally welcomed by Prof. Cheryl R. Peralta, DrPH, Vice-Rector for Academic
Affairs, together with the Faculty of Pharmacy administrators and the twenty (20) academic
staff members participating in the certification program.
Their collective presence underscored the vital collaboration between government agencies,
academia, and the private sector in ensuring equitable access to safe, effective, and cost-
efficient health technologies for all Filipinos.
Through this initiative, the UST Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, reaffirms its
commitment to advancing the goals of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) and
to fostering a culture of evidence-based, ethical, and sustainable decision-making in the
Philippine healthcare system.