Photos by: CESB
Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, executive director of the Philippine Center for Health Research and Development (PCHRD-DOST), received the prestigious Career Executive Service award during the Annual CES Conference held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel in November last year.
Dr. Montoya initiated the creation of the ASEAN-Network for Drugs, Diagnostics, and Vaccines Innovation (ASEAN-NDI) that enables R&D experts, government administrators and scientists in the region to work together to discover and develop health technologies that will address health problems and push forward the health industry among the ASEAN member states. Said health technologies include diagnostic tools, strategies, drugs, traditional medicine, vaccines and functional tools.
In describing ASEAN-NDI’s purpose, the network’s official newsletter said that ASEAN-NDI is “meant to ensure that health technology development and the capacity of member states are appropriately maximized and managed according to regional health needs.”
Dr. Montoya, in presenting the ASEAN-NDI initiatives, emphasized the “need to develop collaborative innovations on traditional medicine in addressing the escalating cost and poor access to modern medicine” which are current burdens in some ASEAN countries.
Further, Dr. Montoya also pushed for the establishment of the Regional Health Research Development Consortia which empowers the regions to create their own research programs and formulate their own research activities.
He also established the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board, the highest policy-making body for health research ethics in the country. The establishment of the ethics board guarantees the highest ethical practice in the conduct of health research in the country as the board sees to it that ethical guidelines on health research are constantly updated even as it oversees ethics review committees in human health research in the country.
Dr. Montoya is also a member of the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region Clinical Advisory Committee for Emerging Infections.
The search for 2013’s brightest public leaders is over as four Career Executive Service Officers (CESOs) were conferred the prestigious Gawad CES Award at the opening ceremony of the 13th Casino, November 12, 2014.
Recognized for their outstanding leadership and exemplary contributions to social development and nation-building, the presidential honorees were Manuel G. Co, Administrator of the Parole and Probation Administrator (PPA), Nestor D. Domenden, Regional Director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR - Region I), Rowen Gelonga, Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST- Region VI) and Dr. Montoya.
President Benigno S. Aquino III, while conferring the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award to the eight outstanding public officials, said, “Sila ang mga Pilipinong tumatawid mula sa pagiging lingkod-bayan, tungo sa pagiging isang lingkod-bayani. (They are the Filipinos who transcend their role of humble public servants to become public heroes).
Each of the winners received Plaque of Recognition with the Presidential Seal and cash prize of P100,000.
The Gawad CES is a Presidential award that recognizes distinguished career executives who embody the CES tradition of competent leadership and faithful public service. Given annually since 2008, Gawad CES aims to encourage among Career Executive Service Officers (CESOs) and eligibles the CES culture of competent, faithful and dedicated public service. (S&T Media Service)
