
ACRI bags honors at 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards
Pasay City, Philippines – 27 October 2023 – The ASMPH Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI) proudly announces its remarkable achievements at the 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards for Partners, hosted by the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) - Healthy Promotion Bureau (HPB) in collaboration with the Galing Pook Foundation. The awarding ceremony took place on October 27, 2023, at the PICC Reception Hall in Pasay City, with the aim of recognizing exceptional contributions by government and non-government institutions toward the promotion of healthier people, environments, and systems.
ACRI's outstanding projects, aimed at advancing environmental health research and translating knowledge into actionable evidence for policy-making and action planning, have been honored in two key categories:
Gold Award: Maging MaTAALino – Protecting the Health of People and Environment Against Arsenic in Drinking Water Sources in Batangas Province
The Maging MaTAALino project, led by Dr. Geminn Louis C. Apostol, pioneered research on arsenic contamination in Batangas. This groundbreaking initiative resulted in the development of risk communication programs and materials, which were disseminated throughout the province. Additionally, it led to the formation of the Taal Volcano Environmental Health Task Force (EnviHealth Team) in collaboration with DOH-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) CALABARZON, spearheaded by Engr. Peter Herrera, and the Batangas Medical Center-Poison Control Center, under the guidance of Dr. Rhodora Reyes-Madrid.
Bronze Award: National Environmental Health Action Plan 2030 (NEHAP 2030)
NEHAP 2030 served as a comprehensive blueprint for creating a health-enabling environment for both current and future generations, ensuring the alignment of these national plans for Environmental Health with the Universal Health Care Law, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the DOH’s Health Promotion Framework Strategy. For more details, kindly refer to the following links:
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Blog: https://acri.ph/content/towards-a-healthier-future-for-all-filipinos-acri-
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Publication: https://bit.ly/HPBNEHAP2030
These awards not only underscore ACRI's unwavering commitment to advancing environmental health research in the Philippines but also emphasize their dedication to converting knowledge into tangible solutions for policy development and action implementation. ACRI's accolades at the 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards demonstrate their pivotal role in driving positive change and innovation in the realm of public health and environmental well-being.
Awarding of 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards for Partners featuring Dr. Rosary Frances L. Valenzuela, Dr. Geminn Louis C. Apostol, Dr. Lourdes Bernadette Sumpaico-Tanchanco, and Ms. Samantha Julia L. Eala of the ACRI team from left to right.
Ceremony of the 2023 Healthy Pilipinas Awards for Partners starring the ACRI team and the organizers – DOH-HPB and Galing Pook Foundation.
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Heat Health Forum 2025: Strengthening Our Response to a Warming Philippines
Join the Heat Health Forum on May 15, 2025 at ASMPH Chang Te Hall, Ateneo de Manila University — a timely event bringing together health and climate experts, government agencies, and future professionals to address the rising health risks of extreme heat in the Philippines. Through expert discussions and collaborative breakout sessions, the forum aims to shape a unified national response and develop actionable strategies for protecting vulnerable populations. 📅 Date: May 15, 2025 📍 Venue: Chung Te Hall, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City 💻 Access: Zoom 🔗 Register here: https://forms.gle/3RoQvNMPv5CcpKpG9 Be part of the conversation — and the solution.
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Making Clean Air a Right: The Launch of Breathe Metro Manila
This groundbreaking initiative, launched through a collaborative effort between Ateneo de Manila University's Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD), the Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI), the Manila Observatory, and technology partner Clarity, represents a new frontier in public health advocacy: making air quality visible, understandable, and actionable for every Filipino. The project made its public debut on August 6, 2025 at a media briefing and roundtable titled "The Urgent Case for Clean Air: Why Real-Time Data Could Save Lives." The event brought together leading scientists, health professionals, and innovators to address a sobering reality—air pollution has quietly become one of the Philippines' most pressing public health emergencies.