(28 August 2020) —Undersecretary Mario C. Villaverde of the Health Policy and Systems Development Team, and the Philippine SOMHD focal point, attended the 15th SOMHD and related meetings last 24-28 August 2020. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, as the SOMHD Chair for 2020, led the discussion among the ASEAN Member States, with the assistance of the ASEAN Secretariat.

Director Maria Soledad Q. Antonio, Dr. Joel H. Buenaventura, and the ASEAN Team of the Bureau of International Health Cooperation were duly present. Also in attendance were various focal points of the four (4) ASEAN Health Clusters (AHC), which came from different offices of the Department of Health, including attached agencies like the National Nutrition Council (NNC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The attendees included:

-      Executive Director Azucena M. Dayanghirang and Ms. Ellen Ruth F. Abella of the NNC (AHC1 Focal Leads)

-      Director Napoleon L. Arevalo, Dr. Leda M. Hernandez, and Dr. Julie Mart C. Rubite of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (AHC2 Focal Leads)

-      OIC-Director Frances Rose Elgo-Mamaril and Ms. Ligaya V. Catadman of the Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau (AHC3 Focal Leads)

-      OIC-Director Mary Ruth S. Politico, Health Human Resource Development Bureau

-      Director Pilar Marilyn M. Pagayunan, Food and Drug Administration (AHC4 Focal Lead)

-      Dr. Anna Melissa S. Guerrero and Ms. Johanna B. Mallari of the Pharmaceutical Division and Health Technology Assessment Unit

The 15^th SOMHD lasted for three (3) days. The meeting was then followed by the 10^th ASEAN Plus Three SOMHD, 10^th ASEAN Plus China SOMHD, and a special ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Health Dialogue meeting. The ASEAN-ROK Health Dialogue was a result of the agreements during the special 2019 ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit.

Undersecretary Mario C. Villaverde, as the Philippine lead focal for the SOMHD, participated during the three-day 15^th SOMHD, the one day ASEAN Plus Three and the ASEAN Plus China meeting, and the one day ASEAN-ROK Health Dialogue.

Photo from the Bureau of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health, Indonesia