A TOTAL of 30 faculty members of Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) participated in a five-day workshop on clinical and laboratory diagnosis of emerging fungal infections in Malaysia, free of charge.

The workshop was funded by the Commission on Higher Education through the Higher Education Upskilling and Study for Advancement of Staff and Faculty Program. This initiative aims to upskill faculty members and advance studies in mycology and infectious diseases in the country.

The participants, made up of medical doctors and doctors of veterinary medicine teaching in medical and veterinary schools in the Philippines, received training from the SEAMEO TROPMED Network in Malaysia.

“Two years ago, I instructed CHED to pivot towards ASEAN because we were concentrating on developing international linkages with North America and Europe, forgetting that there are very good universities in the ASEAN region and that the problems we face are common, particularly on issues in health,” CHED Secretary Popoy De Vera said during the workshop’s closing ceremony in Malaysia.

“I express my heartfelt appreciation to the CHED of the Philippines and the SEAMEO TROPMED Network Central Office for their invaluable support and sponsorship of this workshop. Through our united endeavors, we can ensure that the strategies we discuss today will leave a lasting impact on healthcare systems across our respective countries,” said Dr. Ami Fazlin binti Syed Mohamed, Director of SEAMEO TROPMED Malaysia.

The workshop was designed for healthcare professionals, laboratory technicians, and researchers to enhance their skills in diagnosing emerging fungal infections and diseases.

“To better equip the country for health emergencies, we continue to advance and expand the quality of our health sciences education, particularly in the field of epidemiology where the country has a shortage of professionals,” De Vera added.

Through the CHED-HUSAY Program, funded by the Continuing Professional Development Studies Grant (CPDSG), a total of ₱7,257,306.00 was allocated for the training program, which began on December 2, 2024, concluded on Friday, December 6, 2024.

Launched in September 2023, the HUSAY Program offers full scholarships for short courses to faculty members of HEIs to strengthen their capacity in collaborative research, curriculum development, and instruction.

This program complements CHED’s Scholarships for Instructors and Staff Knowledge Advancement Program (SIKAP), which offers full-degree scholarships for postgraduate studies.

The Commission plans to open new scholarship slots for both SIKAP and HUSAY in 2025.