LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES – The Philippine One Health University Network introduced the first One Health Young Leaders Bootcamp, convening some 26 Filipino young leaders whose expertise and interest revolve within the trifecta of human, animal, and environmental health, on July 8–12, 2024.
Dr. Neil C. Tanquilut, PhilOHUN Country Coordinator shared, “This bootcamp is a great milestone for the organization and a significant step to breaking the silos among the different health systems, at least in the academic setting for now.”
“We hope that by bringing these individuals together, we will be able to create a community of practice that transcends geographical distances and regional differences to promote the One Health approach as an integral solution to a more sustainable and resilient Philippines,” Tanquilut added.
Themed “Catalyzing the Next Generation of One Health Champions,” the bootcamp saw the formation of its pioneer cohort joined by students, academics, and young professionals across the current 19 PhilOHUN member universities. Together, they collectively called their batch “Sibol” – a Filipino word which directly translates to “growth”.
To empower Sibol to drive positive change, they attended nine plenary sessions, including eco-health, planetary health, research, and policy and leadership, among others. They also participated in three workshops and a field trip aimed at enriching their learning through exposure in One Health applications to sustainable eco-tourism and real-life scenarios.
On the fourth day, the cohort participated in a structured pitch contest on One Health-related projects as final simulation. A total of eight (8) capsule project proposals were developed for potential grants and funding submission.
Project Kusina to Lamesa, The One Health School Fair, Project OH Know, Juan Health, and the IBABAO Project offered education and advocacy-related strategies to increase understanding of the One Health approach at scale.
Meanwhile, Project TnT: MEZoHCaRES, Project CURE, Project Policy Dev’t: One Health Ordinance @ Local Level offered research-related activities to identify existing gaps, introduce and streamline local policies aimed at mitigating occurrences of One Health-related cases in communities.
Tanquilut shared, “We are overjoyed to see the interdisciplinarity and ingenuity behind the proposed projects.”
Through their collective efforts, Sibol is set to make a significant impact on public health at the local, sub-national, and national levels, Tanquilut added.
This four-day workshop is convened by PhilOHUN, in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños Zoonoses Center (UPLB-ZC) and Visayas State University (VSU). It is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN).
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