On April 12, 2025, the Gelia Castillo Award for Research on Social Innovations in Health (GCARSIH) hosted a half-day online workshop for its current awardees, organized by the UP Manila Social Innovations in Health Initiative – Philippines and supported by DOST, the SIHI Network, and global partners including TDR, UNICEF, and WHO.
The session was facilitated by Dr. Venus Oliva Cloma-Rosales, who led participants through the foundations of implementation research and the step-by-step process of completing the DOST Form 2 research protocol. The workshop focused on practical skills for transitioning community health innovations into scalable, fundable initiatives.
One of the workshop’s highlights was the use of a real-world case: the 2nd place GCARSIH awardee’s Transition of Care (ToC) Program, currently being implemented by the Bicol Region General Hospital and Geriatric Medical Center in partnership with the Local Government Unit of Sipocot. This program is the first in the Philippines to institutionalize a hospital-to-LGU transition process specifically for geriatric patients.
“The session was incredibly rich and thoughtfully delivered,” said Dr. Pamela Pasco, SIHI Philippines Hub Manager. “We deeply appreciate Dr. Ivy’s effort in integrating the submitted research questions and showing participants how to apply key principles in real time.”
This event highlighted the importance of building capacity for research within the social innovation ecosystem — enabling local changemakers to secure support, scale their impact, and sustain community health interventions.
