BioRisk Association of the Philippines 2015, Inc. (BRAP2015)

Biological Risk Association Philippines‘s Train the Trainers Workshop, in partnership with the US Department of State Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) and CRDF Global, was successfully concluded last August 23, 2016. The participants who were handpicked by the BRAP and the BEP were either with the academe or in the laboratory who have a knack in giving lectures about biosafety and biosecurity. They were housed for 2 days at the Marriott Hotel in Manila. The participants came from different institutions all over the Philippines so that dissemination of information about biosafety and biosecurity is scattered throughout the country.

Train the Trainers participants, speaker, and evaluators

The first day of the workshop kicked off by introduction of the participants, in which they have to introduce themselves by giving their name, institution, position, number of years working in the institution, and their distinct tag, in which other participants could easily remember them.

Dr. Moreno spearheaded the workshop

The driving force behind the workshop was no other than Dr. Miguel Martin N. Moreno II, BRAP President, and Biosafety Officer of both St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Quezon City and Global City.

The first day was slated for lecture proper. The topics were diverse and were useful in training: having clear objectives, knowing your stuff and audience, using your tools appropriately, and developing stage presence. Dr. Moreno also taught the TTT participants how to dispel their public speaking demons and to develop their own metrics. He also discussed the checklist that is needed for effective training slide presentations. Later in the day, all participants were paired, and each pair was assigned each topic regarding biosafety and biosecurity, which the participants would present the next day.

Now it was the participants’ time to strut their stuff on the second day. In one of the topics from the first day was that they have to defy their fears in speaking publicly, so Dr Moreno made them present their assignments in front of the other participants, applying what they have learned from the first day and applying their own techniques. We invited two evaluators, Dr. Socorro Lupisan, Director of Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), and Mr. Ian Medina, Senior Science Research Specialist from RITM, and both were PhABOT graduates. For every pair, the evaluators commented on their style, do’s and don’ts, what could be changed and enhanced. It was a tiring day for everyone, but very informative and fruitful.

TTT Participants

In attendance: Velasco, Goode, Ogatis, Haq and Moreno.

A Meeting to Kickoff Future Collaborations

The meeting was attended by the Biological Risk Association Philippines (BRAP) president Dr. Miguel Martin N. Moreno II and vice president Dr. John Mark S. Velasco with Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) outgoing Program Adviser Brett Goode and incoming Mde. Amal Haq, accompanied by Ms. Ma. Sol Ogatis from the Export Control and Border Security Program of BEP at the US Embassy in Manila. Discussions revolved on BRAP founding, what BRAP has achieved in just a few months of existence, and future collaborations with BEP. The meeting was a simple acquaintance meet-up and a getting to know each other and each other’s institutions. Mde. Haq reiterated that BRAP has the support of BEP and applications for grants are welcome as long as proper procedures are followed. The meeting was held at the Tomato Grill in St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, just within the vicinity of the official residence of BRAP office.

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