By Maria Liza T. Naranjo, M.D, Adelina Uyvico, M.D. and Rhea Angelica P. Jayma, M.D.
On July 8–9, 2025, the National Children’s Hospital (NCH) Paediatric Palliative Care (PPC) Centre hosted the 2nd Paediatric Palliative Care Symposium and the country’s first Stakeholders’ Meeting for the Paediatric Palliative Care Fellowship Training Program at the Unilab Bayanihan Centre in Pasig City.
The two-day event gathered 168 participants, including paediatricians, nurses, social workers, educators, and NGO representatives, in a national exchange of ideas under the symposium theme “Building Resilience, Inclusivity, Dignity, Growth, and Empathy (BRIDGE) in Paediatric Palliative Care.”
Plenary sessions and workshops explored the psychology of suffering, cultural anthropology of illness, symptom management, advance care planning, and grief mapping, while Filipino paediatricians participated in an interactive Values Discovery Workshop to reflect on compassion and professionalism in clinical practice.
A Milestone Stakeholders’ Meeting
The highlight of the symposium was the Stakeholders’ Meeting on July 8, 2025, which set the stage for the proposed Paediatric Palliative Care Fellowship Training Program—the first of its kind in the Philippines.
Representatives from the Department of Health, Philippine Cancer Centre, Philippine Society of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (PSHPM), and Kythe Foundation joined the NCH PPC team, while the Philippine Paediatric Society (PPS) submitted written recommendations. International partners, including the Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration (TWCC) and the Brisbane PPC Team, also participated, lending expertise and global perspective.
During the meeting, the NCH PPC team presented the milestones of the NCH PPC Centre, charting its progress from service development to education and research. These achievements provided the foundation for the forthcoming PPC Fellowship Training Program, to be based at NCH.
The team also announced the development of a Training Manual to guide the fellowship’s structure, competencies, and learning outcomes to be submitted to the PPS Hospital Accreditation Board for review.
Commitments and Collaboration
Using the World Health Organization (WHO) Palliative Care Framework as a guide, participants mapped out their respective roles in strengthening PPC in the country. Each stakeholder identified focus areas that would support both service delivery and training capacity.
The meeting concluded with strong expressions of support, highlighted by the PSHPM’s commitment to endorse and collaborate in establishing the PPC Fellowship Program. The gathering also reaffirmed the importance of multi-sectoral partnerships in ensuring that PPC services and training are integrated into national health priorities.
A Collective Step Forward
Beyond strategic planning, the symposium also nurtured the spirit of empathy and collaboration among participants. Courtesy of TWCC, each attendee received a copy of the WHO Handbook for Paediatric Palliative Care, symbolizing shared ownership of the mission to advance PPC in the Philippines.
Positive feedback from participants underscored the event’s success—not only as a scientific meeting but as a unifying moment for the PPC community.
As the Philippines moves closer to launching its first Paediatric Palliative Care Fellowship Program, this landmark meeting stands as a testament to what can be achieved when vision, compassion, and collaboration converge.
