ANGARA TO SUPPORT NEUROSCIENCE CENTER AND LEGISLATION ON STROKE AWARENESS

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today pledged to support the establishment of Neuroscience Center and a law promoting stroke awareness and care.

Speaking at the launching of Brain Foundation's book, Compendium of Philippine Neuroscience Researches, Angara said that the Center will be the place to carry out basic research and teach students the value and methods of cutting-edge science.

"This is going to be the space where you can meet with other neuroscientists and scientists from other fields such as molecular biology, physics, engineering and medicine to set a common goal,"said Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology,

Citing several prominent Filipino scientists who are working abroad, Angara emphasized the need to bring them home to the country and collaborate with other scientists who will be working on the Center.

He also encouraged Brain Foundation members from the University of the Philippines to make the Center its Centennial project. Angara is the chairman of the UP Centennial Commission responsible for raising Php 5 million for its various projects. He pledged to support the establishment of the Center within 3 years.

Citing the prevalence of stroke in the country, Angara, chairman of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), further pledge to sponsor a law promoting stroke awareness and care. "We need to combat this leading cause of disability and 2nd cause of morbidity in the country," he explained.

To further move towards a health care and research system responsive to current and future health need, there is also a need to establish mechanisms that will attract sustained funding. "Funds are the lifeblood of research... If we aspire to have cutting-edge research, then we should choose to invest in basic research. And we have to stand firm by that choice," he asserted.

"Neuroscience will change our concept of health and medicine. We must educate our young students on the many great prospects and possibilities of neuroscience.

Compendium of Philippine Neuroscience Researches includes 610 abstracts of neuroscience research in the Philippines from 1999 to 2005.