Manila, 2 June 2026: The Advisory Committee for the Longitudinal Study on Ageing and Health in the Philippines (LSAH-P) convened in Manila on 2 June 2026. The meeting was organised by the Development Research and Development Foundation Inc. (DRDF) and the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI), in close collaboration with ERIA under the LSAH framework.

The meeting brought together 38 participants from academia, government agencies, local NGOs, and international development partners. ERIA was represented by Mr Narihiro Hirai, Chief Manager for Healthcare, and Dr Liem Nguyen, Programme Manager for Social Welfare and Principal Investigator of the Two-Country Project (LSAH-P and LSAH-Viet Nam).

Key objectives included strengthening the content and applicability of the upcoming Wave-3 survey, as well as exploring the opportunities for collaboration amongst the LSAH team, Advisory Committee members, and their respective organisations. These efforts aim to maximise the use of LSAH-P data for knowledge generation and evidence-based policymaking.

In his opening remarks, Dr Liem Nguyen acknowledged the tremendous contributions of Prof. Yasuhiko Saito (previously Senior Research Fellow at ERIA), underscored the important role of the Advisory Committee, and highlighted ERIA's initiatives on active ageing and their place within the institute’s broader social welfare programme. This was followed by a short commemorative video presented by DRDF in memory of Prof. Saito.

Prof. Grace Cruz, Principal Investigator of LSAH-P from DRDF, then provided an overview of the LSAH project, including its key outputs and milestones. Assoc. Prof. Christian Joy Cruz, Co-Principal Investigator of LSAH-P, presented the technical aspects of the upcoming Wave 3 survey, highlighting its expanded scope to cover the economic dimensions of ageing, long-term care, digital adaptation, and disaster preparedness, as well as outlining the next steps.

The open discussion that followed generated valuable feedback and insights from Advisory Committee members, many of whom have been actively engaged since the project’s inception. This exchange also marked an important step towards strengthening the Philippines’ preparedness for its demographic transition to an ageing society.