Nursing leaders, policymakers, health experts, and practitioners from across the country and abroad convened Friday at a Cebu City hotel for the two-day 14th International Conference of Nurses (ICONS).

 

The event centered on the theme “Empowering a Sustainable Future Through Evidence-Based and Innovative Nursing Practice” brought together hundreds of participants to explore how nursing can drive health innovation, environmental stewardship, policy reform, and community resilience in an era marked by rapid technological change, complex global health threats, and growing sustainability challenges.

 

CNU President, Dr. Daniel Ariaso, Sr., opened the conference with a call for clarity, integrity, and evidence-driven action in an age of overwhelming information and rapid technological change.

Ariaso spoke strongly about the need for critical thinking, especially in the era of artificial intelligence.

 

“We must now ask ‘why’—not just ‘what’—to truly cultivate critical thinkers and uncover deeper understanding,” he said.

He urged nurses to uphold character, ethics, and public service, asserting that professional worth is defined not by salary but by impact and integrity.

 

In her remarks, Dr. Marjorie Sta. Teresa, dean of the CNU College of the College of Nursing, Allied Health, and Sciences (CNAHS), also emphasized that evidence-based practice remains the cornerstone of quality and sustainable healthcare delivery. CNU’s CNAHS is the lead convenor of ICONS14.

 

“There is power in evidence-based strategies,” she said, noting that research-driven interventions can reduce unnecessary procedures, minimize waste, and improve patient outcomes.

 

She urged nurses to embrace innovation—from digital records to emerging technologies—while also reducing healthcare’s environmental footprint.

 

 

Cebu City Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, who represented Mayor Nestor Archival, welcomed delegates and linked the conference theme to Cebu City’s long-term development agenda.

“Sustainability is not only about infrastructure or climate action,” he said, “but also about building a healthy and resilient population.”

 

He recognized nurses as frontline actors in community health, aging-population care, and preventive medicine—key pillars of the city’s development strategy. Citing lessons from the pandemic, Abellanosa reminded attendees that societal progress depends on a strong health system and the people who sustain it.

 

“Your work strengthens our communities and prepares us for the challenges ahead,” he told the audience, expressing gratitude to the organizers and participating institutions.

 

For his part, Dr. Joshua Brillantes, regional director of the Department of Health – Region 7, highlighted the event’s alignment with the department’s goals under universal healthcare.

He described nurses as the “heart” of the health sector, whose expertise and resilience continue to shape public health amid rapid change, emerging diseases, and shifting patient needs.

 

Brillantes expressed hope that the conference would “give birth to new engagements, improvements in communities, and perspectives that uplift nursing standards across the region and the globe.”

 

The conference kicked off with the first plenary session on Kaigo, a unique caregiving system in Japan. It was tackled by Junichi Fukui, a Japanese Kaigo expert from Kirameki Academy.

 

The second day of the conference tomorrow will be graced by Dr. Nen-Fu Huang, National Tsing Hua University Department of Computer Science professor, who will discuss the prominent AI innovation education in Taiwan.