News

PHE Convenes First Advisory Board Meeting for 2026

March 27 2026—The Program for Health Equity (PHE) of the University of the Philippines Manila convened its Advisory Board on March 27, 2026, with participation from the University of the Philippines Manila (College of Public Health, College of Medicine, UHC Study Group), Zuellig Family Foundation, Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations, Department of Health, and PhilHealth.

PHE Attends a Policy Communication and Advocacy Workshop

March 26 2026—The Program for Health Equity staff attended a Short Course on Policy Communication and Advocacy hosted by the Department of Health Policy and Administration of the College of Public Health, UP Manila, last March 23–26, 2026, at Hotel Kimberly. 

PHE Convenes Biannual Planning Workshop to Set 2026–2027 Priorities

February 27 2026—The Technical Working Group (TWG) of the Program for Health Equity, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, convened on February 27, 2026 to refine and prioritize the program’s research agenda following its Annual Planning held earlier this year. 

PHE and DSZPHLG benchmarks with UP NCPAG 

February 20 2026—The College of Public Health, University of the Philippines’ (UP-CPH) Dr. Stephen Zuellig Program for Health Leadership and Governance (DSZPHLG) and the Program for Health Equity (PHE) made a benchmarking visit to the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP NCPAG).  

PHE Conducts Biannual Operational Planning

January 16 2026—The Program for Health Equity (PHE) of the University of the Philippines Manila convened its Biannual Operational Planning Workshop on January 16, 2026, at the College of Medicine. The workshop brought together members of its Technical Working Group and Advisory Board to review accomplishments, identify implementation gaps, and set strategic directions for 2026–2027 in support of advancing health equity under Universal Health Care (UHC).

UP MANILA HIGHLIGHTS: From Data to Decisions: The Philippine Health Atlas Spurs Dialogue on UHC and Equity

December 2025—The launch of the Philippine Health Atlas: Burden of Disease 2023 became an avenue for a multi-sectoral discussion on how the country can use health data better to drive Universal Health Care, strengthen local governance, and address inequity for underserved Filipinos. The forum titled “Using the Philippine Health Atlas in Data-Driven UHC Implementation” gathered leaders from PhilHealth, the Province of Dinagat Islands, the Zuellig Family Foundation, the Department of Health, and the World Health Organization who shared valuable insights on how the Atlas can guide planning and accountability across the health sector.

UP MANILA HIGHLIGHTS: UP Manila, DOH, and IHME Launch the Philippine Health Atlas to Advance Data-Driven UHC

December 2025—Through its Program for Health Equity, the UP Manila College of Public Health, in partnership with the DOH and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), officially launched the Philippine Health Atlas at the Admiral Hotel Manila last November 21, 2025, marking a historic milestone in strengthening the country’s data-driven approach to Universal Health Care (UHC). 

PHE Attends stocktaking exercise on the establishment of Philippines Healthy Cities Network

December 2025—The University of the Philippines Manila College of Public Health (UP CPH) joined the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region last 12 December 2025, in co-organizing the stocktaking exercise on the establishment of the Philippines Healthy Cities network at Luxent Hotel, Quezon City. The event gathered representatives from WHO, the Department of Health, UP CPH, and the city health offices of Pasig, Caloocan, and Makati.

UHC Study Group meets with UPCPH to discuss ongoing research initiatives

September 2025—The UHC Study Group met with officials of the UP College of Public Health (UP CPH) and its Program for Health Equity to discuss ongoing research initiatives. The meeting focused on the progress of research development and the finalization of papers, highlighting the importance of advancing health equity research that is aligned with national health priorities. The discussions also tackled the role of evidence-based studies in shaping policies that respond to the realities of health systems at the national and local levels. The meeting recognized the need to strengthen collaboration between academic institutions and policymakers to ensure that research outputs are translated into meaningful policies and responsive programs.

UP Manila and IHME Sign MOU to Strengthen Health Data Collaboration

August 2025—The University of the Philippines Manila (UP Manila) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) of the University of Washington signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 28, 2025, marking the start of a long-term collaboration to advance the use of health evidence for research and policy.

The MOU establishes a framework for cooperation in areas such as burden of disease estimation, forecasting, health resource analysis, and capacity-building. Through the Program for Health Equity of the UP College of Public Health, UP Manila will work with IHME to co-produce scientific outputs, including a Philippine Capstone Report based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 data.

UP CPH Engages with WHO Western Pacific Region to Strengthen Healthy Cities and Health Equity Initiatives

September 2025—The WHO Western Pacific Region Office's Division of Health Environments and Populations invited the College of Public Health to participate in a couple of meetings to discuss the College's role in strengthening the Alliance for Healthy Cities in the Philippines. Other potential collaborations were also discussed, including expansion and strengthening of Health Promoting Schools; and the systematization of multisectoral action on the Social Determinants of Health and health equity.