Santa Rosa, Laguna — The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF)’s Bayang Malusog Community of Practice (CoP) held a face-to-face learning visit on September 4, 2025, at Healthway QualiMed Hospital, where Chief Operating Officer Atty. Nirmala Barbara Vanguardia welcomed members and introduced the hospital’s approach to providing quality health care.

Participants representing 11 CoP member areas (Aklan, Apayao, Benguet, Eastern Samar, Ifugao, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, and Baguio City) took part in the session to learn how a private health institution manages its systems and sustains its operations. The visit gave participants an opportunity to compare experiences and see how good practices in hospital and primary care management could inspire solutions in local government health systems. 

Hospital leaders presented the facility’s background, expansion plans, and organizational structure. They emphasized that clarifying roles and responsibilities helps teams work effectively and prevents overlaps. Members found this lesson particularly relevant as many provinces are still refining their own organizational arrangements for Universal Health Care (UHC) implementation.

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The hospital also showcased its referral network under the Healthway Medical Network, explaining how it links patients to appropriate care, supports information flow, and ensures continuity of services. CoP members noted that strengthening referral systems remains a common challenge in local settings, making this example valuable. The discussion on financial management further gave members insights on how sound systems can sustain service delivery and improve efficiency.

A guided tour of the hospital allowed participants to observe operations firsthand, from equipment standards to human resource practices. The interactive exchange encouraged members to raise questions on how these systems could be adapted in their provinces, especially in contexts where resources are limited.

In the plenary session, members reflected on the visit and shared how they plan to apply their learnings. Some said the clear structure and systematic networking approach of Healthway could serve as models for strengthening their own provincial health systems. Others expressed that seeing the hospital’s practices in action made the lessons more concrete and easier to adapt.

Dr. Catherine Chung, Local Health Systems Director at ZFF, closed the activity with words of encouragement, reminding the members that peer learning and exposure to different models help build stronger foundations for UHC. She urged participants to translate their insights into action, carrying forward the motivation from the visit into their communities.

The end-line study of the Integrated Provincial Health Systems Development Program (IPHSDP) highlights its role in enhancing leadership and health system resilience, achieving significant progress in Universal Health Care implementation and COVID-19 response across participating provinces, while underscoring the need for sustained collaboration and digital infrastructure improvement for effective policy-making and continued program success.

This policy paper examines gaps in the Philippines’ health system capacity to achieve universal health literacy under Universal Health Care and presents insights and recommendations for developing coherent strategies to institutionalize efficient and sustainable community-based health promotion and literacy programs at the local level.

This policy brief advocates for strengthening Bataan’s barangay-based incentive program as a strategy to mitigate the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), emphasizing the importance of bolstering primary care to enhance early detection and treatment, thereby freeing resources for broader community development and improving the province’s Human Development Index (HDI).

The study introduces the Barangay Leadership Management Program (BLMP) in Dinalupihan, Bataan, demonstrating its role in enhancing health leadership and management capacity at the barangay level to bolster primary care and integrate health services effectively.

The Zuellig Family Foundation’s Accelerated Leadership Development Program aims to expedite Universal Health Care (UHC) implementation in Philippine provinces by enhancing leadership and technical skills among Department of Health regional UHC core teams, critical for overcoming setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tacloban City — A five-day parenting training gathered local workers in Samar to strengthen families’ role in guiding their children and preventing adolescent pregnancy.

The Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (EYLGP), under the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP), placed new focus on parents after consultations revealed that family guidance often receives less attention. Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan raised the concern in earlier discussions, which prompted program leaders to act.

From September 1 to 5, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) and Masayang Pamilya, Inc. organized the training in Tacloban City. They used the Masayang Pamilya Para sa Batang Pilipino (MaPa) framework, an evidence-based program developed with Parenting for Lifelong Health. The sessions taught participants how to strengthen parent-child relationships, manage stress, and practice positive parenting.

Related articles:

• Learning and Working Together: Insights from the Youth Leadership Colloquiums in Southern Leyte and Samar
• Youth and Local Leaders Join Forces to Prevent Teen Pregnancies in Samar

Trainers also introduced the MaPa Teens Hybrid model, which combines parenting support with adolescent health education. The model encourages parents and children aged 10 to 17 to talk openly about relationships, reproductive health, and emotional well-being.

Twenty-five social and health workers from Calbayog, Catbalogan, and the Samar Provincial Government completed the training. They will work directly with families during a three-month pilot in selected communities. Organizers will monitor the pilot closely to track changes in family behavior and youth outcomes.

The results will be shared with the Provincial Government of Samar to explore how the initiative can be expanded under its One Values Program which also aims to strengthen the role of parents in their children’s education, health and well-being. Organizers believe that by working with parents and communities, the program can help young people grow healthier and more supported in their journey to adulthood.

The Provincial Government of Samar will review the results. If the pilot shows promise, leaders plan to expand the initiative across the province. ZFF believes that by equipping parents and communities with the right tools, families can raise healthier and more supported adolescents.

Authors: Floro Acaba Jr., ZFF EYLGP Provincial Account Officer for Samar; Krizzia Esperanza, ZFF Corporate Communications Associate

Building foundations for brighter futures: Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) at the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) Conference 2025!

On the second day of ARNEC 2025, July 2, held in Manila, ZFF joined organizations across Asia to share inclusive and innovative approaches to early childhood development (ECD). During a panel on good practices hosted by the Tanoto Foundation, ZFF presented its 10-year journey in Basilan, where it worked with local leaders to improve services for children in their first 1,000 days (F1KD). Through its Bridging Leadership approach and Health Change Model, ZFF helped local governments strengthen systems for health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, and safety—despite the area’s long-standing security challenges.

ZFF’s experience in Basilan demonstrated the value of adaptive, locally-led governance in improving early childhood outcomes, especially in conflict-affected areas. While approaches may differ across countries, inclusive and sustainable ECD begins with collective action rooted in local realities.

Read more insights here

View full presentation here:

Health data should move as easily as people do—but in the Philippines, that is still far from reality. 

This paper takes a close look at the country’s push to improve its health information systems as part of its journey toward universal health coverage (UHC). The authors unpack recent reforms, including the development of a National Health Data Repository and a unified digital health framework, while also pointing out ongoing problems including weak infrastructure, delayed technical support, and gaps in data quality.

What makes this study especially valuable is its focus on challenges faced by local governments and health workers. The authors argue that solving these issues means going beyond new technology—having consistent investment, proper training, and making sure existing policies actually work on the ground. Funded by the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), the paper offers a grounded, hopeful path forward for building a more connected and people-centered health system.

Read the full paper here