A health information system (HIS) succeeds only when end users adopt it, local governments finance it, and national standards support it. The Bayang Malusog Community of Practice convened on May 6, 2026 to advance exactly this kind of systems-level learning.

This Community of Practice, convened by the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), serves as a dedicated learning platform where health officials exchange implementation experiences, discuss operational challenges, and develop practical solutions for advancing UHC across the Philippines. This session brought particular focus to HIS, which many describe as the backbone of health reform.

The learning session drew participants from 17 provinces and one city, alongside representatives from five Department of Health (DOH)-Centers for Health Development from Regions 1, 4A, 7, 8, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. The provinces represented include Pangasinan, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Aklan, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte. Baguio City also participated as the lone city delegation. Each locality brought distinct operational realities and varying stages of digital health maturity to the learning session.

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‘No UHC Without Strong HIS Support’

ZFF President and Executive Director Austere Panadero opened the discussions with a pointed reminder: “At the end of the day, the sustainability of entire reforms in local health systems, one of the key pillars is the infosystem.”

He acknowledged the difficult trade-offs local governments face daily. “Marami kasing investment decisions ang dapat gawin ng mga local governments. Saan ninyo ilalagay ang inyong mga limited resources so that you can really support the UHC implementation?”

Panadero reaffirmed ZFF’s commitment to hosting these critical conversations. “Kami sa ZFF, we’re happy to host these types of conversations and find out more ano pa ‘yung mga kailangan nating sabay tuklasin at hanapan ng paraan upang mabigyan ng kaukulang atensyon o solusyon ‘yung mga problemang hinaharap natin.”

Dr. Catherine Chung, ZFF Local Health Systems Director, set the context for the learning session with a sobering assessment of UHC’s seventh year. “Functional na dapat lahat itong seventh year, pero marami pa rin tayong struggles and challenges,” Chung said.

Chung warned that without reliable data and sound planning, UHC implementation will continue to fall short. “Kung walang kaperahan, walang maayos na data, walang maayos na pagpaplano, hindi magiging maganda ‘yung implementation natin.”

Peer Learning as the Path Forward

Dr. Carlo Panelo, healthcare economics expert and professor at the University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine, encouraged participants to embrace peer learning as the most critical strategy at this stage of UHC implementation. “National guidelines can only go so much,” Panelo explained. “They provide you the framework, the general direction but implementing it on the ground is really very nuanced in terms of your unique situation as individual local governments.”

Panelo remained unequivocal about the necessity of robust information systems. “HIS will not solve everything but it can definitely improve things. Similar to UHC, HIS is not your magic bullet or your magic pill for UHC. But I think there is no UHC without strong HIS support.”

He placed the responsibility squarely on local governments. “These systems are existing, and the ball is actually in your court now to adapt what these systems can provide you. National government needs to create an enabling environment for local governments to invest in an HIS, meaning at the end of the day you have to convince your mayors and you have to show them the figures—how much it will cost you and how much you will get in return by investing in this improvement in your systems.”

Health as Foundation of National Progress

Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla made the case that health cannot remain a side agenda. “You cannot have a progressive country if you don’t actually focus on health,” he declared.

Petilla emphasized that data gathering is the most crucial component of the entire UHC system. “We’re just trying to capture everything. If you capture everything in the easiest possible way, you can do a lot of analysis. It’s the data gathering that’s actually very crucial here.”

Quezon’s Journey: No ‘Best System,’ Only What Works

Dr. Chris Mangunay, Provincial Health Officer I of Quezon Province, shared his province’s ongoing journey in developing a customized and integrated health information system designed around actual healthcare workflows.

“The success of a health information system depends largely on the end users,” Mangunay said. “We need a system that is user-friendly because we want something that follows the workflow of a primary care facility.”

The province transitioned between providers after discovering their previous system no longer progressed according to operational needs. “There is no one best system,” Mangunay acknowledged. “Whatever system you present, there will always be hiccups and resistance from end users.”

He stressed the necessity of continuous development. “We have to continuously explore other features and continuously develop because every facility is still adapting to these systems. We need a mature system to support evidence-based governance. At the end of the day, we want [HIS] to translate into better health outcomes.”

Aligning Local Systems with National Standards

Ms. Cherry Esteban, OIC Director of the DOH Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service (KMITS), discussed the national government’s efforts to strengthen governance and interoperability across local health systems. “Digital health is positioned as a strategic enabler of UHC,” Esteban said. 

She highlighted the planning advantages that robust data provides. “Decision makers can already do better planning if the data is available.” Esteban emphasized governance as the foundation of digital transformation. “Good governance must guide digital transformation. Interoperability is not just about systems connecting with each other.”

Lessons from Experts: Start Small, Think Big, Learn Fast

Two senior health experts offered closing reflections that captured the day’s themes. 

Dr. Ayedee Domingo, adjunct faculty at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health and former director of the National TeleHealth Center, encouraged experimentation grounded in local reality. “We can only learn by trying. So unless we try, we can never really know what really works in our setting. We can write the best enterprise architecture on paper, but it may still fail.”

Dr. Manuel Dayrit, Chairman of the Zuellig Family Foundation and former Secretary of Health, noted the opportunity for greater alignment between national and local governments. “National government will create policies and standards, but not address the structural bottlenecks to enable those policies and standards to be implemented. We could move faster if there was more coherence in how the central government and local governments work together.”

The way forward requires simultaneous action on multiple fronts: strengthening information systems alongside the people who run them, investing in digital literacy while planning for interoperability, and advancing beyond pilot stages without delay. Stronger systems produce stronger data. Stronger data produces better health for every Filipino.

The Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-Cordillera) honored the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) with the Gawad Kalusugan Award for its contribution to advancing Universal Health Care (UHC) in the region. The recognition took place during the Am-among for Health and Gawad Kalusugan on October 28–29, 2025, in Baguio City.

DOH-CAR recognized ZFF for its partnership in implementing the Bayang Malusog Leadership and Development Program (BMLDP), a joint initiative that builds the capacity of local leaders to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes. The Bayang Malusog program continues to make an impact in its Community of Practice member areas, including Apayao, Mountain Province, Kalinga, Ifugao, and current Bayang Malusog Leadership and Governance Program sites Benguet and Baguio City, where empowered leaders sustain health reforms and deliver better services for their communities.

In her message, DOH-Cordillera Regional Director Amelita Pangilinan commended the efforts of partners like ZFF in empowering local government units (LGUs), saying, “The LGU is the lifeline of reform.” She encouraged continued collaboration to strengthen primary health care, improve facilities, and invest in the health workforce.

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DOH Undersecretary Glenn Mathew Baggao urged participants to view UHC “not merely as a law, but as a commitment to collective effort for better health access.” He added that a ‘Healthier Cordillera’ requires building an inclusive, accessible, and resilient health system.

Through the Gawad Kalusugan, DOH-Cordillera also recognized outstanding LGUs, national agencies, civil society organizations, and private partners who help advance UHC in the region.

The recognition affirms ZFF’s commitment to work with DOH and LGUs in strengthening leadership and governance for health toward the shared goal of ensuring equitable and quality health care for every Filipino.

Main photo from: DOH-Cordillera

Author: Joan Kidatan, ZFF Local Health Systems Provincial Associate for Baguio City

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.