Articles by The Manila Times

Health

Asia-Pacific Framework seen to strengthen PH Lung Cancer program

LUNG cancer remains the country’s deadliest cancer, claiming an estimated 23,000 Filipino lives in 2022 and accounting for the highest cancer mortality nationwide. With survival rates still far below global benchmarks, health leaders are calling for the localization of a regionally developed policy framework to close gaps in early detection, diagnosis and access to treatment.Aspire calls for local action on screening, prevention and treatment accessThe American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham Philippines) convened medical experts, patient advocates and policymakers at the “Stronger Together: Uniting Sectors for Lung Cancer Prevention and Care” forum, where discussions were anchored on the Asia-Pacific Lung Cancer Policy Consensus Document, a regional policy framework developed through the initiative.Frederic Ivan Ting, clinician-scientist specializing in medical oncology, said Aspire outlines five policy pillars tailored for Asia-Pacific health systems: strengthened prevention, earlier detection, equitable access to treatment, deeper partnerships and stigma reduction.He noted that patient profiles are also shifting with more young adults and nonsmokers being diagnosed, patterns tied to environmental factors, indoor pollution and second-hand smoke.“Policies only become meaningful when services actually reach communities,” Ting said, emphasizing that misdiagnosis and slow diagnostic timelines continue to delay care.Ting added that modern treatment standards have moved beyond chemotherapy with immunotherapy and targeted therapies offering significantly better survival and quality of life.However, access in the Philippines remains limited due to high out-of-pocket costs, reinforcing the need for stronger government investment and improved PhilHealth support.Paolo Borromeo, Healthcare Sector lead of the Private Sector Advisory Council or PSAC, expressed support for the Aspire-aligned recommendations, noting that multisector collaboration — from government to private hospitals and industry partners — is essential to strengthen the lung cancer care pathway.Stigma, delayed diagnosis and uneven access persistBeyond policy, the forum also underscored patient experiences. Emer Rojas, a 23-year survivor, highlighted stigma as a major deterrent to early care.“Many fear the illness itself, but many fear even more the uncertainty and financial burden that comes with treatment,” he said, stressing that 15 percent of cases occur among people who never smoked. Rojas welcomed the emergence of artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic tools but noted that affordability remains a challenge for most families.Government expresses supportAppearing on behalf of United Senior Citizens Party-list Representative Milagros Aquino Magsaysay, Angie Limanzarez-Martinez acknowledged identified gaps in service delivery.The member officer from the House Health Committee said, “We acknowledge that challenge in government service delivery. We will continue to push and work for improvements.”

1 hours ago

Technology

Sectors unite to bridge gaps in health supply chain to realize UHC

THE promise of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law remains clear: equitable access to quality health services and essential medicines for all Filipinos. Yet, gaps in financing, procurement and data systems continue to slow its full rollout.In response, government agencies, the private sector, civil society and global partners convened in Makati for a multisectoral dialogue hosted by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) and UHC Watch at the Asian Institute of Management.Representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), PhilHealth, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), local government units (LGUs), and international institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Health Organization, joined the discussions.PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla emphasized that medicine access “is not only a health issue, it is a systems issue,” highlighting the need for strong financing, supply chains and regulatory systems to support UHC.Two key studies anchored the dialogue: ADB-ThinkWell’s “Strengthening the Medicine Access Pathway” and PHAP’s “Pathways to Inclusive Access.”Both underlined the importance of policy coherence, evidence-based decision-making and strategic public-private collaboration to strengthen UHC implementation.System reforms to unlock accessADB-ThinkWell’s analysis identified regulatory bottlenecks, fragmented procurement and supply chain vulnerabilities as barriers to medicine access.It recommended strengthening governance, modernizing FDA processes and building coordinated institutional mechanisms to overcome fragmentation. Meanwhile, PHAP’s findings highlighted the need to scale health budgets, use real-time data in procurement and apply real-world evidence to health technology assessments to accelerate patient access.Government officials echoed these priorities. DBM Undersecretary Rolando Toledo cited infrastructure investment and procurement reform as key to achieving UHC, particularly through the new Government Procurement Act (Republic Act 1209). The landmark law introduces digital platforms such as the eMarketplace, promotes pooled procurement and shifts government purchasing from simply selecting the lowest bid to awarding the most advantageous and responsive offer — one that values quality, innovation and transparency.Sofia Yanto-Abad of the Government Procurement Policy Board explained that the reform “is not about bureaucracy, but about building trust and ensuring every procurement decision leads to better health outcomes.”DOH’s Fides Buenafe shared updates on strengthening supply chain systems and expanding the Electronic Logistics Management Information System or eLMIS down to local facilities by 2026.PhilHealth’s Alfred De Dios presented the Yakap initiative, aimed at shifting the system toward preventive, primary care. DTI Undersecretary Mary Jean Pacheco reinforced that the framework for effective supply chain management exists and that the priority now is implementation and fast collaboration across sectors.The dialogue also featured breakout discussions on three priority areas: (1) financing and strategic purchasing, (2) procurement and supply chain efficiency, and (3) data-driven governance and regulatory acceleration.The financing group called for mainstreaming local investment plans for health, improving coordination between DOH and LGUs on devolution, and allowing greater flexibility in funding utilization.The procurement group pushed for the adoption of the new Government Procurement Act’s “Most Economically Advantageous and Responsive Bid” framework, along with pooled procurement and multi-year contracting. Meanwhile, the data governance group urged stronger interoperability between DOH, PhilHealth and DICT databases, centralized data standards and capacity building across government institutions to support evidence-based decision-making.Representatives from local governments such as Baguio, Makati and Bataan also shared their experiences in implementing UHC locally, underscoring the importance of leadership, accountability and adaptive systems that respond to community-level needs. Their stories reflected how policy coherence, real-time data and collaboration with national agencies can directly improve access to essential medicines and vaccines.Call to invest more, procure better and decide smarterClosing the dialogue, PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla stressed that delivering UHC would require evidence-based policymaking, coordination and accountability.He emphasized three critical priorities: strengthening health financing and strategic purchasing, improving procurement and supply chain systems, and harnessing data for informed health care decisions.The call to action that emerged from the sessions urged stakeholders to “invest more” by aligning health investments at both national and local levels, “procure better” through the institutionalization of pooled procurement and strategic purchasing, and “decide smarter” by leveraging interoperable data systems for transparency and performance tracking.“Let us carry forward this call to action, to invest more, procure better and decide smarter,” Loreann Villanueva, PHAP Supply Chain Workstream Committee chair, said, adding, “Only then can we build a future where every Filipino has reliable access to the medicines, vaccines and services needed to live healthy, productive lives.”

2 hours ago

Sports

Alas U16 girls jump 17 spots to No. 25 in FIVB world rankings

MANILA, Philippines — THE Alas Pilipinas girls' under-16 team rose to world No.25 in the latest FIVB Girls’ U17 rankings after qualifying for next year’s world championship in Santiago, Chile.Alas jumped 17 spots from world No. 42 after finishing fifth in the 2nd Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship in Amman, Jordan, last week.The program started ranked No.57.“Awesome leap from 57 to 25! We didn’t realize that our small wins in the Asian Qualifying were that instrumental in raising our country’s standing to a higher rank,” said Alas U16 coach Edwin Leyva. “It just shows that the level of play here in the Philippines has improved and is slowly catching up with our top Asian counterparts.” Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara labeled the under-16 team’s achievement as “big” and stressed that the federation’s grassroots program has developed in the last four years.“We are now reaping the fruits of the grassroots program that the PNVF has started four years ago,” Suzara said.The PNVF was established in post-pandemic 2021 and has since nurtured the growth of volleyball—Alas Pilipinas Men and Women making impacts in the world and Asian levels, the country hosting the world championship for men and for Suzara, his election as president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation and appointment as executive vice president of the FIVB.The youngest national team is now the highest-ranked Philippine volleyball squad, leading Alas Women at 46th and Alas Men at 80th place.Leyva said that despite the achievement, the work doesn’t cease.“Being in the top 25 is already a milestone. Why stop dreaming? Let’s train hard, play harder!” Leyva said. “We have the momentum and we are highly motivated. First, win a set or two, then work up from there. It’s up to us to keep the fire burning.” The Philippine U16 team earned 14 ranking points after a 25-23, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22 victory over Thailand to secure the last Asian ticket to the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship.China had qualified automatically as defending world champion even before the Final Four, while the other Asian representatives for the world meet are newly crowned AVC U16 champion South Korea, runner-up Chinese Taipei, and fourth placer Japan. The Philippines, against all odds, earned its rightful place among them.The world championship in the capital Santiago are set August 5 to 16. TMT

2 hours ago

Technology

Vivo V60 Lite launches, now available for pre-order

NONSTOP fun arrives in the Philippines as vivo launches the vivo V60 Lite, a stylish smartphone built for gamers and entertainment lovers.When you pre-order today until Oct. 30, enjoy exclusive perks such as a vivo VIP Card worth that includes a 6-month broken screen insurance and extended warranty, limited-edition vivo Buds, P1,000 discount, and extra P500 off via Home Credit.Enjoy 0 percent interest installment plans via Home Credit and major credit cards nationwide.Enjoy up to 12 hours of nonstop gaming with a massive 6500mAh BlueVolt battery that can last up to five years. Recharge 100 percent in just 52 minutes with 90W FlashCharge and charge worry-free with 24-dimension safety protection.Experience up to 60 percent overall performance boost with faster frame rates, smoother graphics, and lag-free gameplay; perfect for MOBA players and content streamers alike.Stay cool during long sessions with Bypass Charging, which powers the system directly to reduce heat. Ultra Game Mode adds pro tools like game boost, esports mode, mistouch prevention, and game small window for zero interruptions.Immerse yourself in every frame with a 6.77-inch FHD+ Amoled display, HDR10+ visuals, and 120Hz refresh rate. Enjoy vibrant colors, fluid motion, and an ultra-slim 94.2 percent screen-to-body ratio.Turn every game, show, and song into a full concert experience with 400 percent louder dual stereo speakers, delivering rich surround sound and cinematic clarity.Capture victory moments in stunning detail with the 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor. Its large 1/1.95-inch size and 2x lossless zoom ensure crisp, realistic shots even in low light; perfect for streaming and vlogging.Add creative flair to your photos with the artificial intelligence Four-Season Portrait, which lets you transform your selfies with cinematic seasonal effects — spring, summer, autumn, or winter.Blending powerful performance with an eye-catching design, the vivo V60 Lite is crafted for modern gamers who value both substance and style.Available in stunning Pop Pink, Titanium Blue, and Elegant Black, it comes in three variants to match every gamer’s needs and budget. Discover more about the vivo V60 Lite by visiting the vivo website.

Oct 20, 2025