Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. affirmed the agency’s commitment to spearhead the country’s transition to a new frontier in health by exploring opportunities for the integration of P4 medicine — Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory— in the Philippines.

“The DOST through the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) actively pursues initiatives and partnerships that will equip the country with the necessary tools and opportunities to harness the benefits of P4 medicine for the Filipino people.” Sec. Solidum said. “Our goal is to ultimately provide better health for our countrymen, by leveraging the latest developments in technology, learning from our neighboring countries, and of course by maintaining our continued commitment in health R&D,” he added.

Ms. Astrid Dita, Head of AI and Innovation for the Asia Pacific Region at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change also urged the Philippines to take an active role as a shaper of this transformation rather than remain merely a beneficiary. “I want to make the case that the Philippines is actually better positioned than most people realize,” she said. Emphasizing that the country has the prime opportunity to act now, she explained how the current global environment is enabling the advancement of P4 medicine: “The tools have never been cheaper, the science has never been more powerful, and the global policy framework has never been more supportive.”

Ms. Dita emphasized the relevance of further investing in and expanding DOST PCHRD-supported initiatives as key entry points.  “For the Philippines, this pathway will center on further developing the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), and scaling the FILIPINOme reference genome project,” she said.

Formally launched in 2011, the PGC is supported by the DOST PCHRD, with the vision to utilize genomics to benefit several sectors such as health, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and biodiversity. Specific to health, the PGC plays a crucial role in developing precise and personalized treatments for Filipinos. Under the Center, the FILIPINOme project was born, which aims to sequence Filipino genomes and build a reference database to promote understanding of how genetic variations can lead to better treatments and diagnostics.

Further elucidating the relevance of these initiatives to the country, Ms. Dita highlighted how boosting genomic capabilities can also help build the country’s clinical trial capacity and establish pharmacogenomic testing that PhilHealth can cover. “The country’s extraordinary genetic diversity across dozens of ethnic groups and its natural biodiversity across the archipelago are genuine scientific assets,” she said.

She also pointed to the  recent passage of the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) law in September 2025. “Vaccine sovereignty must also be treated as a core national priority, particularly for countries seeking to build domestic precision medicine manufacturing capacity,” she added.

Reiterating the advantage of promptly taking action, she said: “The countries that moved first, are now reaping outsized returns. They did not wait until they were ready. They began with what they had, chose their entry points strategically, and sustained the effort overtime.”

Finally, Ms. Dita emphasized the critical role of  DOST-PCHRD in shaping the future of health:   “The DOST-PCHRD has an opportunity to help shape not just the research agenda but also the strategic direction of how the Philippines engages with the transformation already underway.”