The Philippines must move quickly to keep pace with global advances in precision medicine, as experts warned that delays could leave the country lagging in the evolving health landscape.

Astrid Dita of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change underscored the urgency of establishing a national precision medicine strategy anchored by a clearly defined coordinating body. She outlined actionable steps drawn from international best practices that the Philippines can adopt to transition toward a “4P” healthcare system—personalized, preventive, predictive, and participatory.

Speaking during the 44th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) under the Department of Science and Technology, Dita stressed that the country faces a narrowing window of opportunity.

She emphasized the need for immediate action to avoid falling behind in a rapidly advancing global health environment.

DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya echoed her call as he reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to strengthening the country’s health research system. He highlighted decades of sustained efforts to build a solid foundation for research aimed at improving Filipinos’ health and well-being.

Montoya explained that personalized approaches tailor care to individuals, predictive strategies anticipate risks, and preventive initiatives aim to address health issues before they arise. These efforts are supported by continued investments in research, including more than P1.14 billion mobilized in 2025 to fund various health studies across the country.

A key initiative cited is the Filipino Genomics Research Program, which is developing a national genomic database. The program has already identified over 26 million genetic variants, nearly half of which are unique to Filipinos, providing critical data for more targeted healthcare solutions.

According to Montoya, these efforts are laying the groundwork for the country’s first Filipino-specific genomic reference. Meanwhile, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. emphasized that research must translate into tangible benefits for the public.

He noted that investments in precision health are already producing results, pointing to programs such as omics-based initiatives that generate multi-layered data to support precision healthcare. Solidum also highlighted local research breakthroughs that serve as safer and more reliable references for future diagnostics and vaccine studies.

Dita stressed that advancements in technology have made precision medicine more accessible than ever. She cited the dramatic reduction in the cost of genome sequencing, noting that it now takes less than 24 hours and costs around $200 to sequence a human genome.

More importantly, she said the Philippines is well-positioned to take advantage of these developments.

“The Philippines is actually better positioned than most people realize, and that the window to act is open right now,” she said.

Dita urged the country to prioritize building local capacity, including strengthening the workforce, developing bioinformatics expertise, and investing in domestic production of diagnostic tools. She also pointed to international examples, such as India, Thailand, and Indonesia, where strategic investments enabled progress in precision health despite these countries' middle-income status.

She emphasized that early and targeted investments yield significant returns and encouraged starting with high-impact interventions that can be scaled nationwide.

The discussions highlighted that advanced healthcare technologies—including AI-powered diagnostics and genomic testing—are becoming increasingly affordable and scalable, enabling earlier disease detection and improved treatment outcomes.

DOST-PCHRD’s ongoing initiatives, combined with sustained funding and cross-sectoral collaboration, are expected to play a central role in integrating precision medicine into the national health system.