The Philippines continues to face key governance and workforce hurdles in advancing digital health, according to a joint report by the World Bank Group (WBG) and the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage.

Titled “Addressing Public Governance Challenges in Digital Health: The Experience of the Philippines,” the report published on Monday, March 2, underscored that, as of recent years, the country still lacks a comprehensive law regulating digital health—a gap that reform advocates have been working to address since 2020.

The report noted that “currently, there is no comprehensive law regulating digital health in the Philippines,” with ongoing lobbying efforts urging the government to prioritize digital health implementation and pass key measures such as the E-Health Bill and the E-Government Act. These proposed laws aim to establish a clear legal framework not only for digital health, but also for broader digital transformation across government agencies.

At present, the only relevant legislation cited is the Philippine Medical Act, which allows the practice of telemedicine. Beyond this, however, governance for digital health initiatives remains fragmented, the report lamented.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine and digital platforms in 2020, stakeholders have been pushing for stronger institutional and legal support to sustain reforms beyond emergency measures, it noted.

The report also flagged persistent workforce constraints, particularly the shortage of information and communications technology (ICT) professionals in the public health sector. It pointed out that many ICT specialists prefer private sector roles, where compensation and job stability are often more competitive.

While ongoing lobbying efforts seek to formally integrate ICT professionals into the public health sector as a distinct cadre of health workers, the report pointed out that such recognition would offer greater job security. Currently, most ICT personnel in public health serve on contract-based arrangements, with renewals dependent on six-month performance reviews.

The report further lamented that at the subnational level, staffing limitations are even more pronounced. Typically, only one ICT position is available per office, and while new roles have been opened, interest has remained low—especially in geographically remote areas.

To address the talent pipeline issue, reform advocates have engaged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to integrate digital health into academic programs, the report noted. The goal is to generate student interest in digital health careers and encourage graduates to pursue roles in the public sector.

The report cited that efforts since 2020 have also focused on standardizing staffing requirements for e-Health deployment. This includes identifying the necessary roles and competencies, with national-level oversight guiding implementation at local government units (LGUs).

Competency-building programs at regional and local levels now include credentialing through certifications in program management, data management, privacy, cybersecurity, and ICT service management, the report said. For example, program managers are encouraged to pursue data management certifications, while cybersecurity personnel align with frameworks such as the United States’ (US) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework (CSF) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, including ISO 27001 for information security management systems and ISO 19650 for building information modeling systems.

While the Philippines has made notable strides in digital health adoption in recent years, sustained reforms in governance, legislation, and human resources (HR) will be critical to institutionalizing gains and ensuring equitable implementation nationwide, according to the report.