Philippines

Considered by many to be the oldest surviving university both in the Philippines and in Asia, the institution that today we call the University of Santo Tomas (UST) was founded in 1611 by the Dominicans as the Colegio de Nuestro Señora del Santisimo Rosario. It was renamed La Real y Pontificia Universidad de Santo Tomas de Aquino Universidad...

In the information age, digital literacy has been recognised is a key factor in economic development. These skills can be a critical issue when it comes to educational attainment and obtaining employment. Providing access to digital skills training can also be a powerful means by which to improve people’s lives, especially the poor and...

In June 2013 the passage of the National Health Insurance Act of 2013 extended the national health insurance scheme, PhilHealth, to all Filipinos. As of the end of 2014, 86m Filipinos, or 87% of the population, were covered by PhilHealth. Universal coverage is the government’s ultimate goal.

The health care sector is experiencing a time of growth and adjustment. As the government proceeds with its goal of providing universal health care to the population, both the public and the private health sectors as well as pharmaceutical companies are modifying their systems and forward planning accordingly in order to align with...

Climate and weather significantly affect human health, and even relatively minor changes to a country’s climate can exacerbate and spread disease and multiply deaths. Worse, extreme weather events can greatly undermine a country’s clean water and food supplies, infrastructure, health systems and social protection systems. Between 2030 and 2050...

Sugar is the Philippines’ third-most-valuable cash crop export behind bananas and pineapples, and it retains a unique position in the country due to its value both as an export commodity and a crucial input for the domestic biofuels programme. This double-edged demand has led to a substantially undersupplied domestic market, as biofuel...