March 2026

The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) formalized the routine development of policy briefs using Data to Policy methods through a Department Memorandum (No. 2026-0057) issued in January 2026 requiring each of the 17 regional Centers for Health Development (CHD) to develop two policy briefs on priority topics each year. In addition to being presented to regional authorities, the DOH Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau (HPDPB) will review, consolidate and circulate the briefs to national and regional decision-makers at least on a quarterly basis. CHDs are instructed to budget for policy brief development, including D2P training of relevant staff. The Department Memorandum includes the D2P policy brief checklist and online modules to guide analytic methods.  

The DOH also showcased the D2P program and methods at the Health Policy and Systems Research Convergence Forum on March 17-18, 2026, where teams from the Caraga region presented 7 D2P policy briefs and Dr. Ricardo Mateo presented the D2P experience in the Philippines. The event was attended by the DOH Executive Committee, HPDPB, regional and local government representatives, and international delegates from the Southeast Asia Health Policy and Systems Research Dialogue. These two developments highlight strong government commitment to continue to scale the D2P program at subnational level. Recent regional policy briefs have led to a Regional Order expanding pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention to primary health care facilities in Negros Island, funding for a safe water program in Cordillera Administrative Region, a digitalized tracking system for high-risk pregnancies in Northern Mindanao, and a new model for satellite vaccination hubs to increase vaccine access in Caraga.