In 1966, Section 3 of Republic Act (R.A.) 4688, entitled “An Act Regulating the Operation and Maintenance of Clinical Laboratories and Requiring the Registration of the Same with the Department of Health, Providing Penalty for the Violation Thereof, and for Other Purposes,” provided for the establishment of the Bureau of Research and Laboratories (BRL) under the Department of Health (DOH). The BRL served as the central laboratory that governed the operation of regional public health laboratories. The BRL’s function was delegated to different offices in 2000 by Executive Order 102 s. 1999 entitled “Redirecting the Functions and Operations of the Department of Health,” which was premised in part with Section 78 of the General Provisions of R.A. 8522 (“General Appropriations Act of 1998”) authorizing the President to direct changes in organization and key positions of any department, bureau, or agency. Towards this direction, the function of the BRL was distributed to different agencies, and the Philippines designated six (6) national reference laboratories that catered to communicable and non-communicable diseases. Five (5) subnational reference laboratories for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases were established in response to the 2009 Influenza AH1N1 pandemic. The DOH issued Administrative Order No 2012-0021 to establish a national and regional network of laboratories.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical gaps in the Philippine health laboratory system, including limited testing capacities, insufficient trained personnel, and inadequate resource distribution. To address these issues, the Philippine government established the Office for Health Laboratories (OHL) and sought technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Project for Strengthening the Philippine National Health Laboratory Network for Infectious Diseases (PHeLNIDs). This project aims to enhance the National Health Laboratory Network's (NHLN) capacity for infectious disease surveillance and response. Phase 1 of the PHeLNIDs project included focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted across 17 regions to assess challenges and develop recommendations for a tier-based laboratory network. Key findings revealed logistical, workforce, transportation, and data management challenges that hinder the effectiveness of specimen referral workflows. Recommendations emphasized decentralizing diagnostic capabilities through subnational reference laboratories, strengthening logistics, and implementing an Integrated Laboratory Information Management System (ILIMS). This article underscores the importance of laboratory decentralization, capacity building, and improved resource management to enhance laboratory-based surveillance and response to emerging infectious diseases. The proposed interventions aim to bolster the Philippine laboratory network, reduce turnaround times, and improve public health outcomes.

Emerging Infectious Disease ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging