NAGA CITY, Philippines — Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo has signed a partnership with the Unilab Center for Health Policy to pilot new approaches to primary healthcare, placing the city at the center of an initiative aimed at developing data-driven solutions to improve local health services.
The agreement links the Naga City government with the policy research center under the Unilab Foundation. The collaboration will focus on analyzing local health data collected by the city to guide policy decisions and strengthen healthcare programs at the community level.
Robredo said the partnership is intended to help the city prioritize more strategic health programs that directly respond to the needs of residents.
“Mas ma-strengthen po namin yung mas strategic na mga programs rather than yung mga compliance programs,” Robredo said.
Under the initiative, researchers and local officials will examine patterns in patient care, health service delivery, and records from the city’s local health system. The review aims to identify gaps in healthcare access and develop solutions that can improve services in communities.
Naga City will serve as the pilot site for the project. The partnership will also document how the city’s local data ecosystem can support policy-making and guide practical improvements in healthcare delivery.
If proven effective, the program could produce models that other local government units across the country may adopt. By grounding policy development in community-level data, the initiative hopes to generate practical lessons that could strengthen primary healthcare systems beyond Naga.
The collaboration comes as local governments continue to play a crucial role in implementing health programs at the grassroots level. Through the partnership, Naga City and the Unilab Center for Health Policy aim to translate local experience into policy insights that could influence how primary healthcare is designed and delivered in other parts of the Philippines.
News Source: Peanut Gallery Media Network