DOH says AI tools will support broader digital health push
Department of Health (DOH)
The Department of Health (DOH) said artificial intelligence tools will be integrated into its digital health strategy to improve the delivery of healthcare services for Filipinos.
DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Albert Domingo said Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be deployed as part of a broader systems approach rather than as a standalone initiative.
“AI requires robust health informatics infrastructure and reliable, interconnected databases. The priority now, in preparation for AI in health, is to establish local health information exchanges beginning with the one in Aklan Province, and shortly thereafter in other priority provinces like Batangas, Benguet, Laguna, and Sarangani,” Domingo said.
“AI will not be targeted for its sake only, but as part of a systems approach to improving health services for Filipinos,” he added.
The statement followed the launch of the National AI Center for Research and Innovation.
The use of AI in healthcare is not new in the country. In November 2025, the DOH expanded tuberculosis screening through AI-powered chest X-rays. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has also funded studies exploring AI-based detection of dengue transmission patterns.
Despite these developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in 2024 about both the benefits and risks of large multi-modal models (LMMs) or generative AI, noting that such systems may produce false, inaccurate, biased, or incomplete outputs.
